The reliable Japanese newspaper Nikkei has released details about the much-discussed controller for the Wii's successor.

For months now rumours about the successor to the Nintendo Wii have been circulating. While Nintendo confirmed a few weeks ago that it would be shown at E3 rumours about exactly what the console will be like have been circulating still. One of the most discussed areas has been the controller and now it seems that the details have all but been officially confirmed.

The Japanese newspaper Nikkei has a report about the controller, kindly translated by Andriasang, and it seems to confirm many of the rumours that have been floating about in the past few months.

According to Nikkei the controller will have a six inch touch screen built in, as has often been rumoured, providing a tablet-like experience within the controller itself. The controller can also apparently be used as a portable gaming device apparently, akin to the Sega Dreamcast memory cards.

The report also states that the controller has a built in rechargable battery and a camera that can be used for a variety of purposes, similar to the 3DS. The newspaper also states that the console could be ready for release as early as mid-2012.

While Nikkei are usually very reliable and are a respected newspaper it is important to always remember nothing is official until Nintendo themselves confirm it. Their E3 conference takes place on Tuesday at 5p.m. in the UK and 6p.m. in the rest of Europe so be sure to stay tuned!