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PS4 or Wii U for university?

I went to Uni with my collection of Retro and Modern systems but the Wii U is ideal for a student. Free online, games with a ton of replay value and it's a fantastic party system. That being said Wii U is reaching the end of it's life cycle so as a long term system PS4 is the more realistic choice but if your just jumping into Wii U now you can easily get a few years out of it.
 
Wii U is more casual gamer friendly. Wife and I (hint hint) have spent a lot of time gaming on it compared to the ps4/xb1. That said the nx I'd around the corner so I'd wait.
 
Having brought my own Wii U with me for university, its also astonishingly good as a way of playing small games and being a general stress reliever. Every time I was getting too worked up, or needed something to pass the time in small chunks, I'd fire up the console and work on some more levels in NSMBU. Especially useful for me since I could play it whilst relaxing in bed, and thanks to the gamepad, I didn't need to hook it up to the monitor (only got the one HDMI port on my monitor, though I'm considering a splitter).
 
PS4 for sure, there will be new games releasing throughout your time at uni. It also has third party support so your library to pick from will be vast.

I had my 360 when I was in halls during my first year, great for FIFA tournaments and COD split screen. Also completed a ton of games.
First year is all about the drinking and social, same thing for most of second year really.
 
Crayolan said:
In my experience as a current college student, nothing is close to as popular as Smash or Mario Kart. Those get people playing for hours while anything else is lucky to keep people entertained for 30 minutes.
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And yeah. Like, having gone to my university's game society last year, the big draws were Mario Kart and Smash, even though most of those concerned probably didn't own a Wii U, in part because of how many players there could be, and the ability to organise tournaments around them.
 
Crayolan said:
In my experience as a current college student, nothing is close to as popular as Smash or Mario Kart. Those get people playing for hours while anything else is lucky to keep people entertained for 30 minutes.
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I've found that on the PS4 end, Rocket League, Nidhogg and TowerFall can be quite popular; but I do agree that nothing brings in players like MK8 and Smash.
 
Probably PS4. But, if you're going to have a roommate who might also have an X1 or PS4, a Wii U would be an excellent addition. Local multiplayer and offTV for when others are using the TV.
 
WiiU is great for local multiplayer and if you skipped the Wii you have a vast library of games to play too. IMO PC+WiiU is by far the best choice this gen, best of both worlds.
 
PS4. Wii U has a few select great titles, but I'd say wait to see what the NX is before putting down money on a Wii U. Even then, the Wii U will most likely go down in price once NX is in the limelight. Also, there may be PS+ to pay for for online gameplay on PS4, but those first party Nintendo games don't go down in price very easily. PS4 has plenty of life in it. As for deals, keep an eye on Shopto, I got a great deal on my Wii U back when Bayonetta 2 came out.
 
fhqwhgads said:
PS4 if you prefer online multiplayer, Wii U if you prefer local multiplayer
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Maybe wait for the NX Platform to be announced to see if Smash 4 is gonna get ported. If it does get ported & the NX Console supports the GameCube Adapter, get an NX Console. If not, go for Wii U. This is assuming you end up having your eye on the Wii U.
 
Wii U is a beast to play with friends and at parties, that seems great to take to a university. The question is if you're interested in doing that.
 
If it was a choice for your home i would sugest the ps4. Longer lifespan plus a bigger catalog.
But for the University the WiiU will probably leave you with more time to study. Also, in the near future you'll be able to get a ps4 for less than today, with a huge back catalogue.
The WiiU is a great console. Its has some fantastic games. You wont be disappointed.
 
I'm at Cardiff and I in halls the XO can't be connected to the Internet and I don't think the WiiU can be either, I don't think this applies everywhere but check your university. For reference, you can connect a ps4 but not play online.
 
I'd say both honestly. From experience PS4 is great for the personal moments, especially if you're a freshman since you will have a tad bit more alone time until you warm up to campus life. But the Wii U that thing is god tier when you have a group of friends, Mario Kart and Smash are all you need. You'll never get bored.
 
Dude Wii U easily. Smash, Mario 3D World and Mario Kart for casual and local multiplayer gatherings. Everyone plays Mario Kart.
 
Defo ps4.

If you have a lot of spare time the Wii U library will be exhausted by the end of the year. The ps4 library is ever expanding.

I reckon your choice should be ps4 or Xbox one

Edit: choose whichever of the ps4 or Xbox one has your preferred exclusives and/or whichever your uni mates have.
 
