Multiple development sources have claimed that Nintendo’s upcoming Wii U platform is noticeably less powerful than the current high-end consoles, according to GamesIndustry.biz. While the system does support HD graphics, anonymous sources are claiming RAM and processing power were sacrificed in order to keep costs low despite an included tablet peripheral.
“It’s not up to the same level as the PS3 or the 360,” said one source who’s been working with the Wii U dev kit. “The graphics are just not as powerful…There aren’t as many shaders, it’s not as capable. Sure, some things are better, mostly as a result of it being a more modern design. But overall the Wii U just can’t quite keep up.”
The range of the console’s tablet controller was also suspect, according to sources, “The whole thing about the tablet controller is that you only get one of them, and you can only use one and it’s not completely independent…The base console has to be on, and you have to be in range.”
The Wii U’s officially coming out party is scheduled for this year’s E3.
I don’t buy it. It is just my instinct, but Nintendo wouldn’t produce a console that is inferior to its competitors’ previous generation of consoles. The Xbox hardware is more than 6-years-old and the PS3 is more than 5-years-old.
I remain optimistic that the console will be decently more powered than the current HD generation of consoles but it won’t be more powerful than Sony and Microsoft’s newest consoles (because of when hardware is bought). Nintendo some months ago said the system will support two tablets not just one (cause it doesn’t make sense to have just one). The devs may have an outdated dev kit, or are just saying things. I don’t need to know who the devs are, but I want to know what company they work for.
We will see what the specs really are come E3.