8GB Wii U console has 3GB of usable memory

Nintendo may be taking bold strides into digital distribution with the Wii U, but owners of the 8GB Basic console will need to invest in external storage to make the most of it.

Kotaku reports that, as is standard with any electronic device, the Basic Wii U actually ships with slightly less than the advertised 8GB of memory – 7.2GB to be exact.

However, when a user first powers up their Wii U they will find that the setup procedure and account creation take up 4.2GB, leaving just 3GB free for game downloads, DLC and save storage.

This means there isn’t sufficient room to download, say, Nintendo Land, whose digital footprint is 3.2GB. The 2GB New Super Mario Bros U, however, is good to go.

It’s also worth highlighting that Wii U game discs hold 25GB of data. Should a studio max this out it means that even a virgin premium system could barely house a digital version out of the box.

The Premium console, which has 32BG of memory, actually offers 29GB of usable storage. This is reduced to 25GB after setup.

The good news is, of course, that Nintendo’s system will be compatible with external USB memory up to 2TB in size, though some external HDDs will need an additional Y-cable to function correctly. Nintendo has advised against the use of USB flash memory as the drive’s cycling capability can impact gameplay”.