Wii hardware specs: what we know
by Blake Snow 
{ May 9th 2006 at 11:30PM }
In case you haven't already exhausted the Wii homepage today, here is what's under the hood of the console as revealed by Nintendo:
- 512 megabytes of internal flash memory
- two USB 2.0 ports and built-in Wi-Fi capability
- SD memory card bay to expand the internal flash memory
- "sleepless" WiiConnect24 mode (always-on connection for downloading content etc.)
- PowerPC CPU (code-named "Broadway") jointly developed with and manufactured by IBM
- Graphics Processing Unit: Being developed with ATI (not final we guess)
- Four ports for classic Nintendo GameCube controllers
- Two slots for Nintendo GameCube Memory Cards
- AV Multi-output port for component, composite or S-video
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
robert @ May 9th 2006 11:33PM
Wish it at least supported 16x9 720p - probably get one anyway though - the wife said she might actually play games if I do.
ZaBlanc @ May 9th 2006 11:35PM
I'm fine with the specs...if anything, two things bother me...
1) The phyiscal unit. It's small and likely light. I keep having nightmares of what will happen when a friend yanks on a GameCube controller and pulls the unit across the room.
2) The Gamecube controller. There's something psychologically disturbing about one analog stick at the top on the left, and a smaller, different feeling one on the bottom right. This is the first system that retains controller compatability...why did you have to choose the Gamccube controller?
I'd have preferred a new controller. And perhaps I am wrong in this, because I have seen this mysterious new controller on the Japanese Nintendo site. I'll likely buy 4 of those, but they look kinda funky to me.
NOREBONOMIS @ May 9th 2006 11:37PM
OMG PLEASE NO GRAPHICS WHORES
this is nintendo NOT $ONY OR MICRO$OFT!!!
GET IT THROUGH YOUR SKULLS!!!
AND ANDERSON COOPER I HOPE YOUR READING THIS!
i don't know i just hate that guy. :-p
Andrew @ May 9th 2006 11:37PM
kinda abiguous.
jadenguy @ May 9th 2006 11:41PM
the new controller is indeed the backwards compatible controller, so you can use the two similar analogues. or you can use a wavebird and be totally cord but rumble free.
and robert, it's a nintendo system. it's roughly the same size and weight as the original gameboy. so chances are you won't break it, because those bamfs were indestrucable. (warning: post may contain hyperbole.)
chris @ May 9th 2006 11:45PM
ZaBlanc, they're keeping the GameCube controllers because it plays GameCube games in the exact same way the GameCube does. It's not like you buy GCN controllers to use on the Wii for any brand new stuff, you just use the ones you already have to play the GCN games you already have.
Pince @ May 9th 2006 11:45PM
"We're guessing if you're interested in Wii, you probably don't care too much for hardware specs."
Don't make silly assumptions. Nintendo may follow a different philosophy than the rest of the gaming world with their approach to Wii, but that doesn't mean that the tech specs are completely unimportant.
Whether someone is a huge MS fanboy or whether they have pledged their eternal soul to Nintendo, we are all gamers, and I think all of us like to see a little bit of power under the hood of our consoles.
With that said, I am only barely "tech spec"-literate, but it would be nice if you could update with more information on the CPU and GPU (if it is available).
And what does it mean when you say that the GPU is "not final". Are they steal working on it/ tweaking it? Graphics may not be the key point of Wii, but we still want it to look pretty and be capable of some more impressive visuals than the GC (which never really got to show off graphically til later in its life and in limited amounts, sadly).
Also, what will the internal memory be used for. It seems comparatively quite small (obviously; compared to PS3 and 360), so it seems doubltful that the Wii will have any of the more harddrive-driven features of 360 or PS3(for example, loading up your own music as you play), not that I care that much about such add-ons, but the more content available the better, I say.
On My Couch @ May 9th 2006 11:55PM
Pince,
i would assume that the 512meg of memory will be used store the updates coming off of the WiiConnect24 system and also the games you'll be downloading off of the virtual console. 512 isn't alot but it's got the expnasion SD card slots, also I read a few weeks back that Iwata had eluded to the USB 2.0 ports being able to support whatever external HDD you want to put on there. Which of course would be awesome.
Sean @ May 9th 2006 11:56PM
meh, it'll have enough horsepower to power new games....for a while.
i worry about heat problems, Microsoft had small problems in their larger design (granted the 360 uses three cores) so i dunnno.
as you notice, no unneccessary crap like a P$3 causing the price to skyrocket. nintendo is going to keep the price right where they want it.....so 5 year-olds can afford one!
dongle @ May 10th 2006 12:01AM
i wish it had a vga out. dreamcast had it. why no other consoles (until ps3 with hdmi which can be turned into dvi)?
also why no digital audio out?
sigh.
still totally stoked & going to pre-order etc.
