2006 – 2017retired
PlayStation 3
“The supercomputer for the living room finally took its well-earned nap.”
“Second screen, first in our hearts”
The Wii U was Nintendo's home console released in late 2012, the first of the eighth generation and the first Nintendo machine to offer HD graphics. Its defining feature was the GamePad, a controller with an embedded touchscreen that could supplement the main display or serve as one all by itself. Fans loved its backward compatibility with the Wii, its friendly price, and a first-party lineup backed by Miiverse's coz
Despite the affection for its GamePad and library, the console drew criticism for its user interface, hardware performance, and the GamePad's short battery life, and it found itself outgunned by the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Nintendo quietly discontinued it on January 31, 2017. It left behind a reminder that the boldest ideas don't always get the farewell parties they deserve.
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“The supercomputer for the living room finally took its well-earned nap.”
“It fit a console in your pocket, and for a while, that was enough to change everything.”
“A palindrome to the end: gone forward and backward all at once.”