Wii U vs PS4 and Xbox One: How Does Nintendo's Console Stack Up?

The Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and the Wii U all have their own distinct advantages and disadvantages, from hardware specs to game lineups and so forth. Here we compare the three next-gen systems and how they stack up.

In a hardware comparison, it is really a two horse race between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Both systems have 8GB of RAM, along with a eight core processor CPU designed after high-end PCs. The Wii U, on the other hand, has 2GB of RAM, a much weaker CPU, and far less internal storage than the Xbox One has and the PlayStation 4 are xpected to have. In addition, the Wii U does not have cloud storage, unlike the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. One advantage the Wii U does have is its backwards compatibility with Wii software and accessories. The PS4 and Xbox One have abandoned such functionality. 

All three systems will have motion controls, with the Wii U the front-runner in terms of motion controls. However, Xbox One is pushing hard to improve the Kinect technology for the next-gen by making voice controls and the Kinect being a mandatory part of the Xbox One experience. The PlayStation 4 will also have greater Move support as well.

Once again, in terms of games that have been announced for the next-gen systems, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 seem to have an advantage again. Blockbuster titles such as Thief, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and the EA Sports lineup, are set to appear on the two systems. Meanwhile, the Wii U's lack of compelling games is one of the primary reasons the system's sales have stalled dramatically. However, Nintendo has promised to turn things around, and by the time that the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are released we will see the release of Pikmin 3 and a new Mario title among other key first and third-party games on the Wii U.

It is hard to declare with so many key factors up in the air which system has the advantage, and gamers may want to wait until we get closer to the end of the year before declaring one system as superior over the others.