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  1. Games

Revised Wii U controller image leaks to Twitter - actual analog sticks, other minor changes shown

News
By Hollander Cooper published 19 May 2012

Minor refinements might make the difference

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Meet the new Wii U controller?

Meet the new Wii U controller?

The new Wii U controller looks similar to the old one, but it has several major differences. Check them all out here...

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
It has Wii U branding

It has Wii U branding

Rumors have been circulating for some time about an upcoming Wii U name change, but if this image is legit, it would appear said rumors are not. It has the Wii U branding right on the faceplate, and we've a feeling Nintendo wouldn't still be using a name it's planning on changing.

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
It has analog sticks instead of 3DS nubs

It has analog sticks instead of 3DS nubs

The largest change might be the switch from 3DS slider-pad analog nubs to legitimate analog sticks. This has been requested since the system was first shown off, and we're happy to see Nintendo make the swap.

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
Start and Select have been moved

Start and Select have been moved

Start and Select have been taken from the bottom of the controller to the side. We're sure there's a reason for this swap, but we sure don't know it.

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
There's a weird square here

There's a weird square here

See it? Right on the bottom in between the battery light and the Power button there's a square. It might by to sync up the controller, or to change which screen the game is being displayed on, but we don't know just yet. Also...

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
There's another square on the left

There's another square on the left

Two squares? This could be something specifically for debug consoles for all we know, but it's certainly interesting to see.

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
The bottom looks different

The bottom looks different

This one might just be the lighting or the angle, but the bottom sure looks different in the picture. Instead of having one long rectangular spot with two squares around it, it looks like the rectangle has one shape to the side, which sort of looks like a mini USB spot.

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Is this the charger?

Is this the charger?

And if you want to read about more next-gen rumors, check out our Xbox 720 rumor roundup, PS4 rumor roundup, and, of course, our Wii U rumor roundup.

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
Hollander Cooper
Hollander Cooper
Social Links Navigation

Hollander Cooper was the Lead Features Editor of GamesRadar+ between 2011 and 2014. After that lengthy stint managing GR's editorial calendar he moved behind the curtain and into the video game industry itself, working as social media manager for EA and as a communications lead at Riot Games. Hollander is currently stationed at Apple as an organic social lead for the App Store and Apple Arcade. 

A QA tester at Traveller's Tales Games (makers of the LEGO

series) going by the Twitter handle @MATTYBOOSH has posted a picture to Twitter of what appears to a revised version of the Wii U controller. This correlates with rumors we'd heard earlier this year of the Wii U tablet seeing some redesigns before being shown off again at E3 next month. The image has since been deleted, but we've grabbed it and posted it below.

First, for reference here's the old Wii U controller:

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  • Nintendo Switch 2 in dock next to JoyCon controller grip and red backdrop Nintendo Switch 2 owners are ripping apart their new Joy-Cons in record time to check the stick drift situation
  • Hand holding right Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con controller with thumb extended to reach the thumbstick Switch 2 stick drift doomers pin their hopes on Nintendo's repair service, which will take a Joy-Con 2 that "doesn't work" for free
  • The Asus ROG Raikiri 2 controller showing its back and front, on a purple background The design of Asus' previous controller made no sense, and the updated version revealed at Gamescom proves it

And now, here's the new one:

Notice any differences? Because we sure do.

First, note the new analog sticks. It appears that Nintendo has decided to include actual sticks, instead of the nubs found on the original tablet and the 3DS. This change might bump up the price, but it'll make a big difference in the long term. Next, notice the movement of the Start and Select buttons, which have found a new home on the right side of the controller. There's also a little square on the left side and on the bottom and, maybe most importantly, actual Wii U branding. With other rumors floating around speculating a name change, this is pseudo-confirmation that the Wii U moniker might be here to stay - if this is legit, that is.

We've posed a full comparison breakdown in the gallery above, pointing out each and every difference.

It's possible that some of these differences will be specific to the dev unit, though they usually end up mirroring the final version quite closely. We'll keep digging on this and attempt to find more information, but be sure to let us know if there's anything else you notice in the comments below.

Hankering after more of the stories, news and possible truths that might shape this year's E3? Then head over to our E3 rumours compendium page. It's being updated constantly between now and the show.

See more Games News
Read more
Nintendo Switch 2 in dock next to JoyCon controller grip and red backdrop
Nintendo Switch 2 owners are ripping apart their new Joy-Cons in record time to check the stick drift situation
Hand holding right Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con controller with thumb extended to reach the thumbstick
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The Asus ROG Raikiri 2 controller showing its back and front, on a purple background
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Nintendo Switch 2 with Mario Kart on screen next to original Nintendo Switch with teal backdrop
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Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con next to original Nintendo Switch OLED Joy-Con
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