-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Why did Wii U not benefit from its portable mode?
Pasta la Vista
Member
It's not a portable.
Parazels
Member
Can't you play it in a bed?
RoadHazard
Gold Member
The Wii U was the Switch idea before they could actually execute it in any useful way.
Only like 10 meters from the console.
Only like 10 meters from the console.
Last edited:
Parazels
Member
Is it not enough, considering, that many people play and sleep in the same room?
RoadHazard
Gold Member
You're still tied to the console. A Switch you can take with you anywhere.
SegaSnatcher
Member
There is no real portable mode.
Parazels
Member
According to statistics, handheld owners basically use their handhelds... at home!
Last edited:
Pasta la Vista
Member
Not every game supported off screen play, in fact part of the gimmick for some games was dual screen play.
deriks
4-Time GIF/Meme God
That's not the point. The Wii U works more as a PS Portal than the Switch, and even the Portal can do remote work while the Wii U can't
...so it's not a handheld, the hardware didn't work good enough and there's not enough great games to justify the buying
If the Wii U was launched like in 2010, when Nintendo was at the top, maybe could work fine. Everyone knew that the PS4 and Xbox One was about to launch in a year, so it was a very bad timing
dragonyeuw
Member
The Switch actually has 'take it anywhere' functionality as it is a self-contained unit, whereas the Wii U gamepad was an extension and tethered to the console.
ShadyAcshuns
Member
The stupid tablet controller couldn't get more than a few feet away from the system.
PauloRoberto
Member
Because the implementaton is HORRIBLE and its operating system is unbelievable slow.
kevboard
Member
if there was no obstruction between you and the console, you could easily be 10m away from it.
through walls you had to have a bit of luck to get a connection, but if you are in the same room it worked perfectly
JimboJones
Member
It was nice but you needed to be near the console at all times due to interference
Parazels
Member
Couldn't you use it without a TV?
HogIsland
Member
PS Vita could stream from PS3:
Remote play in a private network (using the PS3™ system's Wi-Fi network) | PlayStation®Vita User's Guide
PlayStation®Vita Official User's Guide. Explains how to use the PS Vita system, including basic operations, settings, and use of software applications.
manuals.playstation.net
CityHunter1981
Member
Probably because a huge part of the audience are children and they often have their own room and tv anyways.
I loved WII U because at that time we didn’t had children yet and we only had one tv, so I could finally play console games, while my wife watched her tv shows.
I loved WII U because at that time we didn’t had children yet and we only had one tv, so I could finally play console games, while my wife watched her tv shows.
Gamer_By_Proxy
Member
It was basically just a “share the tv” mode with how close you had to be and most people don’t have to share the tv. I’m not even on the same floor of my house with the Portal.
Azelover
Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was. It really was.
Exactly. The WiiU was a home console. It's not a hybrid like the Switch. And doesn't try to be in a comprehensive manner..
Last edited:
hinch7
Member
It was a combination of factors. The PS3/360 were hot items are were taking off in sales and offered new experiences with current gen hardware. All while the Wii U with came late into the HD generation; with terrible marketing (plus name), old hardware and terrible third party ports + support and was still competing against itself. With the OG Wii and the 3DS - which only launched a couple years prior. And if you look historically, baring the first few generations and outliers like the Wii, Nintendo home consoles don't have that high sales. But their portables are very popular.
But if you combine them in one console, then you have the best of both; the NS.
But if you combine them in one console, then you have the best of both; the NS.
Last edited:
LRKD
Member
IF it had been on par with other consoles at it's time, AND it had a better battery life, AND a better screen. yeah, sure it might've helped, like I agree with your point that portable consoles in my experience and the people I knows is mostly just something you are playing at home thing anyways.
But for the Wii U, it's gamepad screen was difficult to read in games like Xenoblade, it's battery life basically tethered to a charger, and its weak hardware made it not appealing for anything other than Nintendo games.
