Meet the new Wii U controller?
The new Wii U controller looks similar to the old one, but it has several major differences. Check them all out here...
It has Wii U branding
Rumors have been circulating for some time about an upcoming Wii U name change, but if this image is legit, it would appear said rumors are not. It has the Wii U branding right on the faceplate, and we've a feeling Nintendo wouldn't still be using a name it's planning on changing.
It has analog sticks instead of 3DS nubs
The largest change might be the switch from 3DS slider-pad analog nubs to legitimate analog sticks. This has been requested since the system was first shown off, and we're happy to see Nintendo make the swap.
Start and Select have been moved
Start and Select have been taken from the bottom of the controller to the side. We're sure there's a reason for this swap, but we sure don't know it.
There's a weird square here
See it? Right on the bottom in between the battery light and the Power button there's a square. It might by to sync up the controller, or to change which screen the game is being displayed on, but we don't know just yet. Also...
There's another square on the left
Two squares? This could be something specifically for debug consoles for all we know, but it's certainly interesting to see.
The bottom looks different
This one might just be the lighting or the angle, but the bottom sure looks different in the picture. Instead of having one long rectangular spot with two squares around it, it looks like the rectangle has one shape to the side, which sort of looks like a mini USB spot.
Is this the charger?
And if you want to read about more next-gen rumors, check out our Xbox 720 rumor roundup, PS4 rumor roundup, and, of course, our Wii U rumor roundup.
A QA tester at Traveller's Tales Games (makers of the LEGO
series) going by the Twitter handle @MATTYBOOSH has posted a picture to Twitter of what appears to a revised version of the Wii U controller. This correlates with rumors we'd heard earlier this year of the Wii U tablet seeing some redesigns before being shown off again at E3 next month. The image has since been deleted, but we've grabbed it and posted it below.
First, for reference here's the old Wii U controller:
And now, here's the new one:
Notice any differences? Because we sure do.
First, note the new analog sticks. It appears that Nintendo has decided to include actual sticks, instead of the nubs found on the original tablet and the 3DS. This change might bump up the price, but it'll make a big difference in the long term. Next, notice the movement of the Start and Select buttons, which have found a new home on the right side of the controller. There's also a little square on the left side and on the bottom and, maybe most importantly, actual Wii U branding. With other rumors floating around speculating a name change, this is pseudo-confirmation that the Wii U moniker might be here to stay - if this is legit, that is.
We've posed a full comparison breakdown in the gallery above, pointing out each and every difference.
It's possible that some of these differences will be specific to the dev unit, though they usually end up mirroring the final version quite closely. We'll keep digging on this and attempt to find more information, but be sure to let us know if there's anything else you notice in the comments below.
Hankering after more of the stories, news and possible truths that might shape this year's E3? Then head over to our E3 rumours compendium page. It's being updated constantly between now and the show.
