Название: Wii U Architecture: Architecture of Consoles: A Practical Analysis, Volume 21
Автор: Rodrigo Copetti
Издательство: Independently published
Год: October 26, 2022
Страниц: 135
Язык: английский
Формат: pdf, epub (true)
Размер: 14.8 MB

Already faced with the difficult challenge of replicating the triumph of the Wii, Nintendo's new product also needed to save its loyal customers from the temptation of cheap smartphones and tablets. The result was a console that combines radical innovation with cost-effectiveness. In there, users found imaginative interaction methods while developers had to deal with the legacy technology underneath them.

The new issue of the Architecture of consoles has arrived. This time, we take a look at what would be Nintendo's last joint project with IBM and AMD.

You’d be surprised that the Wii U shares its DNA with two somewhat distinct consoles: The Wii and the Xbox 360 (which, in turn, inherit technology from the GameCube and the PlayStation 3!). For that reason, I strongly recommend you read those write-ups first, as many of the technologies introduced here are related to their predecessors.

Furthermore, Wii backwards compatibility is a recurrent topic of this article. In contrast with the software emulation on the Xbox 360 and the provisional PS2 hardware on the PlayStation 3, the Wii U takes it to an obsessive level. It does come at a cost, though, which you’ll eventually see as well. In any case, the main goal of this article is to analyse the Wii U. So, Wii-related capabilities will be discussed separately from the main functions.

Firstly, we’ve got DRC-WUP which is a System-on-Chip (SoC) hiding yet-another ARM926EJ-S (the same one from the Wii, how many of these do they have in stock?) along with 4 MB of RAM and a special H.264 accelerator for encoding and decoding H.264 streams. This is the main chip that controls the peripheral. It has access to the screen, audio and NFC functionality. Next to the SoC, you’ll find the Broadcom BCM4319, another tiny computer that houses an ARM Cortex-M3 and the radio-frequency infrastructure that provides 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity.

Architecture of Consoles: A Practical Analysis
Looking at the evolution of video game consoles is fascinating. While conventional PCs tend to evolve 'incrementally', new generations of consoles introduce completely new ways of working. What you see here is a series of articles that will hopefully uncover the rationale behind the latest trends in technology. They will also demonstrate why each system can't be summarised by its 'bits', megahertz, amount of RAM and whatnot.

This is not a developer manual, just an in depth introduction to how each system worked internally. Bear in mind that tech has gotten really complicated lately, so if you struggle to follow my latest articles, try reading the early ones first. They introduce many concepts and definitions that are constantly revisited. Basic knowledge of computing is preferable, however, I try really hard to adapt my content for wider audiences, so please don't be afraid to give it a try!

About this edition
This edition originates from the article initially published on my personal website, it's been re-styled to take advantage of the capabilities of eBook documents.

While identical content-wise, interactive widgets have been simplified to work with a static environment - in other words, anything that physical pages allow us :), though these will offer a link to the original article in case the reader wants to try the 'full version'. Please keep this in mind when you see references to interactivity throughout the writings.