The Nintendo Wii U will be up to 50pc faster than the Microsoft Xbox 360 or the Sony PlayStation 3, according to analysts.
Industry analyst Arvind Bhatia said: “Some of the developers we spoke to indicated to us that the console will have 50pc more processing power compared to the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. This is yet to be confirmed by Nintendo.”
The new console will ship next year and will be part of Nintendo’s efforts to regain the lead in a motion gaming market it largely created.
The new console – which is tipped to appeal to tablet computer users, as well as hardcore gamers – was demonstrated at E3 in recent weeks.
The company showed a Japanese-style animation that revealed the high-end graphics power that will drive the new console.
The console will cater to a purely online experience and won’t be compatible with DVDs or Blu-ray players.
Wii U – second screen reveals a new dimension for gaming
The Wii U poses a new dimension to video gaming – the introduction of a second screen – and no doubt rival manufacturers will in some way try and compete by taking advantage of the growing installed base of tablet devices, like the iPad, and various Android computers.
The Wii U combines motion-sensing game play with the ability to support full HD graphics. Each Wii U console will be partnered with a new controller and can also use up to four additional Wii Remote or Wii Remote Plus controllers.
The new controller can display information on its screen that does not appear on the TV.
The information and viewpoint can also change in the new controller based on the orientation of its gyroscope.
In multiplayer games, the player using the new controller can have a different experience than those looking at the TV. This will offer a wide variety of competitive and co-operative opportunities.
In addition to the 6.2-inch screen, the new controller also features an accelerometer and a gyroscope, a rumble feature, an inward-facing camera, a microphone and speakers.
Adding these features to the Classic Controller button scheme – two analog Circle Pads, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons – will enable a breadth of game-play experiences while appealing to both casual and dedicated video-game players.
