Console ,
Nintendo 64, North American
Super NES, and
NES|alt=Stack of video-game consoles, of which the Wii is the smallest Nintendo chose not to outpace the performance of rival consoles. Unlike their previous consoles, they built the Wii from
commercial off-the-shelf hardware rather than developing customized components. This significantly reduced manufacturing costs, allowing Nintendo to offer the console at a lower price. As Miyamoto explained, "Originally, I wanted a machine that would cost $100. My idea was to spend nothing on the console technology so all the money could be spent on improving the interface and software." The Wii's
central processing unit, named
Broadway, is a
32-bit chip developed by
IBM. Based on the same
PowerPC architecture as the GameCube's
Gekko processor, it runs at 729 MHz and was manufactured using a more efficient
90 nm process, reducing power consumption by about 20% compared to Gekko's
180 nm process. Other system functions are handled by
Hollywood, a
system-on-a-chip (SoC) developed by
ATI that combines graphics, audio, and
input/output functions. but was the least powerful of the major home consoles of its generation. The Wii's motherboard has a
WiFi module, supporting
802.11b and
802.11g modes, and a
Bluetooth module to communicate with its controllers. A USB-based
LAN adapter can connect the Wii to a wired Ethernet network. Nintendo later explained that they felt that most consumers owned other devices with DVD playback capability, and it allowed them to avoid the additional cost associated with licensing patents for the technology. The optical drive slot is illuminated with LEDs that indicate system activity, for example, pulsing blue when receiving messages via WiiConnect24 or during disc reading. The system includes 512 MB of internal
flash memory for storing saved data and downloaded content. This storage could be expanded via
SD cards inserted into a slot behind a front panel. A later system update enabled users to launch Wii channels and play
Virtual Console and
WiiWare games directly from SD cards. The rear of the console houses video output and power connectors, along with two
USB ports. When oriented vertically, the top panel reveals four GameCube controller ports and two GameCube memory card slots. Its included stand, used for stability in vertical placement, measures wide, tall, and deep. Weighing , The accelerometers allow the Wii Remote to recognize its orientation after being moved from a resting position, translating that motion into
gesture recognition for a game. The infrared detectors are used to track emissions from
LEDs in the included
Sensor Bar, which is placed above or below the television display, as to track the relative orientation of the Wii Remote towards the screen. This allows the Wii Remote to act as a
pointing device like a
computer mouse on the television screen, with an approximate range of for accurate detection. The remote is
battery-operated, and when the Remote is not powered on, these LED lights can display the remaining battery power. In October 2007, Nintendo also added a
silicone Wii Remote Jacket to shipments of the Wii and Wii Remote, as well as a free offering for existing users. The Jacket wraps around the bulk of the remote but leaves access to the various buttons and connectors, providing a stickier surface in the user's grip to further reduce the chance of the Remote falling out of the player's hand. Accessories can be connected to a Wii Remote through a
proprietary port at the base of the controller. The
Wii MotionPlus accessory plugs into the port at the base of the Wii Remote and augments the existing sensors with
gyroscopes to allow for finer motion detection. The MotionPlus accessory was released in June 2009 with a number of new games directly supporting this new functionality, including
Wii Sports Resort which included the accessory as part of a bundle. The MotionPlus functionality was later incorporated into a revision of the controller called the
Wii Remote Plus, first released in October 2010. A number of third-party controller manufacturers developed their own lower-cost versions of the Wii Remote, though these generally were less accurate or lacked the sensitivity that Nintendo's unit had.
Other controllers and accessories connected to the Wii Remote The
Classic Controller is an extension for the Wii Remote, released alongside the Wii in November 2006. Its form factor is similar to classic gamepads such as that for the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System, with a d-pad, four face buttons, Start and Select buttons alongside the Wii connection button, and two shoulder buttons. Additionally, Nintendo included inputs present in modern controllers, like 2 analog sticks and pressure sensitive shoulder buttons. Players can use it with older games from the Virtual Console in addition to games designed for the Wii. In 2009, Nintendo released the Wii Classic Controller Pro, which was modelled after the GameCube and PlayStation 2 controllers form factor and amongst other additions, adds grips on the bottom of the controller and rearranges the placement of the shoulder buttons. However, unlike the GameCube and original Classic Controller, the Classic Controller Pro does not have pressure sensitive shoulder buttons. The
Wii Balance Board was released alongside
Wii Fit in December 2007. It is a wireless
balance board accessory for the Wii, with multiple pressure sensors used to measure the user's
center of balance.
Wii Fit offers a number of different exercise modes which monitored the player's position on the board, as well as exercise gamification, as to encourage players to exercise daily. In addition to use in Nintendo's
Wii Fit Plus that expanded the range of exercises using the Wii Balance Board, the accessory can be used in other third-party games that translated the player's balance on the unit into in-game controls such as
Shaun White Snowboarding and
Skate It.