Pince @ May 10th 2006 12:03AM
@8 Ok, thanks for the clarification. Hopefully the external harddriove functionality works out fine, because that would be sweet. I plan on doing plenty of downloading and I, for one, know I'll likely need the space.
robert @ May 10th 2006 12:07AM
"and robert, it's a nintendo system. it's roughly the same size and weight as the original gameboy. so chances are you won't break it, because those bamfs were indestrucable."
I think you meant to direct this at ZaBlanc.
"OMG PLEASE NO GRAPHICS WHORES
this is nintendo NOT $ONY OR MICRO$OFT!!!
GET IT THROUGH YOUR SKULLS!!!"
I don't think that 720p is too much to ask, even the xbox 1 could handle this. It's not that I'm asking for 360 or PS3 level graphics, just a simple resolution issue so that it doesn't look blurry like 480i or 480p tends to look on my HDTV.
Eric @ May 10th 2006 12:08AM
the videos like zelda were in widescreen, i havent read around about the zelda features but can it support widescreen 480i tv screens?
GOD @ May 10th 2006 12:09AM
I'm glad they are supporting the Gamecube controllers/memory cards and the SD card slot rules. But the only spec I'm really going to care too much about is the price...
Freezair @ May 10th 2006 12:10AM
That's not TOTALLY exagerated, jadenguy. There's an original Game Boy on display at the official Nintendo store that got belonged to a soldier in the Gulf War. It got bombed and the plastic shell fused together with the game in the cartrige--Tetris, of course.
It still works.
Fanboy or know, there's one thing you gotta give Nintendo credit for. All their hardware is really durable. Drop it, smack it with a 50-pound weight, torch it--heck, even BOMB it if you must--and it usually keeps on chuggin'.
There's a couple videos floating around where people subject all sorts of consoles to various "stress tests" to see how well they hold up. Definitely entertaining, if only to see insane college-student looking kids beating the everloving snot out of their home consoles.
Thomas Averin @ May 10th 2006 12:34AM
does this usb 2 connection mean home brew? I can also see hooking the baby up to my comp for downloads there...
jadenguy @ May 10th 2006 12:38AM
yeah, sorry rob, zab's who i was directing that comment at. 720p is probably not much to ask for, but if it's a mass produced product, 720p isn't the way to go. it saves nintendo millions. it's like giving your car the option to mount canoes, where you can only make cars standard and making that part of it. it's awesome for people who own canoes, and i guess a lot of canoe enthusiasts might be more interested in that car. but if everybody has to have a canoe rack, it might be easier to not make canoe racks and just leave regular luggage racks up there. that hypothetical situation is flawed, but i like canoing. so there we are.
joystiq is a really smart community, imo. it's got something like 46% firefox usage, which i consider to be HIGHLY indicative of the intelligence and maturity of the audience. and more fans of nintendo go here than enemies. i think the parody kiddie fanboy comments really go overboard sometimes. very few people talk like that, and they are just a vocal minority, like mimes. well, not like mimes, i guess. anyhow, yeah, people may like sony more than nintendo, but that's hardly indicative of their maturity or intelligence. i'm a devout fanboy of nintendo, but i dare say let's class it up chums.
GOD @ May 10th 2006 12:42AM
One nagging question I have is: does the stand have any function to it?
darryl @ May 10th 2006 12:44AM
"what do you think of the system's current spec sheet"
Spec. sheet? Where? I would imagine a spec. sheet to included "specs"? Also, what is listed above, is old old news. Are you guys really that desperate to pump out Yet Another Nindento Article?
Disgusting... yet, entertaining.
Darth Pixel @ May 10th 2006 12:52AM
I am in big trouble.
This system is going to look bad on my HDTV set.
Indeed, SD signals on HDTV set tend to look really bad.
I hate playing games with black bars on the sides. I tried to replay RE 4 that way on the GC and it drove me crazy.
Todd Rabanus @ May 10th 2006 1:03AM
#15 the stand is in fact the power supply
poorwhitetrash @ May 10th 2006 1:13AM
hey god.... the stand has a function.... to hold the wii!
