Wii U North America Region Release Date and Wii U Specifications

Nintendo has just confirmed the release date of their latest console, the Wii U, for the North American region, namely on 18 November 2012. Wii U to Launch North American region is more rapid than the territory of Japan, which falls on December 8, 2012. Basic Package Wii U will be priced at USD 299.99, while the Premium package will be priced at U.S. $ 349.99 (Premium package also contains a copy of Nintendo Land).

In addition to announcing the release date, Nintendo also announced that it will launch a video service, TVii, exclusive to the Wii U. The users can explore the Wii U live content using a gamepad controller Wii U. Later the Wii U users can search a variety of information through Live TV and other services, such as Netflix and Hulu Plus. Nintendo TVii will be embedded directly on each unit of the Wii U when marketed later.

The following are the technical specifications of the Wii U revealed by Nintendo:

·         Weight: 1.6 kg

·         Size: 1.8×6.75 inches 

·        Video Output: Supports 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, and 480i. Supports HDMI cable, D-Terminal Wii, Wii Component Video, RGB Wii, Wii S-Video AV Stereo AV and Wii.

·         RAM: Wii U has 2GB of RAM, and 1GB 1GB for games for the system.

·         CPU: IBM Power-based multi-core processor.

·         GPU: AMD Radeon-based High Definition GPU.

·         Storage: Wii U using the internal memory (8GB for Basic package, 32GB for the Premium package) for media storage. Wii U also supports SDHC memory cards and USB storage.

·         Media: Wii U and Wii optical discs. Wii U optical discs have a data capacity of 25GB.

·         Networking: Wii U can connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b/g/n). Wii U also features four USB 2.0 connectors, two in front and two behind, which supports the Wii LAN adapters.

·         Wii Compatibility: Almost all Wii software and accessories can be used on the Wii U.

·         Audio Output: Using a six-channel PCM output via HDMI or analog output via AV Multi Out connector.

·         Energy Efficiency: Wii U is equipped with power-saving features that will reduce electrical energy consumption.