The latest Nintendo NX rumor could bring the next console back in time, with a report stating that Nintendo will do away with the discs and bring back cartridges.
This new rumor/report comes from Chinese memory manufacturer Macronix, who is expecting an increased order of ROM chips from Nintendo. Company chairman Wu Miin made specific reference to the NX in his financial briefing, which was reported by Money-Link and translated by NeoGAF user Jim_Cacher.
Here’s the translated excerpt of the Money Link report:
"Macronix’s ROM chips are usually supplied to videogame console maker, Nintendo. Although the sales is in off season during the first quarter, the revenue is similar compared with the same period last year. Wu Miin suggested that as Nintendo had just announced it will release a new generation console in March next year, and the console will be launched at the same time in Japan, America and Europe, so ROM’s sales is expected to increase in the latter half of this year, and it will have a large growth potential.”
The increased ROM production seems to point toward a return to cartridge-based gaming, which hasn’t been seen in a Nintendo console since before the GameCube was introduced. The Nintendo GameCube was the first to use a disc drive for its game delivery.
If Nintendo does go back to cartridges, this would give more credence to the rumor that the Nintendo NX will be both a home and portable console. With Ninty’s new focus on mobile gaming, the NX could be the bridge that brings the two together.
Screen Critics reports that Macronix recently began testing chips with a capacity of 32GB, and that these could be what Nintendo plans to purchase from them. The Xbox One and PS4 both use 50GB capacity Blu-Ray discs with any extra features for games exceeding 50GB forced to be downloaded. This raises questions whether Nintendo would adopt a format that still requires additional installs for many modern games.
With all of these NX rumors, take them with a grain of salt until Nintendo releases the information. Unfortunately, Nintendo has revealed that the NX will not release until 2017 with the company forgoing this year’s E3 to show it off to the world.
So what do you think of Nintendo going back to cartridges? Let us know in the comments section.
