Compare Nintendo Wii U vs Valve Steam Machine
In this technical comparison between the Nintendo Wii U and the Valve Steam Machine, we analyze the key features to help you choose.
Choosing between these two Home Consoles models often comes down to your budget, with prices around $299.99 (Basic) / $349.99 (Deluxe) and $749 USD (512 GB) / $899 USD (2 TB).
| Specifications |
Nintendo Wii U |
Valve Steam Machine |
|---|---|---|
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| Launch | ||
| Version | November 2012 | - |
| Performance | ||
| CPU | 1.24 GHz Tri-Core IBM PowerPC "Espresso" | Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 (6-core / 12-thread) up to 4.8 GHz |
| GPU | 550 MHz AMD Radeon "Latte" | Semi-custom AMD RDNA 3 (28 Compute Units) |
| GPU Power | ~352 GFLOPS | Approx. 10.5 Teraflops (Comparable to an RTX 4060 / RX 7600) |
| RAM | 2 GB DDR3 (1 GB reserved for System, 1 GB for Games) | 16 GB DDR5 (System) + 8 GB GDDR6 (Dedicated VRAM) |
| Storage | 8 GB (Basic) or 32 GB (Deluxe) Internal Flash | 512 GB or 2 TB NVMe SSD (User-upgradeable 2230/2280 slots) |
| Expandable | Supports SD/SDHC cards and USB External HDDs (up to 2 TB) | High-speed microSD card slot; External USB storage |
| Disc Drive | Proprietary 25 GB High-Density Optical Discs (Blu-ray based) | None (Digital only) |
| Video Output | ||
| Resolution | 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i | Native 4K (2160p); 8K support via DisplayPort |
| Max FPS | 60 FPS | Up to 240 FPS (via DisplayPort 1.4); 120 FPS (via HDMI 2.0) |
| HDR | No | HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support |
| VRR | No | AMD FreeSync Premium |
| Ray Tracing | No | Hardware-accelerated Ray Tracing (RDNA 3) |
| Audio | ||
| Formats | Six-channel (5.1) Linear PCM via HDMI | Multichannel Linear PCM, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X |
| Headphones | 3.5mm jack located on the GamePad | 3.5mm jack on controller; USB-C and Bluetooth audio support |
| Connectivity | ||
| HDMI | 1x HDMI 1.4 | 1x HDMI 2.0 (with CEC support) |
| USB | 4x USB 2.0 (2 front, 2 rear) | 2x USB-A 3.2 (Front), 2x USB-A 2.0 (Rear), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (Rear) |
| Ethernet | Requires USB-to-Ethernet adapter (No built-in port) | Gigabit Ethernet |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 b/g/n | Wi-Fi 6E (2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 (primarily for Wii controllers) | Bluetooth 5.3 (Dedicated antenna) |
| Services | ||
| Online Multiplayer | Nintendo Network (Free until 2024 shutdown) | Free (Steam Networking) |
| Cloud Saves | Not natively supported (mostly local) | Steam Cloud (Free) |
| Subscription | None (Standard online was free) | None required (Access to Steam Store, EA Play) |
| Remote Play | "Off-TV Play" (Stream games directly to the GamePad) | Steam Remote Play / Steam Link |
| Controller | ||
| Included | 1x Wii U GamePad (6.2-inch resistive touchscreen) | Standard in bundles (or sold separately) |
| Features | Built-in Camera, Mic, NFC, Motion Control, TV Remote functionality | Dual haptic trackpads, TMR Magnetic Sticks (no drift), 4 back buttons, Gyro, Capacitive touch sensors |
| Compatibility | ||
| Backward | Full native support for Wii Discs and Wii controllers | Full Steam Library (via Proton/SteamOS); plays thousands of Windows games |
| VR Support | No | Full support for Valve Index and the new Steam Frame headset |
| Physical | ||
| Dimensions | 6.8" x 10.5" x 1.8" (172 x 268 x 46 mm) | 6.1 x 6.4 x 6.0 inches (156 x 162 x 152 mm) — Compact cube design |
| Weight | ~3.5 lbs (1.6 kg) | 5.7 lbs (2.6 kg) |
| Color | White (Basic) or Black (Deluxe) | Matte Black with customizable 17-LED RGB strip |
| Power | ||
| Consumption | ~75W Max (Very efficient compared to its peers) | 300W Internal Power Supply (Max draw approx. 150-180W) |
| Misc | ||
| Inside the Box | Console, GamePad, AC Adapters, HDMI Cable, Sensor Bar (Deluxe included stands and Nintendo Land) | Console, Steam Controller 2, Charging Puck, HDMI 2.0 cable, AC Power cord |
| Price | $299.99 (Basic) / $349.99 (Deluxe) | $749 USD (512 GB) / $899 USD (2 TB) |
| Full Details | Wii U - Full Specifications | Steam Machine - Full Specifications |