Nintendo: No 3D for Wii 2

By Fred Dutton Published 29 March, 2011

Next console won't follow 3DS's lead.

It's unlikely that Nintendo's next home console will be built around 3D visuals, so says NOA chief Reggie Fils-Aime.

During an interview with CNN following the 3DS launch at the weekend, Fils-Aime said "Glasses-free is a big deal. We've not said publicly what the next thing for us will be in the home console space, but based on what we've learned on 3D, likely, that won't be it."

It seems that Nintendo only believes in 3D if special glasses aren't involved - a feat which, given Fils-Aime's comments, it currently views as out of reach for home consoles.

"I think at Nintendo, we realise that any sort of goggle-type 3D technology was not going to work," said 3DS creator Hideki Konno elsewhere in the piece while discussing Nintendo's new handheld. "In order to make 3D technology viable with video games, we thought we needed to have glasses-free 3D."

Nintendo has remained tight-lipped about its plans for a successor to the Wii. Back in November CEO Satoru Iwata told investors, "We are of course studying and developing the next console to Wii. However, there is a big difference between studying a product and announcing what it is and when we will release it."

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (21) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • randompanda #1 1 year ago

    As long as the next Wii has a HDMI port it'll be capable of supporting 3D.

    That's really all that matters - then leave it up to the people making the games to decide if they'll use 3D.

  • Markitron #2 1 year ago

    Their next console will likely be underpowered enought as it is without adding 3D to the mix

  • radioactive_bumfluff #3 1 year ago

    I hope it's up to speed power wise with the ps3 ans 360 sucessor!!

  • sega #4 1 year ago

    Markitron - it's unfair to assume the successor to the Wii will be underpowered. The Wii is the first console that Nintendo have released that is "last" in terms of hardware power. Looking back to the GameCube, the N64, the SNES and the NES you see that each of those were hardly the least powerful of their generation and, in some cases, were the most powerful.

    If anything I can see Sony and Microsoft trying to tap into the Wii's market this time - but who knows what will happen. If it's one thing we should have learned is that you can't predict the next generation based on the previous one.

  • evild_edd #5 1 year ago

    @SEGA - from memory, I seem to recall Nintendo saying they'd given up on arms-race console development. The Wii shows they can make money without having to go top end spec wise, and I can't see this approach changing next gen.

    As for why 3d won't be the 'thing', it's clear that this wouldn't have been the case - they don't want glasses, and they wouldn't be 1st to Market in offering this (ps3 and 360 can currently offer 3d with glasses)

    I do find it amusing and interesting that everyone (including Ninty themselves) seem to assume that their next console will need another trick/gimmick. Sure this will be the case, but if it is then I can see the next console following the Wii's format. Small number of interesting Nintendo games, with 3rd party developers struggling to offer meaningful titles, and failing to achieve decent sales.

    I personally feel that, despite the whizz-bang headlines of motion control, the real innovations have come with the online marketplaces - xbl and iOS in particular...(if you count iPhone/pad as this gen). These have changed the industry far more dramatically than motion control, 3d, or co controller-less gaming....

  • sonicyoda #6 1 year ago

    @evild_edd and @sega

    I'm with you guys. I'd be very surprised if Nintendo made a console that was on the same levels as a PS3 or 360. I think Nintendo's aim for a while now has been to make platforms that are easy to develop for thus creating decent 3rd party support from the get-go.

    Plus, a little limitation never hurt anybody. Some of the best games are the ones developed for lower-spec consoles as they tend to use what's available to its' maximum potential.
    Edited by sonicyoda at 29/03/11 @ 20:51

  • funkateer #7 1 year ago

    I can't say I'm surprised; following Sony's suit is just not their style. I'm hoping their next console will be as innovative as the Wii was, but not as underpowered.

  • TonyHarrison #8 1 year ago

    Next gen, PS3/360 level specs would be underpowered though... In a couple of years time they'd be able to surpass that level for about the same selling price as the 3DS.

  • LazyDan #9 1 year ago

    I bet they'll revisit one of their other old ideas again instead. An evolution of the Powerglove, R.O.B, or perhaps the fabled vitality sensor.

