Under the flap!

by Jason Wishnov { Jun 29th 2006 at 3:43PM }

Another image has arisen, finally giving a clear view of the innards of the mysterious front flap of the Wii. Indeed, there are only two objects of note: a single SD card slot, and a mysterious button dubiously labeled "Sync". Avoiding all references to a particularly horrible pop band, this button is presumably to wirelessly link the Wii and the Nintendo DS. Convenient, no? Maybe Nintendo's big "connectivity" campaign could finally take off, without all those messy wires.

Alas, there is no secret 3-D projector super-laser technology in the Wii. There doesn't even appear to be a camera. We've now seen every inch of the hardware, and while it's certainly subject to change, I wouldn't expect too much.

Tags: Connectivity, Final Secret, Front Flap, Nintendo DS, Sync

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Erick G. @ Jun 29th 2006 4:03PM

That's too much porn for my eyes! Warn us before putting a naked console image, damn!

Eric @ Jun 29th 2006 4:13PM

I think the Sync button maybe more akin to something like the 360's sync button, for controllers, so that a controller's data is received by only one console if several are nearby.

Jay @ Jun 29th 2006 4:43PM

Now I wonder about the DVD attatchment. I thought it was supposed to go in there by the SD card. Unless, they aren't putting it in the demo units until they announce more details about it.

Hobbes @ Jun 29th 2006 4:47PM

What happen to giving credit to tips. At least put the "Thanks to everyone who tipped".

SeasideBaz @ Jun 29th 2006 5:01PM

the sybc button is meant to be like apple's iSync... whatever that is

Nushio @ Jun 29th 2006 5:41PM

Hobbes: Get used to it. Most of the time they have the article ready miliseconds before you submit, and by the time they read your submission, its already submitted. Thats why I dont bother submitting anymore :/, they'll find out anyways.

Regarding Sync. I doubt its DS-Wii connectivity. Im too lazy to stand up and press a button to sync my DS.

I think its like what Windows does with PDAs and other cards, you can sync data from the (SD card) with the data stored on the Wii.

r-deezy @ Jun 29th 2006 5:44PM

Since the flap is only concealing the SD slot and the 'Sync' button, i would guess the 2 are related. Maybe the SD card will not properly work unless the Sync Button is pressed?? Probably to keep downloaded material from being shared.

delerious @ Jun 29th 2006 7:30PM

SY = SYnc BC = Bluetooth Controllers?

Yea, I agree with #2.
The controllers are bluetooth, as you all should or need to know. So I would think that that button maps out the controller numbering.

idioteraser @ Jun 29th 2006 7:32PM

If there were some super secrets still left and they were in the flap I highly doubt we will see them until closer to launch.

So far all the Wii consoles have been shown to be is shells not the final production models.

Marc @ Jun 29th 2006 7:34PM

Yeah Jay, I've been hoping for that "dongle" they were talking about. I was hoping that would be were it goes, but maybe they've decided to make DVD playback a standard in the Wii.

Jason Wishnov @ Jun 29th 2006 7:59PM

We appreciate tips, really. I encourage you to send them in as much as possible. However, if we find a news-worthy story on my own, we'll usually post it immediately. Tips will get credited if they alert the bloggers to something they hadn't seen.

Tom @ Jun 29th 2006 10:13PM

I doubt the SYNC button has anything to do with controllers or DS. Just look how it's placed next two the SD slot, both of them together behind that flap, almost as if they were related somehow... hmm....

I'm 99% sure that the SYNC button copies data from the Wii's internal memory onto the SD card. Why there should be a need for such a function is a mystery to me, as you should be able to handle all file transfers from the Wii's menus, but the placement of the button makes it's function obvious.

vidGuy @ Jun 29th 2006 11:54PM

You may be right, Tom, but there's two things:

1) "Syncing" the two would indicate copying the entire internal space over to the SD card. I think there would be mighty few times consumers would want to do that (I'd never want to). After all, when I put memory cards for the XBOX or 360 in, I only transfer the game saves I want, not everything I can fit on them.

2) The fact that both are behind the flap supports your claim, but their proximity alone doesn't guarantee it. After all, the "sync/search" button for the 360 wireless controllers is directly next to the Memory Card B slot, not the USB ports for controllers.

Unidentified creature @ Jun 30th 2006 12:14AM

In reguards to the camera theory, why in the world would it be on the Wii hardware itself? Woulden't it be oh say a thousand times more sensible to put it in the center of the sensor bar?

Anyway, synching to the DS should all be done in software, and shoulden't require any hardware buttons to accomplish (the DS doesn't haave to have one for interportable connectivity). SD cards... again, that seems like that would all be handeled in software. Based on my knowledge of Bluetooth (which I'll admit is limited) it would need a unique identifier number, which it would need to get from somewhere. If the console doesn't know the number, it would filter out desired controller input as background Bluetooth noise.

Wayne @ Jun 30th 2006 5:31AM

"I'm 99% sure that the SYNC button copies data from the Wii's internal memory onto the SD card. "

I'd agree with that.

Sam @ Jun 30th 2006 6:56AM

No, it'll be like with the Xbox 360. If you hold down the sync buttons on both the console and a controller, then the console "tethers" that controller to that console.
This is to prevent signals from one controller from also controlling another console, in multi-console situations.

Perhaps they left it under the flap to remove any unnecessary buttons from the front, making it less cluttered and improving the aesthetics of the console by that much.

fush @ Jun 30th 2006 5:41PM

Does anyone else think that the SD card slot is way too damn wide? I mean, shouldn't it only be, what, like the height of the inner circle of the disc?

Babylonian @ Jun 30th 2006 8:18PM

Really? The first thing that came to mind for me as far as 'sync' goes would be syncing new Wii controllers to the Wii system itself, much like is done with the Wireless 360 controllers.

vidGuy @ Jul 1st 2006 4:32PM

Fush: nope, that's the right size for SD. That gives you an idea of how tiny this thing really is!

Hold up a DVD. The Wii is only slightly wider than that. Grab an SD card and look at the slot's size in this pic. It's amazing.

I measured just to be sure - an SD slot is about 1 1/8" (can't find the SD card itself) and the DVD center hole is about 7/8".