The Nintendo NX has long been rumored to use cartridges instead of discs, but a recent report from the Wall Street Journal (as per Gamespot) has released a brand-new report explaining how and why Nintendo is likely to make this decision when the PS4 and Xbox One are popularizing Blu-Ray discs for their games.
According to the report, insiders "familiar with the matter" have stated Nintendo is looking to go back to cartridges because of the advancement in cartridge technology. Flash memory has improved over the years and companies are now developing SDXC cards capable of more than 1 TB of data.
This would make the NX cartridges smaller and compact, akin to the cartridges used for the Nintendo 3DS and not like the bulky ones used for the Super Nintendo or the Nintendo 64. In comparison, the discs used by the PS4 and the Xbox One can store up to 50 GB of data. Because of the limit many games resort to post-launch DLC to give their games additional content.
However, it is uncertain how much data the cartridges for the Nintendo NX will be able to hold.
It is further explained that Nintendo is also considering cartridges due to the "renewed interest" in cartridges. While most old games from the 1980s and 1990s are now available on digital platforms like the Nintendo E-Shop and Steam, many gamers have started collecting traditional physical cartridges and old gaming consoles.
Nintendo has yet to address the rumors but given how the NX is speculated to be a hybrid of a console and handheld, with detachable controllers and the option to play on its own small screen or to hook it to a television, it is likely to utilize cartridges based on the success of the Nintendo 3DS and the advancement in cartridge technology.
The Nintendo NX will launch in March 2017.
