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The Electronic Entertainment Expo runs between the 5th and 7th of June and Gadget Helpline will be following all the major hardware and software announcements from big industry names such as Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony – as well as offering a Daily Recap on many areas of this year’s show!
Nintendo has had a busy week at this years E3 conference, with its big focus being on the forthcoming Wii U console and controllers, but just as we start to get our heads around how the console works Nintendo has dropped a bit of a performance bomb on us.
The big N has stated that the new Wii U console’s wireless GamePad controller has roughly 3 to 5 hours worth of charge, which is way below the usage levels of Microsoft and Sony’s wireless controllers.
However, the controller, which also acts as a hand-held gaming device, does have a battery life which is in line with the Nintendo 3DS and the Sony PS Vita, so the actual life of the console isn’t far if you are using it as a gaming machine.
Part of the issue is down to the Wii U GamePad having a screen in the middle of it, so that’s what will use up most of the battery, but with the remote itself not actually having any processing to do (the screen information is streamed via the Wii U console) the battery life is still rather low.
What this essentially means is that you are going to need to keep it tethered to the console via a cable to charge, and when you do want to go wireless you will need to manage your charge accordingly. We’ve heard that wireless charging stands will be available specifically for the GamePad too, which will help.
Nintendo has also announced a few other key specs about the console’s GamePad, with the controller weighing in at 500g (which makes it lighter than an iPad) and featuring an inbuilt 6.2 inch screen that pumps out a HD display. Nintendo is yet to confirm what standard of HD we are talking about (720p or 1080p).
On the front of the Wii U controller you will get a front-facing camera (with an as-of-yet unspecified resolution), microphone, sensor bar and stylus plus twin stereo speakers.
Inside the GamePad there will be an accelerometer, gyroscope and geomagnetic sensor as well as NFC technology and rumbling capabilities.
We wont let the battery life dampen our spirits too much as we are still very excited to see what Nintendo’s next offering will bring. We’re still going to have to wait though, as there is no official release date yet, with Nintendo still stating a Christmas 2012 release [period.
Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.
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