    A controller which reads your mood (without the dorky clip attached to your finger)?! A controller which fits your hand for an extra level of motion control?! A little... Thing which runs around and you interact with?!

    It's a safe bet that whatever it is will be on the cheaper side of the spectrum, and probably still fall short of the 360/PS3 specs-wise. Whatever hook they're planning will be the selling point, and that hook was never going to be 3D for the big screen.

  • BonzoBanana #10 1 year ago

    I think Wii 2 may be limited by keeping compatibility with the original wii so it will end up with a powerpc cpu and a graphics card probably from Ati developed by some of the old artx team. However its also possible they go for a different gpu and just emulate the wii/gameube gpu. I reckon even if the cpu power is less the wii 2 could still have a gpu that could do full hd 1080p without problems. A bit like the snes or 3DS where there is a bit of a a gpu/cpu mismatch. Something like a dual core 2ghz powerpc chip, 512meg main memory, 128meg video and a bluray drive only capable of reading a single layer but with a fast rotational speed to give access times far in excess of ps3/360 optical drives to eliminate the need for an expensive hard drive.Also dvd compatible to read wii/gc discs. All in a case not much bigger than the original wii for £250/$350.

  • alcides #11 1 year ago

    two wiis duct taped together then.

  • BuddyChrist #12 1 year ago

    Yes! Just what I wanted!

    Same old shit in Hd.

    Badass

  • ZE_SLB #13 1 year ago

    @BuddyChrist,

    "Same old shit in Hd." --> Just like Sony! :p

  • Daikon #14 1 year ago

    ＠BonzoBanana:

    Let's hope that its keyboard comes with an Enter key...

  • Stompy #15 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 23:13:35 17-04-2012

  • Quak #16 1 year ago

    Don't you guys know anything about technology? Living-room 3D doesn't depend on the consoles - it depends on the TV. If the technology for glasses-less 3D on a big screen that isn't just 6 inches away from your face doesn't exist, then why the fuck do you think it's news that Wii 2 won't support it?

  • Mister-Wario #17 1 year ago

    How would one even create a glasses-less 3D without tweaking the TV beforehand?

    I can't wait to see Nintendo's next home console. My main hopes for what it can do are more processing power, a better online service (multiplayer and downloadable games), a Virtual Console for Gamecube games (and Dreamcast?) and backwards compatibility with Wii remotes and their attachments (I need a reason to use my sexy gold Classic Controller). That said, I hope it gives equal weight to both standard and motion-controlled games: this generation has proved both work well in different scenarios.

  • Pwnsweet #18 1 year ago

    My brother and I have speculated how powerful the Wii 2 will be. His opinion differs to mine, but I've had more experience with the industry and with Nintendo than he has. I speculate that it will be powerful enough to do 720p60/1080p30 (native) and have Xbox 360 spec graphics. I also guessed right about the 3D.

  • smelly #19 1 year ago

    Anyone know where i can buy some new shoes?

  • CallousB #20 1 year ago

    Well it's pontless to base a console on 3D (unless you supply your own screen/glasses/VR headset). That said, IF their next home console runs on a HDTV ..they'll have the ability to do 3D(they probably just won't hype it as a main feature).

    It'll be interesting to see what Nintendo do in the home console space next time around....

    ...more power won't be enough, a more accurate Wii remote won't be enough, an eyetoy/kinect style camera won't be enough (that's all available now). Hard to see what their stand-out innovation/gimmick will be..projectors, smell-o-vison, haptic feedback, its own screen.

    I doubt Reggie has a clue what Nintendo Japan are planning anyway.
    Edited by CallousB at 30/03/11 @ 11:05

  • dot.dot #21 1 year ago

    I hope it has 1080p, should be more powerful than PS3 and 360. Often Nintendo tend to prototype their new ideas in earlier machines so its likely Augmented Reality will play a role, albeit with 2D output. Dual Nunchuks as well. Alternatively it could be the Nintendo ON with icosahedron controllers, they interviewed him after E3 one year so never know.