Gamers can stream videos or browse live television on the Wii U at no extra cost.
Nintendo showed off more than just hardware and games at its press conference this morning; the publisher also revealed Nintendo TVii, a new service coming to the Wii U. Nintendo TVii allows users to “browse programming from sources they subscribe to, including cable and satellite channels, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube, and even their recorded TiVo shows – all from a single starting point.”
The service will be available on all Wii U consoles, and won’t have an extra cost or monthly fee. Reggie Fils-Aime called Nintendo TVii the publisher’s “most different non-gaming initiative” that it has ever introduced.
Nintendo TVii appears to be similar to the SmartGlass technology Microsoft unveiled at E3, but it won’t require Wii U owners to have a separate tablet, which is convenient. We’ll have more details from Nintendo’s press conference throughout the day.