Lol. Almost exactly the same question I'm pondering about.

Considering you want to "play alone", PS4 is a better choice. 2016 looks amazing for PS4 in all genres. Wii U would be a good "socializing" machine, as other have stated.

In my case, I'm probably going to bring my PS4. #FE + Pokken in march are the main reasons for bringing my wii u, but if I can finish #FE within these few days, I'll drop the idea.

Please let us know your final decision!

Update: Didn't finish #FE in time, but only brought my PS4. Didn't want to rush the last two chapters in a span of two days. Oh wells.
 
PS4. It has a far larger library already and it will keep growing. More power, more everything and almost same price, it's not a contest really. The Wii U is only for the most hardcore of Nintendo fans.
 
Another consideration is that the price of games drops much more quickly on PS4, while Nintendo games are rarely discounted - which might be an important factor as a student.

That being said, Wii U also has a pretty extensive library when you factor in Wii compatibility, the eshop and the ability to play GC games via homebrew.

Both great consoles, you'll likely be satisfied whichever you end up getting.
 
If you care about making friends and potential partners get a Wii U. MK8, Smash Tennis or any other multiplayer game is going to cool to throw on after a night out with a few drunk mates over.

PS4 is a great console and TowerFall and Rocket League are awesome but Nintendo games are very accessible which means they are easier to get non gamers to play.

Uni is a social experience, you won't even have time to dive into most single player games if your doing it right and studying, partying and socialising.
 
Are you staying in university accommodation? If so, you won't be able to do online multiplayer. University wifi has strict NAT. Consider that when comparing system libraries.
 
IvanJ said:
Get a PS4, you are going to the university, so it is presumable that you will keep company of other adults.
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Lol.

As others have astutely said, Uni is a social experience - doubly so if you live on campus. You'll find yourself divided between study, partying, and socialisation, with games taking up a spec of your time. If you're the extroverted and outgoing type, you're going to want the Wii U. Both are great consoles, but being surrounded by people constantly, you'll want the console which best facilitates those local multiplayer experiences.

Every guy or girl, of any age will easily pick up Mario Kart, Mario 3D World, Smash, Super Mario, or Nintendoland. Combined with a few drinks, it's stellar.
 
When I was at university 99% of my social gaming experiences were playing Mario Kart in someone's room, take that as you will
 
Moskito said:
Are you staying in university accommodation? If so, you won't be able to do online multiplayer. University wifi has strict NAT. Consider that when comparing system libraries.
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My uni might be the exception, but I'm able to play Smash and MK8 online with my Wii U from in my dorm.
 
The potential for social gaming is at its highest in university. Probably one of the few times you can get a bunch of people together to play a game in the same room. Plus for social gaming really don't need an ever-expanding library of games to play. I only brought my Wii during my college years and all that was ever really played with my friends was Smash and Kart, and that was all we needed. When my friend got an Xbox we shifted instead to Call of Duty and FIFA. Basically gaming with friends (for me at least) revolved around a few key titles, lowering the need to buy new games. Plus hopefully you'll find that you will be playing games much less than you've previously been accustomed to during college.

It's up to you to figure out which system is best, but I wanted to share those tidbits to help you make a decision.
 
Moskito said:
Are you staying in university accommodation? If so, you won't be able to do online multiplayer. University wifi has strict NAT. Consider that when comparing system libraries.
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This heavily depends on the school. Though, in general, an Ethernet adapter may be a good investment if you buy a Wii U.
 
PS4 is obviously a much better choice, unless you absolutely MUST play the handful of great titles the Wii U does have. PS4 also has several years of life and games left in it, while the Wii U is all but dead.

Abounder said:
PS4 has the better library support, but Nintendo is better for university because of the local multiplayer. There can be lots of lag on-campus, and drunk Mario Kart is really as fun as gaming gets in the dorm
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Rocket League has split-screen MP, that's all you need!
 
For what it's worth, the PS4 has some pretty fun local and party multiplayer games as well, even if you can't get online. Well worth the investment in my eyes.
 
I wouldn't trust the folks in the dorms with a Wii U pad. Plus, sports games rule the campus. NFL, NHL, FIFA are excellent go to games and a good way to chill with others/good icebreaker.
 
Unless you really want to play Mario kart and smash with your friends, it would probably be better to stick to ps4.
 
The PS4 has more party/group of friends games than people give it credit for:
*Jackbox Party Pack (everyone likes Drawful)
*Sportsfriends
*Nidhogg
*Towerfall Ascension
 
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