Scythe @ May 10th 2006 1:13AM
This is crap. It's for little kids. Sony's PS3 is the man's weapon of choice...
robert @ May 10th 2006 1:30AM
"720p isn't the way to go. it saves nintendo millions"
I see your point here - I was assuming that since xbox1 could do it, then it must be easy for the slightly more powerful wii to do it too. Like Darth Pixel, I am concerned about the image quality of 480p on the HDTV - but I see now that it does indeed support widescreen so that is good. I sold my raft (old tv) and all my oars (old videogames and systems) to get my canoe :-) so I was just hoping that they might add support for it at the last minute. But if it would make it cost more, then I guess I'm against it - I'll be happy with widescreen support (I already spent $400+ for a 360, games, and accessories so I'll just have to be happy with that for my HD system).
Anyway, I agree that the fanboys get a little crazy here - I would normally be getting all three except for the price on the PS3 and my HD set doesn't do HDCP. How did you know so may joystiqers use firefox (i do too btw)? I couldn't live without tabs.
Lancer @ May 10th 2006 1:38AM
I think the Wii will be a huge hit. I know I'll be getting one. But I think if they Buffed it up more, they would have a console that could completely destroy Sony and Microsoft.
Microsoft tried doing what Sony did last round by releasing much earlier and getting all the titles, but didn't get the titles. Wii will because the game makers will have a huge new market to sell to (only speculation, but the Wii is setting itself up to gain a whole new crowd of followers, and keep it's current set)
Sony, charging such a rediculous price, is basically shooting itself in the foot. No HiDef for the $499 model? that just seems like bad business to me. At Least Microsoft gave everyone that. And they didn't even fully rip off the motion detection from the Wiimote. you have to wonder how much time went into that decision and development. Ohh wait, it's obvious, not much. They're not going to win people by saying "look, it's the old controller, but now with 'super cool Tilting Action'"
Trevor @ May 10th 2006 2:18AM
Everyone should stop spreading the misinformation that the cheaper PS3 won't have HiDef output -- it simply won't have an HDMI output. The AV Multi out (which can do component video, just like PS2) can output 1080p. The big benefit of HDMI (read: DVI video + digital audio + content protection) is that it creates a digital(HDMI)-to-digital(LCD/Plasma HDTV) connection, and looks better (so I read, but I've never seen them side by side myself).
So if you can afford a 1080p digital HDTV at today's price, you can easily get the $600 PS3.
Am I correct on this?
>_> @ May 10th 2006 2:25AM
22. Everyone should stop spreading the misinformation that the cheaper PS3 won't have HiDef output -- it simply won't have an HDMI output. The AV Multi out (which can do component video, just like PS2) can output 1080p. The big benefit of HDMI (read: DVI video + digital audio + content protection) is that it creates a digital(HDMI)-to-digital(LCD/Plasma HDTV) connection, and looks better (so I read, but I've never seen them side by side myself).
So if you can afford a 1080p digital HDTV at today's price, you can easily get the $600 PS3.
Am I correct on this?
Posted at 2:18AM on May 10th 2006 by Trevor 0 stars
---------------------------------------------------
What does this have to do with the Wiivolution specs?
>_>
amiga_tone @ May 10th 2006 2:55AM
Any update on port images (back of the wii)? So far we've only been able to see the front.
And why don't they tell us whats behind the mysterious panel on the front under the disc slot?
JCA @ May 10th 2006 3:02AM
The GPU is final I guarantee. Any engineer knows that to change anything in Silicon is AT LEAST a 9 month process. Little stuff can be changed in the Metal Mask within 2 months but those changes won't affect speed or performance of the GPU....it'll just fix bugs.
ITGuy @ May 10th 2006 3:17AM
Everyone should stop spreading the misinformation that the cheaper PS3 won't have HiDef output -- it simply won't have an HDMI output. The AV Multi out (which can do component video, just like PS2) can output 1080p. The big benefit of HDMI (read: DVI video + digital audio + content protection) is that it creates a digital(HDMI)-to-digital(LCD/Plasma HDTV) connection, and looks better (so I read, but I've never seen them side by side myself).
So if you can afford a 1080p digital HDTV at today's price, you can easily get the $600 PS3.
Am I correct on this?
No.
If the $499 model indeed doesn't have HDMI capability, that means you CANNOT play Blu-Ray movies in High Definition (HD). You can still use Component cables to play GAMES in HD, but you are also wrong about it's capacity. Component cannot handle the bandwidth required for 1080p, only 1080i. HDMI covers DVI as well...some people think that they are screwed if they have DVI, but this isn't the case. You can buy a fairly cheap adapter and play any of the same content...so when MS releases the HD-DVD drive, as long as you have at least DVI on your TV, you should be able to play even 1080p stuff back on your HDTV (should it support it).
