Obviously, nothing is set in stone until Nintendo officially announces the NX, but given the other rumors we’ve heard about the console – it’s said to be a hybrid that can be played both at home on a TV and on the go, for instance – cartridges do make sense.
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WSJ’s sources say that cartridges load faster, are produced more easily and are harder to copy than discs, all things working in Nintendo’s favor should the NX truly use them.
Now we’ve got further evidence of the cartridge bit, as WSJ claims that Nintendo indeed will opt for going with that for their format of choice.
“Chip-based cartridges are garnering renewed attention thanks to fierce competition among semiconductor makers including Samsung Electronics Co. and Toshiba Corp.to develop flash memory that can pack more data onto small chips at a lower cost.”
No one wants to walk around with a bag full of discs if they’re taking the NX with them on a commute. In addition, Nintendo has pioneered and at the same time patented the unified D-pad which resembles that of a cross since the company introduced its first ever Nintendo Entertainment System.
One more point about using cartridges instead of optical discs: there’s a certain retro appeal to it. If storage is no longer the issue it once was, cartridges would once again be the victor, as they’re not only more durable than their competition, but load times are also decreased in cartridge-based games.
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The report also contends that a reveal of some sort of the system is coming, and sooner than we might think- an announcement of the system could come ahead of the Tokyo Game Show, which begins on September 15.
