Topic: Wii U GamePad Works 'Fine Within the Same Space'

[Patchkid15]

Can you use the controller in your bathroom? Several factors will contribute.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/32157

The Wii U GamePad "will be fine within the same space" according to Toru Yamashita of Nintendo's product development department during the latest Iwata Asks.

Some individuals will be able to use the Wii U GamePad at a further range than others, but it will all come down to the interference between the console and the controller.

Iwata explained that "Differences will arise depending on whether you live in a house made of wood or an apartment of reinforced concrete, and what materials the walls are made out of."

Nintendo Engineering Manager Tat Iwamoto further explained "If you place the Wii U console in something like a metal TV stand it may deflect the radio waves thus reducing its usable range. Radio waves weakens by the square of the distance, so even within the same space, too much distance could make them weaker, and having obstacles in between would be a disadvantage."

Ultimately each households range will be different. Wii U owners will have to experiment on their own to find the maximum range they can still use the GamePad. Last month Nintendo commented that the Wii U Gamepad works best within 24 feet of the system. This distance is most likely a rough estimate.

[Tariq]

I'm sure that the GamePad is going to be usable in the same environments and circumstances in which the GameCube's WaveBird is usable. After playing with a Wii U unit at TGS, I can't imagine the tech is much different (don't quote me on this!).

[NWR_Neal]

I remember having a friend play Monkey Target on the other side of my parent's house with the Wavebird, and it worked flawlessly.

I'm looking forward to doing ridiculous things with the GamePad and see how it works.

[Patchkid15]

I know on day one I will be walking all over my house with it just trying to figure out exactly where I will be spending my next week.

[Spak-Spang]

Well, if you read the article you will see that it isn't the same situation as the Wavebird tech.


The Wavebird only needs to send command signals and not receive any information.  I don't think it even had rumble.


However, this new device must receive audio and video the the device and decompress it with little to no latency.  And they talked about the issue of noise effecting the image quality at E3.  I am sure that noise and issue has been worked on tirelessly to make it a better...but it is still potentially there. 

So within the same room is probably not anywhere near like as good as the Wavebird.

[Stogi]

I'm just glad that my bathroom AND bedroom are within 24 feet of my basement living room.

[Tariq]

Well, if you read the article you will see that it isn't the same situation as the Wavebird tech.


The Wavebird only needs to send command signals and not receive any information.  I don't think it even had rumble.


However, this new device must receive audio and video the [sic] the device and decompress it with little to no latency.  And they talked about the issue of noise effecting the image quality at E3.  I am sure that noise and [sic] issue has been worked on tirelessly to make it a better...but it is still potentially there. 

So within the same room is probably not anywhere near like as good as the Wavebird.

Spak,

I'll admit that the WaveBird is not the end-all-be-all tech for the GamePad, but just because the WaveBird acts solely as a transmitter (therefore unable to support rumble), this does not mean that the Wii U GamePad's components do not feature the same transmitter — in addition to a high-tech, zero/low-latency receiver. Latency is absolutely not an issue with this controller, and I don't reckon it ever will be.

What I surmise is that the GamePad will simply stop communicating with the Wii U after a certain threshold has been reached; you will never witness a latency issue. WaveBird or not, the controller sure is light and fancy. Albeit, I DO wish that they'd pump up the resolution to 1080p and the refresh rate to at least 60Hz; I can't justify a ¥13,400 price tag for a screen-based device with sub-HD features (I've been brainwashed by tablets and smartphones).

[Spak-Spang]

I was directly referencing the article, and not focusing on the lack of rumble but that the controller has to transmit more than just controller inputs but also read compressed visual and audio data. 


Nintendo could have a detection for when data is not being perfectly received and then stop the game or transition it is possible...but I was just commenting that the range is going to be more limited because of the extra communication going on....and I got that from reading the Ask Iwata.