Anyhow, I'm not getting a PS3 anyways. Sony as many have said is the King of Lies, and I will not buy any of their products anymore. I hope all the Sony fanboys enjoy playing $499 for a crippled PS3. What's the point of having a Blu-Ray drive if you can only watch your movies in 480p?
Solidstate @ May 10th 2006 3:36AM
Hey people why can't we just get along.
I'm getting a Wii & a PS3 - Completely different types of machines and games. Thats why I've got a DS and a PSP. - Why does it always have to be one or the other with some people - perhaps you can't afford both - well then thats fine, except don't try and mask your real reason by trying to diss the other machine.
I haven't got a motorbike and a car - but that doesn't make motorbikes crap.
The only thing that I still need to know about the Wii is whether its Wifi enabled- my lounge isn't cabled up for Broadband - but my bedroom is.
joecartoon @ May 10th 2006 3:44AM
so there are soo many more questions i want to know.
1) i thought there was dvd playback...
2) how do you charge the remotes?
3) is it only going to be one color?
4) price points for vc?
5) give us a solid launch date and price point!
Ben murray @ May 10th 2006 4:30AM
Any confirmation on whether there's a microphone in the controller like some people have been saying?
If so I just had a thought. Always on connection, speaker & microphone in the controller
Hello Nintendo Phone!
Amos @ May 10th 2006 4:46AM
It's kinda hard to know what I think of the specs when THERE'S NO GPU OR CPU INFORMATION AVAILABLE. Granted, the design and functionality features look delicious, but -specs- implies processing power...of which we're a litte short of information on. As for the 512 mb, the only thing really available, that's decent. I'm glad they didn't gimp and go 256. SD memory *was* a nice surprise I didn't know, I'll admit that.
Gareth @ May 10th 2006 5:13AM
I hope its Wi-fi capability is better than the one on the DS. I had to turn on SSID broadcast before that thing would connect, while everything else in the house (PSP included) worked fine with SSID broadcasting turned off.
jay @ May 10th 2006 5:59AM
I'm 20. I can't wait for this. The 360/PS3 have no interest from me. to Scythe.
This just sounds excellent. In the peak of excitement yesterday my mum popped in to have a look at what I was watching. she seems pretty interested in the Wii too, she wants them sports games for sure. So, I think Nintendo won with the non-gamer.
phipscube @ May 10th 2006 7:18AM
Its nothing we didnt already know. Its not really a big deal, Wii isnt about spec. Its never going to out do Xbox 360 or PS3 in that manner. Just concentrate on bringing us more details on the games.
x23 @ May 10th 2006 7:45AM
#25 : "And why don't they tell us whats behind the mysterious panel on the front under the disc slot?"
SD card slots.
#18 : "the stand is in fact the power supply"
no in fact it isn't.
Nintendo of Europe quote : "We have not announced or shown any details regarding the power supply for the console. The stand is just a stand, nothing more, nothing less."
fui @ May 10th 2006 9:36AM
when it comes to tech/spec numbers, i could care less. in all my years, i've found that if i just follow the spec sheet to find the "best" unit out there, i end up getting burned one way or another. i work in the pro-audio side of the world (sales, and engineering/recording) and quite frankly, specs mean squat if it doesn't sound good. same thing here, just differnt wordings, specs mean squat if the games/system isn't fun.
argue specs all you want, but at the end of the day, just remember the 3DO, Jaguar, Jagur64, CDI, Saturn...
meddow @ May 10th 2006 10:46AM
it looks damn good,
Jack @ May 10th 2006 11:35AM
The system itself isn't a concern, it's the companies planning on releases for the system in the future, Nintendo has a unique format for the next-gen console, but it is up to the game developers to make the software that makes complete use of the unique aspects that can't be recieved from the PS3 and X360. Although some hardware is actually important, it's still the games for that system that determine if it is a failure or a success. The Nintendo DS's success is proof enough of that. =P
lplimac @ May 10th 2006 12:11PM
I just hope that you can use get and adapter and use one of the USB ports to hook up to a wired network. I don't use wireless (live close to power/phone lines so conductivity can be a problem) and don't want to invest in a wi-fi system just to hook a Wii up to the network. Yes, I live in the stone age :)
Shane-o-mac @ May 10th 2006 1:03PM
who cares about specs. Where the hell is super smash brothers 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hobojoe @ May 10th 2006 1:38PM
I just wanted to chime in on the Wii's video output capabilities:
I hope it has, at the very least, 480p capabilities, which is what the first-gen Gamecube had. It had a digital-out port, for which you needed a specific component cable only sold by Nintendo (no third party cables AFAIK).
