No USB charging for the GamePad. Instead, you use this plug that needs its own AC outlet. As you can see, the wire is quite different from that of a 3DS.
Goriginal Content
EoD - E3 hopes
EoD - Industry woes
EoD - Mailbag 5/20
RR - Zero Escape
GN Podcast #405
NFD 5/17 outtakes
No USB charging for the GamePad. Instead, you use this plug that needs its own AC outlet. As you can see, the wire is quite different from that of a 3DS.
RSS Feeds:
In regards to no USB charging for the Gamepad:
I don't really view this as a negative due to the fact that the controller only has a max of 5 hours battery life and chances are i will be gaming AND needing to charge it at the same time at some point. Wall outlets are much closer to my couch than USB ports.
Also, has anyone with a Wii U and a website documented how you turn up or down the brightness on the Gamepad screen yet?
@gatorboi352
You can't say you don't view something as negative because it simply doesn't matter to you! That's a huge letdown!
Another thing to consider: things charge way faster via AC Adapters than they do via USB. This controller has a beast of a battery, and charging via USB would almost double the time it takes in doing so.
I see no reason to have a USB charger for it, besides mild convenience. Since the Gamepad will be something I'm sure lots of people will play with while it is plugged in it makes sense not to have that huge power drain going through the Wii U. Having the console carry that much of an extra burden could lead to overheating and other problems, especially when support for two Gamepads kicks in. If you are worried about not having an outlet near you, that can be easily fixed with an extension cord.
This doesn't really bother me. I was actually hoping for this.
Yes, because having to plug the controller in the a power outlet just behind your TV is good! Personally, I don't have any other power outlet to spare and I have already overload some of them...
Way to go, Nintendo, way to go!
If I remember correctly, it uses the same port as the 3DS does to charge. Amazon has plenty of 3ds usb cables to do just that for like 4 or 5 bucks.
@Chased
This.
It's not just an issue of convenience. For some, there's simply no room/outlets without things getting crazy, so it's inconvenient in more ways.
@Nickius
OHOHO!
NSMB U is like a mobile game? Plz, show me a CONSOLE game that has anywhere near as precise controls as a Mario game.
How is a huge let down? let's view the opposite. It is USB. You have to plug it into a USB port to charge it. Not so bad if you plug it into your console, when you set it down, except that you may set it down on a table near where you sit more than you ever get up to go to the console/TV itself (and in most cases I don't think anyone would want a cable coming from where the TV is to that table either), but that's no huge deal. You can still get up and walk to the TV to pick it up/put it down at least. Just a bit more exercise.
What is a huge deal is when you want to play with it plugged in (charging). Now what do you do? Play it close to the console? Have a very long cable coming from near the TV across the room? Play it close to a computer with usb ports? Buy a usb to AC adapter to play it near a AC socket?
In all these cases, there is an AC socket near buy for sure, as that AC socket is also powering that usb port.
With AC, you get to plug it in anywhere, with USB you get it plug it in only in really obscure places where there would be USB ports, which generally are not where you'd be playing games.
Yeah man, all that trouble to plug it into the socket a whole one time. The end you'll be plugging in/unplugging all the time will be the one connected to the gamepad, not the power source. (No idea why I'm typing this)
No more power outlets! Must connect all remaining electronic devices to usb ports (that do not exist where most people are likely to be when using them)!
Yeah... no.
The only reason to think it should be connected to the console (for all people, not just in your one case) is because that's how it's been up until now. Learn to change, especially when it makes sense. No need to desire useless stubbornness that doesn't actually make sense for the entirety of things.
Yeah this is going to be a hassle for me, I've already got too much stuff daisy chained together and no sockets I can really free up, a USB power option would really have helped...
Well I would've kinda been screwed if I hadn't just bought another surge protector with more outlets. I'm not a fan of so many things having to use a separate power supply, but it's no biggie.
Even 360 can USB charge! How many outlets do they believe a single home has?!
@hawthorneluke
The problem is that the console doesn't offer the option to charge the gamepad from it and a power outlet is necessary...Charge it however you want it, it doesn't work in my case.
@hawthorneluke
Are you seriously comparing the convenience of charging the controller of a console via the console itself to the one of charging it via a power outlet? are you being serious, now?
View the full discussion!