The console has an internal flash memory, holding 8 GB for the standard set, and 32 GB for the deluxe set. It can support up to two GamePads, a feature not yet used for any games, though the Wii U GamePad was never sold at retail. The Wii U supports up to eight-player local play, as seen in Super Smash Bros. It is also the first home Nintendo console whose controllers include perfectly circular analog stick movement.
The Wii U is the first home Nintendo console whose controllers' analog sticks can be pressed down to act as extra buttons although, the only Mario games that use these features are Super Mario 3D World, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, in which pressing the right analog stick resets the camera angle, and Super Mario Maker in which it is used to change the hand on the TV Screen in edit mode.
It is compatible with the Wii hardware and software similar to the Wii Family Edition and Wii Mini, however, it is not compatible with the Nintendo GameCube hardware or software. The Wii U supports all the controllers (and respective peripherals) used with the Wii: the Wii Remote, the Nunchuk controller, the Wii Remote Plus, the Classic Controller, the Classic Controller Pro, and the Wii Balance Board. It features IBM microprocessor technology inside. When placed horizontally, it slightly resembles the Wii Family Edition. The console itself is approximately 4.6 cm tall, 17.3 cm wide, and 26.7 cm long.
The console can play high-definition games at 720p and 1080p, the first of Nintendo's consoles to do so.
It has a slot to insert 12-centimeter proprietary high-density optical discs as well as the Wii's DVD optical discs. The Wii U console resembles the Wii, except it is much longer with rounder sides.
With the name "Wii" originating from the word "we", the "U" ("you") was added to reflect the console's intended appeal to single-player play as well as multiplayer. According to Yoshiaki Koizumi, the Wii U was never shown to Nintendo's software development team prior to its unveiling at E3 2011. The main feature of the Wii U is its controller, the Wii U GamePad, which has a touch screen, camera, and other new features. It was announced during Nintendo's conference at E3 2011. It is Nintendo's first home console since the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to share a portion of its name with its predecessor. The Wii U (codenamed Project Café in development) is an eighth generation home video game console produced by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii.