Nintendo NX News And Rumors: Flagship Console To Use Cartridges Instead Of Discs? [VIDEO]
With Nintendo fans excited about the upcoming release of the gaming giant's next flagship console, the rumored Nintendo NX, rumors have emerged that the powerful new console would go back to the company's roots, foregoing gaming discs and utilizing the power of cartridges once more.
The speculations were fueled largely by a series of financial statements issued by Chinese memory chip manufacturer Macronix, which provides Nintendo's ROM chips. Macronix's chairman, Wu Miin, referenced Nintendo's increased demand for the firm's ROM chips in the fourth quarter. Previously, Nintendo's orders for ROM chips peak during the third quarter, then decline in the fourth quarter.
The increased orders from Nintendo suggest that the Japanese game giant is ordering ROM chips that are far beyond the usual number required for 3DS game production. Though cartridges are widely considered retro technology, their high-speed nature and their relative portability would be a very notable advantage for the Nintendo NX, which is rumored to be a console/handheld hybrid device.
Nintendo has stopped using cartridges since the introduction of the GameCube back in 2001. Despite this, however, cartridges still continued to be used for the firm's popular handheld systems, the Nintendo DS line. For the DS line, at least, cartridges have stood the test of time very well, with even the latest games being run by the classic ROM chips very well.
Unsurprisingly, Nintendo has not released a statement that addresses these latest rumors. It has to be noted, however, that the Japanese gaming giant filed a patent for a console with no disc drive last year. During that time, however, Nintendo emphasized the use of a hard drive which would be used for games downloaded online.
Then again, the patent also included a console design with a specific "read/write card slot," which might be yet another reference to the Nintendo NX utilizing cartridges over the conventional gaming discs.
If any, fans would have to wait for a year before these rumors are confirmed or debunked, since Nintendo has announced that the NX would be officially unveiled March of next year.
