Discussion Simple Wii U portable?

[Biovirulent]

I was thinking, if making a console portable is possible, why not the Wii U? From what I've read, it uses even less power than the original wii. Problem is, it uses 15V. That's a weird voltage. However, 14.8V lipo batteries are a thing. Wouldn't a simple power cable spliced to a couple or a few nice amperage lipo batteries do the trick? I'm just worried about how the console would perform or if it could damage it if the voltage is too high or too low. What the minimum or maximum voltage is, I have no idea. I have no way to test it right now. I'm going to need a DC lab bench power supply at some point though.
Anyhow, do you guys think this would work. I know, I know, 'portable'. This would obviously be pretty damn heavy. I'm thinking a ghostbusters-like proton pack backpack thing where the console is in a backpack. Only need to carry around the gamepad at that point.
I was also thinking, there is a max play adapter for the thing to run off a car plug... aren't car plugs 12v? And if that's the case, a simple 12v (11.1v) li-ion battery bank going through that would do the trick. Right? Correct me if I'm wrong please.

 

[GingerOfOz]

From what I've read, it uses even less power than the original wii.

I don't know where you read that, but it's definitely wrong. The Wii U consumes a lot more power than the Wii.

Wouldn't a simple power cable spliced to a couple or a few nice amperage lipo batteries do the trick?

It's possible. But you're right that for some real battery life you'd need some pretty hefty batteries.

I'm not sure what you are trying to say with the car plug thing. If it only outputs 12v, then I don't think you'd be able to run a U off of it.

Not a whole lot of research has been done on the Wii U because portablizing it is so impractical. But yes, it is possible to use batteries and not modify the Wii U at all.

 

[Biovirulent]

Huh

I don't know where you read that, but it's definitely wrong. The Wii U consumes a lot more power than the Wii.



It's possible. But you're right that for some real battery life you'd need some pretty hefty batteries.

I'm not sure what you are trying to say with the car plug thing. If it only outputs 12v, then I don't think you'd be able to run a U off of it.

Not a whole lot of research has been done on the Wii U because portablizing it is so impractical. But yes, it is possible to use batteries and not modify the Wii U at all.

Huh. Thank you for clearing that up with me. Maybe what I read really was wrong, but I read that it used 30 watts and that the Wii used 35.

 

[jefflongo]

Huh

Huh. Thank you for clearing that up with me. Maybe what I read really was wrong, but I read that it used 30 watts and that the Wii used 35.

A trimmed Wii with custom regs only consumes about 10W. A Wii U cannot practically be trimmed either so you would have a large portable consuming a lot of power. Not worth.

 

[Aurelio]

A trimmed Wii with custom regs only consumes about 10W. A Wii U cannot practically be trimmed either so you would have a large portable consuming a lot of power. Not worth.

10W are needed for a whole standard portable. The Wii itself draws even less (like 6-7W)

 

[MasterNate]

If you are looking to get 15v out of a car jack, you could make a circuit to step up the voltage. That way, you would have the voltage you need.

 

[Davuld86]

This thread's name sounds like an oxymoron