Wii U to be less powerful than Xbox 360 and PS3?

UPDATE

According to TechRadar stablemates Official Nintendo Magazine, there may well be enough power in the Wii U.

In an interview with the director of Aliens Colonial Marines, he reckons that there's more RAM in the upcoming console than what is around at the moment - which completely contradicts Games Industry Biz's initial report.

Speaking about the Wii U, Brian Martell said: "Things like the Wii U are becoming very sexy with what you can do with the controller, especially with what you're able to do with the motion tracker or whatever the sub gameplay you'd get to see on there.

"I think the machine itself will have one of the best looking versions of the game because they've got more Ram, they're late in the cycle so they've got this really great processor."

The plot thickens...

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Nintendo's next-gen games machine, the Wii U, hasn't even been released yet but there's rumour that the console may not meet the specs of the now-gen console crop.

Nintendo has never really been worried about matching Sony and Microsoft in the power stakes – you only have to look at the standard-def Wii to see this – but the Wii U has been pushed as a powerful successor with the graphical prowess that the Wii severely lacked.

This may not be the case, though, with some unnamed developers telling Games Industry Biz that the Wii U hasn't got the power to match the current crop of consoles, never mind the PS4 or Xbox 720.

"No, it's not up to the same level as the PS3 or the 360," explained one dev. "The graphics are just not as powerful."

Another said: "It doesn't produce graphics as well as the PS3 or the 360.

"There aren't as many shaders, it's not as capable. Sure, some things are better, mostly as a result of it being a more modern design. But overall the Wii U just can't quite keep up."

U having a laugh?

When Nintendo first showed off the Wii U, the promo and the keynote was all about the 'innovative' tablet controller. The actual console wasn't even mentioned and was only glimpsed at.

Some developers seem to think that the controller is also throwing up all sorts of complications, given its unique design and the fact you only get one in the box.

"The whole thing about the tablet controller is that you only get one of them, and you can only use one and it's not completely independent," explained one unnamed source.

"Other controllers are just Wiimotes, or other Wii controllers. They may change the form factor or looks a bit, but it's the same controller."

The Wii U UK release date is potentially November, with Nintendo looking to get the console out before Christmas.

If this is the case then Nintendo will have a full year on its rivals when it comes to next-gen consoles.

With this in mind, the worry is: will the Wii U look outdated before it even takes baby steps in its product life cycle?

Via GamesIndustryBiz