If there was one detail that I was at first confused about when Nintendo announced its new HD console, the Wii U, it was whether the Wii U controller was the whole system itself. I didn’t get to see whether the controller was connected to another piece of hardware or consisted only of the Wii U controller and was very puzzled why Nintendo did not emphasize the actual hardware that powers its unique device.

That confusion, however, was cleared up once I laid my eyes on the Wii U at the E3 show floor.

Thanks to Nintendo, I’ve been able to take a closer look at the new Wii U hardware through a couple of screen shots released to the press. The Wii U hardware looks very similar to that of the current Wii, only rounder and thicker than its last generation counterpart. The system looks like it is the offspring of both the Xbox 360 and the Wii and looks surprisingly thick. Hopefully, the system will shrink in size prior to its release some time next year.

Take a look at the screenshots of the new system and its controller below and tell us what you think in the comments section below!