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Nintendo Wii U arrives November 18 starting at $299

After more than a year of hype, Nintendo's new console has a price and release date.

Dan Ackerman Editorial Director / Computers and Gaming
Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" (Hachette/PublicAffairs), a non-fiction gaming and business history book that has earned rave reviews from the New York Times, Fortune, LA Review of Books, and many other publications. "Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth... the story shines." -- The New York Times
Expertise I've been testing and reviewing computer and gaming hardware for over 20 years, covering every console launch since the Dreamcast and every MacBook...ever. Credentials
  • Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
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Dan Ackerman
2 min read
Nintendo

Nintendo TVii announced for the Wii U (pictures)

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Wii U gets TVii, coming in November

At a press conference today in New York, Nintendo announced long-awaited details about the upcoming Wii U video game console. The system will be available in the U.S. starting November 19, and will cost $299 and up.

First teased more than one year ago at E3 2011, the Wii U is the first mover in the generation of game consoles beyond the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii. Since its 2011 announcement, we've seen and sampled Wii U hardware and games a few times, but without any official information on how much the system and its accessories will cost, or when it would be available, beyond the Holiday 2012 time frame.

Initially, the Wii U will be offered in two bundles, ranging in price from $299 to $349 (although it's worth noting that retailers often create their own ad hoc bundles with new consoles, games, and accessories). The official bundles are as follows:

$299 Basic Set (white)

  • Wii U console
  • One GamePad
  • Sensor bar
  • 8GB SSD
  • HDMI cable

$349 Deluxe Set

  • Wii U console
  • One GamePad
  • Sensor bar
  • HDMI cable
  • Charging stand
  • Console stand
  • 32GB SSD
  • Nintendo Land game disc

In a surprise announcement, Nintendo also detailed a new service for the console, dubbed Nintendo TVii, that allows the GamePad to act as a second screen for TV and streaming-video viewing and control.