The Wii U Optical Discs differ in appearance from most other optical discs in that they have soft, rounded edges.
The Wii U system software is backwards compatible with Wii Optical Discs, but not with GameCube game discs. The Wii U Optical Disc (WUP-006) is the retail physical game medium for the Wii U, with a capacity of 25 GB. Nintendo repaired systems with dual-layer problems, and later released a disc cleaning kit for users to purchase. Upon that release, Nintendo admitted that some Wii systems may have trouble reading dual-layer discs due to a dirty laser lens. The Wii can use dual-layer discs, and all games are single-layer prior to the release of Super Smash Bros. However, earlier Wiis can play DVDs using homebrew such as WiiMC. For the same reasons as GameCube and Wii U, Wii cannot play DVD movies or CDs. This ensures that systems that cannot connect to the Internet are still updated.
Wii Discs always include a partition with files to update the Wii system software, which are installed before starting the game if needed.
Nintendo extended its proprietary technology to use a full size 12 cm, 4.7/8.54 GB DVD-based disc, retaining the benefits of the GameCube Game Disc, and adding the standard capacity of a double-layer DVD-ROM. The Wii Optical Disc (RVL-006) is the physical game medium for the Wii, created by Panasonic. Full-motion video (FMV) scenes and audio clips have higher compression or lower quality to fit on a single disc. Some multi-platform games that fit on single discs for PlayStation 2 and Xbox had certain features removed in order to fit on GameCube Game Discs. Some GameCube games with large amounts of data span two discs, such as Resident Evil 4, Enter the Matrix, and Tales of Symphonia. The GameCube is not able to be used as a general DVD player, except for the Panasonic Q which is a uniquely customized GameCube with DVD capability that was released only in Japan. GameCube Game Discs do not use the Content Scramble System found on normal DVD-Video discs, as Nintendo was not satisfied with its level of security. It was chosen by Nintendo to prevent copyright infringement of its games, to reduce manufacturing costs compared to Nintendo 64 Game Paks, and to avoid licensing fees to the DVD Forum. The GameCube Game Disc is a 1.46 GB, 8 cm miniDVD-based technology which reads at a constant angular velocity (CAV). The GameCube is Nintendo's first optical disc console, after mainly ROM cartridge based platforms. The GameCube Game Disc (DOL-006) is the game medium for the GameCube, created by Matsushita/ Panasonic, one of the ten founders of the DVD Forum, and later extended for use in the backward compatibility mode of the first model of Wii.
In 2017, Nintendo discontinued disc-based media in favor of game cards for the Wii U's successor, the Nintendo Switch, although it would license several more physically released Wii and Wii U games for many more months, with the last one being a port of Shakedown: Hawaii to both consoles in the summer of 2020. All official discs and their formats were manufactured and developed by Panasonic. A burst cutting area is located at the inner ring of the disc surface. To maintain backward compatibility between generations of game consoles, GameCube discs are compatible with the first model of the Wii, and Wii Optical Discs are compatible with the Wii U. The physical size of a GameCube Game Disc is that of a miniDVD the Wii is based on DVD format, and Wii U Optical Discs are based on Blu-ray format. These are the GameCube Game Disc, Wii Optical Disc, and Wii U Optical Disc. Nintendo optical discs are physical media used to distribute video games on three of Nintendo's consoles that followed the Nintendo 64. Proprietary optical disc formats used in the GameCube, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles