Wii U tactile guide
About This Page
The Wii U is a video game console developed by Nintendo. It was first released in North America on November 18, 2012. It is the successor to the Wii and the predecessor to the Nintendo Switch.
The Wii U uses optical discs as its primary game medium and supports SD cards and USB storage devices for data storage and transfer. It is also backward compatible with Wii games.
This page describes the physical and tactile features of the Wii U console and its major hardware components.
Directions assume that you are facing the front of the console unless otherwise specified.
Identifying your Wii U
The Wii U was sold in 8 GB and 32 GB configurations. The 8 GB model is designated WUP-001, while the 32 GB model is designated WUP-101. The two configurations have the same physical layout and major external features.
The storage capacity is identified by markings on the console-information label, which can be located here. These markings are not tactile and may require sighted assistance to identify.
Note: The front and rear surfaces of the Wii U are relatively flat, while the left and right sides have curved surfaces that transition into the front, rear, top, and bottom edges. The Wii U has a predominantly glossy plastic finish that can be distinguished from areas with different textures, such as rubber feet and ventilation openings.
Front
The front is shaped like a rounded rectangle, with curved edges on all sides. The left and right sides are slightly curved rather than straight.
The power button is near the bottom-left corner. It is round and clicks when pressed.
Moving right from the power button leads to the sync button. It protrudes from a small, round depression and clicks when pressed.
Moving right from the sync button crosses a flat surface and reaches a vertical seam marking the left boundary of the door. Crossing this seam leads onto the door.
From the door, move upward until reaching a horizontal seam. Follow this seam to the right until reaching the notch at the center of the door's upper edge.
The door can also be located by following its right boundary. From the door, continue moving right until reaching another vertical seam. Move upward along this seam to a rounded corner, then move left to reach the same notch.
If the finger continues right past this vertical seam without moving upward, it leaves the door and reaches the area containing the Wii U logo. The logo cannot be felt by touch.
Place a fingernail into the notch and pull the door downward to open it.
With the door open, the notch at its center remains a useful starting landmark. The notch can be felt by touch.
To locate the ports, move a finger inward from the notch. The SD card slot is to the left of the notch. To the right are two horizontally arranged USB ports separated by a small gap.
After locating the ports, close the door before continuing.
Return to the notch and move upward to reach the disc slot. The Wii U uses a slot-loading disc drive. The disc slot is very wide, thin, horizontally aligned, and pill-shaped.
Moving left from the disc slot leads to the eject button. The eject button is pill-shaped and clicks when pressed.
Above the eject button is the disc light indicator. Its tactile features are too subtle to be reliably identified by touch.
Left side
The left side has curved edges that transition into the top, rear, front, and bottom surfaces.
A vertical seam near the front provides a landmark for locating the transition to the front. There are no other major tactile landmarks on this side.
Right side
A vertical seam near the front marks the transition to the front.
A horizontal seam meets the vertical seam near its middle. Moving right along this seam immediately reaches a round, raised plastic feature. The seam rises over the feature in a curved arch and returns to the same level on the opposite side before continuing horizontally.
Directly below the raised feature is the rounded-square CMOS battery door, with a Phillips screw on its surface.
A separate recessed square covered by a sticker can be reached as a tactile detour. Place the finger on the top surface of the raised feature and move right to reach the recessed square.
Continuing along the horizontal seam leads to a split vertical path. Either path can be followed. Move upward or downward along one side of the path until reaching a rounded corner. Move across to the opposite side until reaching the corresponding rounded corner, then continue vertically to return to the horizontal seam.
From the middle of the split path, the horizontal seam continues toward the rear, passing over another round, raised plastic feature.
Near the center of the right side is a roughly rounded rectangular housing defined by seams. It contains two groups of small, thin, horizontally aligned rectangular openings. The first group on the left consists of 12 openings arranged in three rows of four. The second group on the right consists of 24 openings arranged in six rows of four.
A recessed square is located to the left of the second group. To reach it, start at the first opening in the second row of the second group and move left.
Note: The recessed squares covered by stickers conceal Phillips screws. Removing the sticker reveals the screw beneath it.
Rear
The rear is shaped like a rounded rectangle, with curved edges on all sides. The left and right sides are slightly curved rather than straight.
The top-left corner has an HDMI logo marking.
A horizontal seam continues onto the rear from the curved transition at the right side. Follow the seam to a sharp downward turn, then turn right to continue across the rear.
Near the left side is the AC adapter connection. The area is marked "AC ADAPTER," with the power port directly below the marking and horizontally aligned. Moving right from the AC adapter port along the seam reaches the AV port, marked "AV MULTIOUT" above the port.
Above the AV port is the Sensor Bar connection, marked "SENSOR BAR" above the port.
To the right of the AV port is the HDMI port, marked "HDMI OUT" above it.
A split vertical path begins to the right of the HDMI port. Either direction can be used to navigate it. Move upward or downward along one side of the path until reaching a corner. Move across to the opposite side until reaching the corresponding corner, then continue vertically to return to the horizontal path. The ventilation area is contained within this path.
