Nintendo releases Wii U

18th November 2012
Nintendo releases Wii U

The Wii U was the first Nintendo console to support high-definition graphics. The Wii U's primary controller was the Wii U GamePad, which featured an embedded touchscreen. This touchscreen can be used either to supplement the main display or to play the game directly on the GamePad.

The Wii U utilized a custom multi-chip module (MCM) developed by AMD, IBM, and Renesas in cooperation with Nintendo. The MCM combined a central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU), as well as an EEPROM memory controller. The CPU, designed by IBM, consisted of a PowerPC 750-based tri-core processor "Espresso" clocked at 1.24 GHz. It was, at the time, described by IBM as an "all-new, Power-based microprocessor".

The Wii U was generally regarded as a flop. In 2017, Nintendo ceased production of Wii U less than five years after its launch after selling fewer than 15m units worldwide.

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