Nintendo has discontinued those cables, and they now fetch over $100 on ebay. I saw one go for $157 (w/o shipping...), and I just bought one for $99 shipped, as it was a relative bargain. Seriously, I have a DLP projector, and the Gamecube looks like hell on it with the regular cable.
I think Nintendo is severely underestimating demand for hi-def consoles. If there is that much demand for a stupid cable that probably cost a couple bucks to manufacture but now sells for ridiculous amounts, and ONLY gives you 480p, and ONLY on the first generation of Gamecube consoles, then I would guess that hi-def output is going to be important.
It would be expensive for ATI to include that capability on their graphics card. It's not a question of cost. Nintendo has said they're trying to appeal to everyone with this console by keeping it simple. But they are failing to realize that people have become a lot more tech savvy. People won't be scared off if the Wii has more than one way to connect to a tv. They're trying so hard to stick to the "plug in and play" concept that they're not aware of actual market demand.
Finally, they should also realize that there are governmental regulations actually forcing the transition to hi-def. It's coming, Nintendo.
Okay, I'm done. And no "Wii" puns either! Woohoo! Or is it Wiihii?
- hobojoe
robert @ May 10th 2006 1:41PM
"i wish it had a vga out. dreamcast had it. why no other consoles (until ps3 with hdmi which can be turned into dvi)?"
I'm using my 360 with VGA right now.
Wolf @ May 10th 2006 2:14PM
I really hope they put digital out on it. DD > PLII
ben @ May 10th 2006 4:15PM
How will this play GameCube games. It looks like a slot-loader, and neither my Mac (slot loader) nor my car stereo (also slot loader) can play mini-CDs. They would need some type of snap-on adaptor, or you'd have to download the content instead. just $.02...
stephen @ May 10th 2006 4:42PM
Many companies have commented on how its slot loading drive can take both GC and Wii games. Its rare but not impossible.
Kisai @ May 10th 2006 4:43PM
I think Nintendo actually made a brilliant move, Very few people have HDTV, very few want to pay over a thousand dollars at the minimum for a monitor/tv that can recieve 1080p. Average Joe sixpack, his wife and 2.5 kids is going to walk into walmart, see the PS3 for 500$ and see the Wii for like 199 (or less, given the GC is 99$), and pick the Wii. He will then go home and plug it into the TV with whatever is provided in the box (Very FEW people ever buy third party cables) so this probably means the Composite cable, and off he goes.
Nintendo stated they are trying to appeal to those that don't play games with the Wii, and one of the ways to appeal to them is to have it low-cost and not difficult.
I made the comment the other day that to get the best experience out of playing a PS3 or XBX360 people need to invest a few thousand dollars:
1080p capable screen somewhere between 5000 to 10000$
HDMI cable 200$
XBX360/PS3 500$
Surround sound reciever, 200-1200$
7.1 Speaker system 200$-1200$
(ignoring all the premium third party cables)
And all the technoheadaches in calibration of the setup. Assuming you didn't already have all that stuff, you have to have a minimum of 1000$ investment in your home theatre. I was in BB the other day and couldn't find a complete surround sound system for less than 500$.
Your average Joe is going to plug it into his Stereo TV, and that's it. Investment over initial console price, probably 100-400$ for the TV.
If the Wii winds up being the "kids toy" it might be hooked up to a 99$ 15-19" TV in the kids room.
Would you really give your kid the 500$ PS3/XBX360 as a toy? I'd hope not.
I think a lot of the hardcore gamers dismissed the Wii as soon as they said there was no 1080. Rightfully so, because if you're a hardcore game you probably already have that expensive home theatre setup. Casual gamers and new gamers probably have 10 year old TV's and do home theatre sound equipment at all. So I don't expect Nintendo to release a HD console till 2010
Mode7 @ May 10th 2006 8:18PM
To 42
"Finally, they should also realize that there are governmental regulations actually forcing the transition to hi-def. It's coming, Nintendo."
The governmental regulations are mandating ALL-DIGITAL broadcasts within the next few years, but there's nothing about ALL HD. True, hi-definition is inheritly digital, but all digital programming is not immediately HD. We'll still get some equivalent of the 480/525line, but just so that everything is in 1s and 0s. Even if you don't have the upgraded digital capable monitors by the shut-off date, you can purchase the convertor for use on any TV. There WILL be more HD programming, but 4:3 SD/ED probably won't go away any time soon. Let's wait ten years and maybe everything will be overwhelmingly HD... or maybe not!