But for the Wii U, it's gamepad screen was difficult to read in games like Xenoblade, it's battery life basically tethered to a charger, and its weak hardware made it not appealing for anything other than Nintendo games.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
It was not portable, which is generally understood as being able to take it with you wherever. The Wii U was strictly a home console, just with a handheld component.
Last edited:
Cyberpunkd
Member
Yes, but probably a lot would like a device that can easily perform that 5% of the time when you are out and about. Which the Switch was, and WiiU wasn't. I think it's obvious they took some inspiration from it when developing Switch.
Schmendrick
Member
It wasn`t portable, it barely had the range of a normal remote.
/thread
/thread
NeoIkaruGAF
Gold Member
Kumomeme
Member
probably because that time people think that stream from console to physical handheld device is silly.
even now when Playstation Portal was announced lot of people think that idea is dumb until everyone realize that the device is received well. this probably why this post existed too.
even now when Playstation Portal was announced lot of people think that idea is dumb until everyone realize that the device is received well. this probably why this post existed too.
BlackTron
Member
I tried my Wii U gamepad from a bed about 12 feet from the console. The console was directly on the other side of a wall, under the TV. It didn't work.
Wii U is often seen as a "not ready" version of Switch, it's just not true. The core concept of Wii U is a DS for your TV, which was completely discarded in favor of a new one, switching.
Wii U is often seen as a "not ready" version of Switch, it's just not true. The core concept of Wii U is a DS for your TV, which was completely discarded in favor of a new one, switching.
Soapbox Killer
Grand Nagus
The technology was not quite yet ready for the idea. It needed another summer or 2 for the idea to cook BEFORE it came out to the people. I played the majority of Shovel Knight in Off Tv mode and it was my GOTY in that year but it was the exception and came out far too late to make a difference .
IF the Wii U launched with Super Mario Maker AND they sold a device that was cheap AND also boosted the signal to let you play with the GamePad from anywhere in the house then maybe you have a different story.
IF the Wii U launched with Super Mario Maker AND they sold a device that was cheap AND also boosted the signal to let you play with the GamePad from anywhere in the house then maybe you have a different story.
ReBurn
Gold Member
Sure. But to be portable you would need to be able to use the tablet without having to be with the console.
Spiral1407
Member
Because it was 480p and you couldn't even leave the room without it disconnecting. Battery life was pretty bad too. The only good thing about it was the relatively low latency.
Last edited:
Horseganador
Member
Because it was a disaster that only allowed you to get a few meters away from the console.
MiguelItUp
Member
Because you couldn't leave the room with it.
Soapbox Killer
Grand Nagus
Man if I could have used this in the can with the door closed it would have been a game changer. Streaming in the house like a game server would have been awesome. And the screen wasn’t foo bad. 720p 60 racing games looked fine (Need For Speed Most Wanted )
They also never added in dual gamepad support. Could have been cool for off tv multiplayer Mario Kart 8
PS3 was one of the first with it's remote play, but only a handful of titles supported it since it was cumbersome to set up and the performance wasn't great at all with the game running out of sync with the console (around 3 second delay which would get worse over time). Sony also did something similar with the PS and PSVita, and was the main selling point late into the Vita's life.
Wii U you can attribute to it's exclusive games making full use of the tablet, which made it difficult for off screen play since those games are made for two screens in mind. You could also say it was a solution in search of a problem, since most would just take the Wii U console itself into another room with a TV if the main TV was in use whilst they wanted to play.
It made sense for an accessory, but not as a core part of the console. Sony seems to have the right concept with the PS Portal, or Xbox with Smartglass which was then abandoned.
Wii U you can attribute to it's exclusive games making full use of the tablet, which made it difficult for off screen play since those games are made for two screens in mind. You could also say it was a solution in search of a problem, since most would just take the Wii U console itself into another room with a TV if the main TV was in use whilst they wanted to play.
It made sense for an accessory, but not as a core part of the console. Sony seems to have the right concept with the PS Portal, or Xbox with Smartglass which was then abandoned.