

It was praised for its innovative GamePad controller, improvements to online functionality over the Wii, backwards compatibility with Wii software and peripherals, and price however, it was criticized for its user interface and functionality, and the GamePad's short battery life. Online functionality centers around the Nintendo Network platform and Miiverse, an integrated social networking service which allowed users to share content in game-specific communities. Games can support any combination of the GamePad, Wii Remote, Nunchuk, Balance Board, or Nintendo's Classic Controller or Wii U Pro Controller. The Wii U is backward compatible with all Wii software and accessories. The Wii U Pro Controller can be used in its place as a more traditional alternative. The screen can be used either as a supplement to the main display or in supported games to play the game directly on the GamePad.

The system's primary controller is the Wii U GamePad, which features an embedded touchscreen, directional buttons, analog sticks, and action buttons. The Wii U is the first Nintendo console to support HD graphics.

Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. On October 20, 2013, Nintendo confirmed it had discontinued production of the Wii in Japan and Europe.The Wii U ( / ˌ w iː ˈ j uː/ WEE YOO) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. The Wii's successor, the Wii U, was released on November 18, 2012. The Wii Mini can only play Wii optical discs, as it has neither GameCube compatibility nor any networking capabilities this model was not released in Japan, Australia, or New Zealand. The Wii Mini, Nintendo's first major console redesign since the New-Style Super NES, was released first in Canada on December 7, 2012. Nintendo released a revised unit in 2011 in Europe, Australia, and North America. Later models are no longer compatible with Nintendo GameCube. By December 8, 2006, it had completed its launch in the four key markets. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii competed with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. The Wii (/wiː/ WEE known unofficially as the Nintendo Wii) is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006.
