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Speculation is rampant over Nintendo’s next dedicated games console, codenamed the NX. While the Big N has been characteristically silent on the system, the rumor mill has been churning at a fever pitch as of late, with some credible reports trickling in about the console’s form factor and unique features. The Wall Street Journal is the latest reputable source to weigh in on the NX, lending credence to reports that the system will once again utilize game cartridges, rather than optical discs like all current home consoles, for its physical game releases.
This may initially seem like a curious decision on Nintendo’s part, as outside of handheld systems like the 3DS line, most console manufactures have long abandoned cartridges in favor of discs, which can store larger amounts of data. But despite this, there are some advantages to game cartridges. According to the WSG:
“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.”
Cartridges would also be a natural fit for the NX, as it has been heavily rumored the system will function as both a portable and a home console, and utilizing the format would allow the system to keep its form factor.
Of course, until confirmation comes straight from Nintendo, it’s best to take this report as nothing more than a rumor. As for when the company will finally unveil the NX, WSJ reports that analysts speculate it will be sometime before this year’s Tokyo Games Show, which kicks off on September 15.
What do you think about the latest NX reports? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Source: Wall Street Journal
If it is indeed a hybrid, as I think we can safely assume at this point, it pretty much HAS to be cartridges. For the most part, if you’re making a device that’s meant to be mobile, a good place to start is “If the PSP did it, we need to not do it.”