The Wii 2 will be Nintendo’s first and first and foremost next generation console which is scheduled to release in late 2013. There has been much speculation over the past couple years as to what Nintendo would do with their current generation consoles. Many believed that Nintendo would simply update the console and sell it as the “New Nintendo Wii” or something along those lines. There were also many rumors that both Sony and Microsoft would be releasing a new console in 2013, leaving only a small window of opportunity for Nintendo to release their completely new system, but with no idea what sort of power these next generation consoles will pack, how can we be sure that Nintendo will have a chance to release a console before either Sony or Microsoft? The answer to that question can be found in the Wii 2.
The original Wii was only about as powerful as a Xbox 360 because it used an x86 CPU and Power VR GPU, but architecture is only one aspect of determining how much processing power a console has to offer. The speed of the CPU and GPU are just as vital, but CPUs tend to get faster with each generation while GPUs do not. This means that Nintendo only needed to upgrade their CPU in order to have a more powerful console than the original Wii.
wii 2 games
Nintendo has already done this once when they released the Wii in 2006 which had an IBM Gekko PowerPC CPU clocked at 729 MHz, but because it was manufactured on a 90nm process, Nintendo simply re-released their console with a smaller manufacturing process, allowing them to fit the same chip into a smaller 45nm package. A new manufacturing process allows the chip to run faster while using less power, which is perfect for a console that has no fans or vents.
The Wii 2 will also have an upgraded Power VR GPU which will feature twice the vertex shader units and possibly even double the pixel shaders in order to make up for its lack of sales in 2012. Nintendo has been planning this console for a while now and they have had time to see where Sony and Microsoft went wrong. The PS Vita is under-appreciated, the PS3 has no games worth playing, and the Xbox 360 is only $299 at Walmart this holiday season!
Super Mario Party
Nintendo has already shown us some of the games they will be releasing for the Wii 2, including “Super Party Sports: Football”, “Mario Kart Wii 2”, and “Super Mario Party”. These are just some of the games that Nintendo will be releasing in 2013 on their new console, but with no release date set, who knows when these games will actually hit the shelves. Nintendo has also mentioned to its investors that they are planning on releasing a new console in 2013, but it is unclear whether or not this is their only console release of the year.
Nintendo has yet to show off anything regarding their upcoming Wii 2 console, including price, specs, or even what kind of controller it will feature. The Wii 2 will not ship with any preloaded games, but Nintendo has announced that many of their upcoming titles including “New Super Mario Bros Wii 2” and “Super Metroid 3: Corruption”, will be released for the new console.
Conclusion
The Wii 2 is more powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360, but it will not be as powerful as the PS4 or Xbox 720. This has left Nintendo with a small window of opportunity to release their new console before Microsoft and Sony begin filling our shelves with new consoles. The Wii 2’s CPU is twice as fast as its predecessor, which will allow it to play games at HD resolutions.
