Wii Remote
Wii Remote with original strap
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| Manufacturer | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Type | Motion controller (Video game controller) |
| Generation |
Seventh generation era Eighth generation era |
| Retail availability | November 19, 2006 |
| Storage | 16 KiB EEPROM chip (16.3 kilobytes) |
| Sound | 1 speaker |
| Input |
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| Connectivity | |
| Power | 2 × AA Battery |
| Predecessor | GameCube controller |
| Successor |
Wii Remote Plus Wii U GamePad |
Wii Remote Plus (left) & Wii Remote with Motion Plus accessory (right)
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|
| Manufacturer | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Input |
|
| Connectivity |
|
| Power | 2 × AA Battery |
| Predecessor | Wii Remote |
| Successor | Wii U GamePad |
The Wii Remote (Japanese: Wiiリモコン Hepburn: Wī Rimokon?), also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and optical sensor technology. Another feature is its expandability through the use of attachments. The attachment bundled with the Wii console is the Nunchuk, which complements the Wii Remote by providing functions similar to those in gamepad controllers. Some other attachments include the Classic Controller, Wii Zapper, and the Wii Wheel, originally used for Mario Kart.
The controller was revealed at the Tokyo Game Show on September 14, 2005, with the name "Wii Remote" announced April 27, 2006. It has since received much attention due to its unique features and the contrast between it and typical gaming controllers.
The Wii's successor console, the Wii U, supports the Wii Remote and its peripherals in games where use of the features of the Wii U GamePad is not imperative.
Development of a motion enabled controller began in 2001, coinciding with development of the Wii console. In that year, Nintendo licensed a number of motion-sensing patents from Gyration Inc., a company that produces wireless motion-sensing computer mice. Nintendo then commissioned Gyration Inc. to create a one-handed controller for it, which eventually developed the "Gyropod", a more traditional gamepad which allowed its right half to break away for motion-control. At this point, Gyration Inc. brought in a separate design firm Bridge Design to help pitch its concept to Nintendo. Under requirement to "roughly preserve the existing Game Cube [sic] button layout", it experimented with different forms "through sketches, models and interviewing various hardcore gamers". By "late 2004, early 2005", however, Nintendo had come up with the Wii Remote's less traditional "wand shape", and the design of the Nunchuk attachment. Nintendo had also decided upon using a motion sensor, infrared pointer, and the layout of the buttons, and by the end of 2005 the controller was ready for mass production.
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Wikipedia