Wii U

The Wii U (/ˌwiː ˈjuː/ WEE YOO) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it was the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.

The Wii U was the first Nintendo console to support high-definition (HD) graphics. The primary controller, the Wii U GamePad, features an embedded touchscreen, a D-pad, analog sticks, and action buttons. The screen can be used either as a supplement to the main display or in supported games to play directly on the GamePad. The Wii U is backward compatible with Wii software and accessories. Games can support any combination of the GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Remote, Nunchuk, Balance Board, or Classic Controller. Online functionality included the Nintendo Network and Miiverse, an integrated social networking service which allowed users to share content in game-specific communities.

The Wii U received praise for its GamePad, backward compatibility, lower price compared to its competitors, and first-party game library, but criticism for its user interface, hardware performance, and the GamePad's short battery life. It was a commercial failure; with 13.56 million units sold worldwide, it is Nintendo's lowest-selling home console, and its second-lowest-selling console overall, ahead of the Virtual Boy. Its poor sales have been attributed to a weak launch game lineup, limited third-party support, and lackluster marketing that failed to clearly distinguish it from the original Wii.

Nintendo discontinued the Wii U on January 31, 2017. On March 3, it released a successor, the Nintendo Switch, which retained and refined concepts introduced with the Wii U. Most of the Wii U's exclusive games were ported to the Switch.