By default, the Wii U console lies flat, but if you have a stand, such as the one that comes with the Deluxe set, you can sit it upright. The stand is two plastic pieces that look like something like short “U”s. They go on what is the right side of the console as it is lying flat. The tabs sticking out of the console correspond to slots in the stand pieces. The Wii U comes with an HDMI cable, which is shaped a little like a smiling mouth. If your TV has an HDMI port, which is shaped the same way, plug it into the TV and you’re all connected. If your TV is older and does not have an HDMI port, go to Step 3. Otherwise, continue to Step 4. If the TV accepts component cables (in which case the back of your TV will have three round video ports, colored red, green, and blue, and two audio ports, colored red and white) then you can use a component cable. If you don’t see that, then there are hopefully three A/V ports on your TV that are white, red and yellow. In that case, get a multi-out cable that has those three connectors. If your TV only has a coaxial cable connector then you’ll need that three-connector multi-out cable plus the appropriate RF modulator. Alternately, if you have a VCR it probably has an A/V input and coaxial output you can use. Or you could just buy a new TV. Once you have the appropriate cable, plug the multi-out connector into the Wii U and plug the other connectors into your TV. We prefer the sensor bar to be on the top of the TV since it’s less likely to be blocked by low objects like my feet on an ottoman or a child. If you are just using the AC adapter, simply plug it into an electrical socket and then plug the other end into the AC adapter port on the top of the gamepad. If you are using the cradle, plug the AC adapter into the bottom of the cradle, then put the cradle on a flat surface. The front of the cradle has a notch that indicates where the home button rests when the gamepad is in place. Note: if your gamepad even runs out of power and you want to keep playing, it is possible to use it while the AC adapter is connected. Note that you will also need to sync up any Wii remotes you want to use with the Wii U. You’ll simply use the same sync button on the console and the sync button on the remote, which is inconveniently located under the battery cover. Once you’ve gone through Nintendo’s instructions, and synced up whatever controllers you need, put in a game disk in and start playing games.
