Gamer or not, everybody has heard about Nintendo and it’s highly successful Wii console. The little white box captured the hearts of enthusiast gamers and casual players alike, with a fresh new way to play video games that nobody had done before for a home system.

The follow-up to the system, called the Wii U, aims to accomplish the same thing with another innovation in gaming through its GamePad, a controller with a touchscreen that has the ability not only to control your games and display additional information, but also allow you to play your games on the controller itself! This frees up the TV for other uses, and could be a huge selling point for families with only one TV in the house.

The Wii U has launched today in two versions: a deluxe set ($349) which includes the system and everything you need to start playing (a free game called Nintendo Land and 32GB storage) and a basic set ($299) which has less storage (8GB) and does not come with a game. The deluxe set also sports a much sexier looking black version of the console.

With the launch of the Nintendo Wii U, the next-generation of gaming consoles has begun. Getting a Wii U? Or are you waiting for Sony’s and Microsoft’s systems next year?

[via Nintendo, image via Pure Nintendo]