Namco Bandai produced a mat controller (a simpler, less-sophisticated competitor to the Balance Board). One of Iwata's initiatives at Nintendo was focused on "quality of life" products, those that encouraged players to do other activities beyond simply sitting and playing video games as to promote physical wellbeing. The use of motion controls in the Wii served part of this, but Nintendo developed additional accessories to give awareness of one's health as a lead-in for the company to break into the healthcare field. At
E3 2009, Nintendo had presented a "
Vitality Sensor" accessory that would be used to measure a player's pulse as a lead-in to a larger quality of life initiative, but this product was never released. In a 2013 Q&A, Satoru Iwata revealed that the Vitality Sensor had been shelved, as internal testing found that the device did not work with all users, and its use cases were too narrow. Despite this, Nintendo has continued Iwata's quality of life program with further products on later consoles and games. A number of first- and third-party accessories were developed that the Wii Remote could be slotted into and then used in a more physical manner that took advantage of the accelerometer and gyroscopic functions of the controller. Some copies of
Mario Kart Wii shipped with the
Wii Wheel, a plastic steering wheel frame with the Wii Remote could be inserted into, so that players could steer more effectively in game.
Rhythm games that used plastic instruments, such as
Guitar Hero III, shipped with instruments that the Wii Remote could be slotted into; the remote powered the various buttons on the controller and relayed that to the Wii.
Variants and bundles The Wii launch bundle included the console; a stand to allow the console to be placed vertically; a plastic stabilizer for the main stand, one Wii Remote, a Nunchuk attachment for the Remote, a Sensor Bar and a removable stand for the bar to mount on a television set, an external
power adapter, and two
AA batteries for the Wii Remote. The bundle included a
composite A/V cable with
RCA connectors, and in appropriate regions such as in Europe, a
SCART adapter was also included. A copy of the game
Wii Sports was included in most regional bundles. Although Nintendo showed the console and the Wii Remote in white, black, silver, lime-green and red before it was released, it was only available in white for its first two-and-a-half years of sales. Black consoles were available in Japan in August 2009, in Europe in November 2009 and in North America in May 2010. A red Wii system bundle was available in Japan on November 11, 2010, commemorating the 25th anniversary of
Super Mario Bros. The European version of the limited-edition red Wii bundle was released on October 29, 2010, which includes the original
Donkey Kong game pre-installed onto the console,
New Super Mario Bros. Wii and
Wii Sports. The red Wii bundle was released in North America on November 7, 2010, with
New Super Mario Bros. Wii and
Wii Sports. All of the red Wii system bundles feature the Wii Remote Plus, with integrated Wii MotionPlus technology.
Cost-reduced model A cost-reduced variant of the Wii (model RVL-101) was released late into the platform's lifespan that removed the GameCube controller ports and memory card slots found on the original model. This means that this model is incompatible with GameCube games alongside the GameCube Controller for Wii games that support it. This model is often referred to as the "Wii Family Edition", the name given to the bundle when it was first sold in Europe. Additionally, it does not include a stand, as it is intended to be positioned horizontally. Nintendo announced the new revision in August 2011 as a replacement for the original Wii model which it was discontinuing in certain regions including Europe and the United States. It was released in Europe on November 4, 2011, in a white finish, bundled with a white Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk, along with
Wii Party and
Wii Sports. A special bundle featuring a blue version of the revised Wii model and Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk with the inclusion of
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games was released in Europe on November 18, 2011, in collaboration with
Sega. Nintendo later revised the North American bundle by replacing the prior pack-in game and soundtrack with the original
Wii Sports duology; the new bundle was released on October 28, 2012.
Wii Mini The
Wii Mini (model RVL-201) is a smaller, redesigned Wii with a top-loading disc drive. In addition to the lack of GameCube support, the Wii Mini removes Wi-Fi support and online connectivity, along with the removal of the SD card slot. It also removed support for 480p and component video output. According to Nintendo of Canada's Matt Ryan, they stripped these features to bring down the price of the console further as to make it an option for those consumers that had not yet gotten a Wii or for those who wanted a second Wii in a different location. Ryan stated that while removing the online functionality would prevent some games from being played, most Wii games could still be played without it. The Wii Mini is styled in matte black with a red border, and includes a red Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk. According to Ryan, the red coloring was indicative of the planned exclusive release in
Canada. The Wii Mini was first released on December 7, 2012, exclusively in Canada with a MSRP of . It was later released in Europe on March 22, 2013, The Canadian and European releases did not include a game, while
Mario Kart Wii had been included in all launch bundles in the United States. Nintendo added several best-selling and critically acclaimed Wii games to its
Nintendo Selects label and marketed those alongside the Wii Mini's release. == Software ==