Wii U

The Wii U is a video game console made by Nintendo to be released in the 2012 holiday season. Its predecessor is the Wii. It can be playable on a television screen and its controller, which has a touch-screen.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed will be the first Sonic game released for the Wii U and will also come out for Xbox 360, PS3, PlayStation Vita, and Nintendo 3DS.

The Wii U is also compatible with the entire backlog of Wii Sonic games by using the Wii remotes.

Wii U GamePad
The Wii U GamePad is the main controller for the Wii U. It features a built-in touchscreen, which can either supplement or replicate the gameplay shown on the main display, and can function as a standalone screen without the use of a television screen. The controller features an accelerometer, gyroscope, camera, dual analog sticks, a built-in microphone, and supports near field communication (which can be used for, among other uses, figurines that can interact with the console and wireless credit card payments with compatible cards). The console will also be compatible with the Wii Remote Plus, Wii Nunchuk and Wii Balance Board, as well as a Wii U Pro Controller for more traditional controls. Two GamePads are supported per console. Shigeru Miyamoto promoted the idea of the GamePad, stating that he supports being able to use a secondary screen while someone else is watching the television. Wii U is said to offer asymmetric competition, where the player using the GamePad has one experience and wins in a certain way, while competing players have different ways to play and win.

Wii U Pro Controller
The Wii U Pro Controller is the second controller released for the console, available separately. Like more traditional controllers, it features standard control sticks, buttons, and triggers. Nintendo unveiled the Pro Controller at E3 2012 with the aim of attracting more "hardcore gamers to make the Wii U more competitive with Sony's and Microsoft's offering. Many video game journalists have noted the similarity between the controller and Microsoft's Xbox 360 Controller. However, Nintendo claims that the design of the Pro Controller is an “enhanced version” of the Wii Classic controller and "offers a richer experience".

Trivia

 * Nintendo has stated that the Wii U is made to allow the family to play together and change the relationship between the controller and the system.
 * Nintendo also said the Wii U is both "an entirely new thing" and "a newer, better Wii". In other words, the Wii U can change the way a family plays in the living room (like the Wii) and the way people play in different living rooms (according to Nintendo Direct).
 * Miiverse is a feature for Wii U that allows users to communicate with others (the "an entirely new thing" meaning above). Users don't need to leave a game to chat with others. They can also solve problems during gameplay via this feature (as shown also in Nintendo Direct).
 * This new system has Nintendo's new online service Nintendo Network.

Upcoming Sonic Games

 * Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed