AMD Powers Brilliant HD Game and Video Performance for Nintendo's Wii U

[Cristian_25H]

AMD is proud to support Nintendo's newly launched Wii U home console as the supplier of custom AMD Radeon HD GPU technology. As announced at E3 in 2011, the custom-for-Nintendo AMD graphics processor enables Wii U to provide exciting, immersive game play, brilliant HD video and game graphics and new forms of interaction for consumers. Since 2001, AMD technology has been included in more than 118 million Nintendo Wii and GameCube hardware units around the world.1

The AMD GPU will help bring Nintendo's popular franchises into HD for the first time with new innovative game-play experiences, and the new Wii U GamePad controller, which creates a second window into the game world. "Wii U and its GamePad controller offer completely new and unexpected game-play and entertainment experiences," said Genyo Takeda, General Manager, Integrated Research & Development Division, Nintendo Co., Ltd. "We chose AMD to support our HD gaming efforts with its best-in-class graphics capabilities, and we're proud to call them a technology partner."





"Our relationship with Nintendo is the next exciting chapter in the long AMD history of supplying the game console market with our elite graphics expertise," said Saeid Moshkelani, corporate vice president and general manager, Semi-Custom Business Unit, AMD. "Working so closely with Nintendo to create the ideal custom graphics processor for Wii U is another example of how AMD stands for giving consumers the best video entertainment and gaming experience -- whether that's a next-generation console, desktop and notebook PC, big screen HDTV or tablet."

The new Wii U is available just in time for the Holidays along with other AMD-powered notebooks, tablets and desktops, rounding out tech-savvy consumers' holiday wish list. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, three in four gift-giving adults plan to buy a consumer-electronics product as a gift. AMD-powered products provide superior computing experiences for consumers -- from more brilliant graphics when gaming to longer battery life when on the go -- ultimately letting people do more every day.

[TheMailMan78]

I played one a few weeks ago and I gotta say it smokes the PS3 or 360 in image quality. Every game I played had AA and was smooth. Ill be getting one when the price comes down a lil'.

[3870x2]

Originally Posted by TheMailMan78

I played one a few weeks ago and I gotta say it smokes the PS3 or 360 in image quality. Every game I played had AA and was smooth. Ill be getting one when the price comes down a lil'.

It is about time that the Wii start participating in the 'hardcore console gamer' market again. The wii should be doing pretty good if they can capture both the gamer and the super-casual markets.

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by 3870x2

It is about time that the Wii start participating in the 'hardcore console gamer' market again. The wii should be doing pretty good if they can capture both the gamer and the super-casual markets.

It was surprising and impressive. Felt like Nintendo brought its A game.

[Ikaruga]

Actually, I kinda like the fact that there is a hardware out there which will make bad programmers bleed out on the long run, because there is just "no room" for lame coding with such a tiny CPU

[Batou1986]

Honestly im more impressed with the fact i can turn the damn tv on with my wireless controller now, something that should have been standard for years now.

I'll buy it when metriod and zelda are out.

[natr0n]

You would think AMD would be making tons of $$$ out of this deal , yet they are looking for a buyer.


This doesn't make much sense. It's like someone internally in AMD is stealing $$$ causing there problems.


Happy for Nintendo though.

[3870x2]

With updated graphics, they will finally be forced to create a realistic, detail-ridden Zelda game. I hope they bring their A-game on that also.

I want a Link with a Scar across his face, and a Zelda that has some miles on her.

[devguy]

Originally Posted by natr0n

You would think AMD would be making tons of $$$ out of this deal , yet they are looking for a buyer.


This doesn't make much sense. It's like someone internally in AMD is stealing $$$ causing there problems.


Happy for Nintendo though.

Well, they designed the GPUs for the Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, and likely are making the Xbox 720 GPU as well. Not to mention that their APU is likely being used in the PS4 (possibly with Hybrid CrossfireX), and that is all in addition to their CPU/GPU/Other divisions.

Times are rough, and Windows 8 isn't bringing in the massive PC sales Microsoft heralded it would. But in the long string of time I've been a member of TPU, I've read numerous "rumors" that some company is going to buyout AMD, and yet they're still here. I'm not concerned.

[Dent1]

Originally Posted by 3870x2

With updated graphics, they will finally be forced to create a realistic, detail-ridden Zelda game. I hope they bring their A-game on that also.

I want a Link with a Scar across his face, and a Zelda that has some miles on her.

They could already do scars and wrinkles on the original Wii from a hardware standpoint.

Link won't get a scars because the game is marketed towards kids and Zelda is a princess so to age her would suspend the disbelief. If she looks too old children whom buy the console and game will not connect. Also frankly it'll break the suspension of disbelief of the fantasy world.

