Hardware Q&A

New to Wii U, or thinking of getting one? Read on for answers to some of the most-asked questions about our latest home console, or check our Support section for even more in-depth info on a variety of topics.

Does the Wii U console support high definition (HD) images?

Yes. With the included HDMI cable, Wii U supports HD images of a resolution up to 1080p. Wii software will always be displayed in standard definition (SD), however.

Do I need anything in addition to what is included with the Wii U console?

Depending on the game software you are using, you may require additional peripherals such as a Wii Remote Plus (or Wii Remote), Nunchuk, Sensor Bar, and so on.

Please refer to the websites of individual games for more details.

If you already own a Wii, you will be able to use its Wii Remote Plus (or Wii Remote), Nunchuk, Sensor Bar etc. with Wii U.

If you do not own a Wii, these items can be purchased separately, or in a Wii Remote Plus Additional Set.

I don't own a Sensor Bar. Can I use the sensor bar on the Wii U GamePad instead?

The GamePad sensor bar only works with supported software, and cannot be used to replace a Wii Sensor Bar.

How much internal flash memory is included in the Wii U Basic Pack and Wii U Premium Pack?

The Wii U Basic Pack includes 8GB of internal storage space, while the Wii U Premium Pack includes 32GB of storage space. However, due to differences between decimal display like this and binary states used in the computer world, the actual size of each console's storage is 7.45GB for the Basic Pack and 29.8GB in the Premium Pack. Some storage space is also utilised for management tasks, leaving 7.2GB and 29GB respectively for storage. The available storage space for saving data after excluding the area reserved for the system and built-in software is approximately 3GB in the Wii U Basic Pack and approximately 25 GB in the Wii U Premium Pack.

How can the amount of available storage space be expanded?

You can expand the amount of available memory with external USB storage media, such as hard disk drives (HDD).

USB storage media can be connected to Wii U via the console's front or rear USB 2.0 connectors.

Please note that only one external USB storage device can be used at a time.

For more information, please visit the Wii U support section.