The ventilation area consists of 21 thin, horizontally aligned rectangular openings arranged in seven rows of three.
Moving right from the ventilation path leads to a short section followed by a sharp upward turn. This reaches the two USB ports. They are stacked vertically, with the individual openings horizontally aligned. The area above the ports is marked "USB" with the USB logo.
From the bottom-right corner of the USB-port area, move slightly downward and turn sharply right. This reaches another split path. Moving downward leads to the bottom surface. Moving right, then upward, left, and upward again leads to the top surface.
Bottom
A vertical seam runs along the right side of the bottom and corresponds to the vertical seam on the top. Most of the tactile landmarks are located to the left of this seam.
Four thin, horizontally aligned, pill-shaped rubber feet are located near the corners: one near the rear-left, one near the rear-right, one near the front-left, and one near the front-right. These rubber feet provide useful landmarks for navigating the bottom surface.
Near the rear-left portion of the bottom is a recessed square covered by a sticker. Moving diagonally up-left from the rear-left rubber foot reaches this square. From the recessed square, moving up reaches the transition to the rear surface, while moving left reaches the transition to the right side. Following the route downward reaches the CMOS battery door. Moving right from the rear-left rubber foot reaches the console-information sticker.
The console-information sticker is a horizontally oriented rectangle with a recessed surface. From its top-left corner, moving left reaches the rear-left rubber foot. From its top-right corner, moving right reaches the rear-right rubber foot. Moving down reaches a recessed, horizontally oriented rectangular area containing a QR code and letters and numbers. Moving up from the console-information sticker reaches the recessed, horizontally oriented barcode sticker.
The rear-right rubber foot is near the rear-right portion of the bottom. Moving right from it reaches the vertical seam. Moving left reaches the console-information sticker. Moving up reaches the transition to the rear and leads toward the USB-port area.
The recessed square immediately to the right of the vertical seam has several useful routes. Moving right reaches the transition to the left side. Moving up reaches the transition to the rear and the horizontal path from the split. Moving left crosses the vertical seam and returns to the rear-right rubber foot. Moving down reaches a second recessed square covered by a sticker.
From the second recessed square, moving left reaches the vertical seam, moving right reaches the transition to the left side, and moving down reaches a third recessed square covered by a sticker.
From the third recessed square, moving left reaches the vertical seam, moving right reaches the transition to the left side, and moving down reaches the horizontal seam separating the bottom from the front.
The front-right rubber foot is near the front-right portion of the bottom. Moving left from it reaches the front-left rubber foot. Moving right reaches the vertical seam. Moving up reaches the rear-right rubber foot. Moving down from the right side crosses the horizontal seam and reaches another recessed square covered by a sticker. Moving down from the left side reaches a ventilation slot.
The front-left rubber foot is near the front-left portion of the bottom. Moving right from it reaches the front-right rubber foot. Moving left reaches the notch that is part of the CMOS battery door. Moving up reaches the rear-left rubber foot. Moving down from the left side crosses the horizontal seam and reaches another recessed square covered by a sticker. Moving down from the right side reaches a ventilation slot.
Below and between the front-left and front-right rubber feet are three thin ventilation slots separated by two plastic gaps. The slots are narrow enough for a fingernail to enter. Moving down along the lower edges of the ventilation slots eventually reaches the transition to the front.
The outer edges of the bottom transition into the other sides of the console. Moving up leads to the rear, moving left leads to the right side, moving right leads to the left side, and moving down leads to the front.
Note: The six recessed squares covered by stickers conceal screws. The three squares immediately to the right of the vertical seam contain Phillips screws. The remaining three sticker-covered squares contain Tri-Wing screws.
Top
The top can be entered from the vertical seam near the rear-left portion of the console or from the horizontal seam farther toward the front. The vertical seam provides a useful starting landmark.
At the rear-left portion of the top is a vertical seam. Moving left from this seam reaches the transition to the left side. Moving right reaches the pill-shaped Nintendo logo etched into the console. The logo can be felt by touch. Moving up reaches the transition to the rear. Moving down reaches the horizontal seam and its split.
From the Nintendo logo, moving right reaches the transition to the right side, followed by the raised, rounded plastic feature. Moving diagonally down and right reaches the ventilation grid. Moving up from the left portion of the logo reaches the transition to the rear, then the USB-port area. Moving up from the right portion of the logo reaches the transition to the rear, then the ventilation area.
The ventilation area on the right side of the top consists of eight thin, vertically aligned rectangular openings arranged in four rows of two. Moving up from the ventilation area reaches the transition to the rear and then the AC-port area. Moving left reaches the vertical seam near the rear-left portion of the top. Moving right reaches the transition to the right side and then the group of 24 openings arranged in six rows of four. Moving down reaches the horizontal seam.
The horizontal seam toward the front connects the left and right sides of the console. Moving left reaches the transition to the left side. Moving right reaches the transition to the right side. Moving down reaches the transition to the front surface.