Originally Posted by natr0n

You would think AMD would be making tons of $$$ out of this deal , yet they are looking for a buyer.


This doesn't make much sense. It's like someone internally in AMD is stealing $$$ causing there problems.


Happy for Nintendo though.

AMD won't make big money until the consoles are released to the market.

[3870x2]

Originally Posted by Dent1

They could already do scars and wrinkles on the original Wii from a hardware standpoint.

Link won't get a scars because the game is marketed towards kids and Zelda is a princess so to age her would suspend the disbelief. If she looks too old children whom buy the console will not connect. Also frankly it'll break the suspension of disbelief of the fantasy world.



AMD won't make big money until the consoles are released to the market.

Was a joke. I think it would be good to have a hardcore-ugly link and a Zelda reminiscent of Gemma from Sons of Anarchy. A gritty Zelda game.

[TRWOV]

Originally Posted by natr0n

You would think AMD would be making tons of $$$ out of this deal , yet they are looking for a buyer.


This doesn't make much sense. It's like someone internally in AMD is stealing $$$ causing there problems.


Happy for Nintendo though.

Profits in these kind of deals are razor thin and likely just help to pad fixed costs. This is the case in every industry with high volume orders.

[nt300]

Will this work with Harmony remotes? Like to turn o nthe WiiU

[camoxiong]

Like TheMailMan78 said, I played it once before and the quality is so amazing.

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by camoxiong

Like TheMailMan78 said, I played it once before and the quality is so amazing.

It really is. Until these guys get their hands on one they won't get it. The quality is REALLY there.

[jihadjoe]

Originally Posted by natr0n

This doesn't make much sense. It's like someone internally in AMD is stealing $$$ causing there problems.

Yes there is someone in AMD stealing their moneys... the CPU division.

[EpicShweetness]

Originally Posted by Ikaruga

Actually, I kinda like the fact that there is a hardware out there which will make bad programmers bleed out on the long run, because there is just "no room" for lame coding with such a tiny CPU

Is that the PCB from the Wii U!?! Either that guys hand is friggin huge or infact the CPU is the size of a letter on a android keyboard.

[TRWOV]

Has anyone confirmed the specs? Are we looking at a Gekko 3.0 + Redwood build?

[NC37]

Figured the WiiU would be very nice. Was so much crosstalk about it being worse than 360/PS3. But the numbers didn't add up. Preview specs should have it a good few generations ahead of the others in the graphics area while on par with CPU. Yet people were all downing it. Just didn't make sense.

Nintendo has a good year or two to show people what they've been missing out on in graphics. Hope they take advantage of that. I like that they are bringing back tech which gives the controller a screen. Sega pioneered it with the Dreamcast and on some games it was implemented well. Just a shame it also isn't a little handheld gaming device too like the DC had. Those VMUs were great to play during a class. So tiny and teachers never knew to look for them. Shame the battery life sucked on them.

[Ikaruga]

Originally Posted by EpicShweetness

Is that the PCB from the Wii U!?! Either that guys hand is friggin huge or infact the CPU is the size of a letter on a android keyboard.

It is the pcb of the wii-u, and yes the CPU is indeed very tiny.
We are talking about a 75W peak power consumption at full load for the entire console (which won't really happen while normal gaming), so you can image how much is left for the CPU after the GPU and the rest of the system. It's a very tiny triple core CPU and even the most of that size is taken by the huge cache.

[KainXS]

there really is a graphics improvement, I have played a few games on the Wii U and the visuals are better than the ps3 and 360 and the controller included(the one with the screen) does have a very good build quality but using that as a controller is kinda hard when using the shoulder buttons for me, but the pro controller is as good as the 360 controller in my opinion, no it actually feels a bit more solid, but the console is still going to need more developer support than the wii, if nintendo can do that, they can run away with the lead easily

[DarkOCean]

Originally Posted by Ikaruga

Actually, I kinda like the fact that there is a hardware out there which will make bad programmers bleed out on the long run, because there is just "no room" for lame coding with such a tiny CPU

So small.

[xfxrising]

To be fair tho, its not that groundbreaking that it has better hardware/graphics than ps3/360 considering that they use tech from 2005

[Super XP]

I have to admit the WiiU is quite innovative. Just think, if they used the newest CPU, GPU and PC hardware that would have been equivalent to today's PC graphics its cost would be more than $350. So Nintendo is taking a chance in releasing a product that's equivalent to the Xbox 360. Nintento's strong selling point is there is nothing out right now that can compete with the WiiU. Would you buy an 8 year old console (PS3-Xbox 360) or the new WiiU?

[2wicked]

Let me know when/if someone figures out how to use the wii u game pad as a win8 remote/touchpad.