Nintendo’s New NX Console to Go Retro With Videogame Cartridges

Advances in production of flash memory are giving the chip-based old-school format a renewed appeal

Sept. 2, 2016

TOKYO— Nintendo Co. plans to adopt cartridges for its next-generation videogame console, people familiar with the matter said, a step that might prompt a reassessment of the old-school format.

The industry prefers optical discs when physically distributing game software because they can store large amounts of data and the cost per unit is low. Major game systems including Sony Corp. ’s PlayStation 4, Microsoft Corp. ’s Xbox One and Nintendo’s own Wii U use discs.

However, 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.

Industry watchers said cartridges were a reasonable choice for Nintendo’s next-generation system, code-named NX, because the company targets a wider range of consumers than Sony or Microsoft. Nintendo’s core fans include small children, who might scratch discs but find cartridges tougher to damage. Cartridges also allow games to load faster, are harder to copy and can be mass-produced faster than discs, they said.

They are “no doubt today’s best format to physically distribute games,” said Atsushi Osanai, a former Sony employee who is now a visiting fellow at Harvard University.

A Nintendo spokesman declined to comment on whether the NX would use cartridges. The company has been tight-lipped about the system beyond saying that it would be unveiled by the end of this year. Analysts have said an announcement could come ahead of the Tokyo Game Show, which begins Sept. 15.

People familiar with the matter said earlier that the system would likely be usable both as a console with a television set and as a hand-held device that can be used on the go. Adopting a cartridge should help keep the device small for portability, the people said.

Nintendo’s popular hand-held 3DS device uses cartridges that are roughly the size of a large postage stamp.

Bethesda is being cagey about which games it will be bringing to the Nintendo Switch — even though Skyrim was shown in Nintendo’s official trailer for the device — but Todd Howard, director and executive producer at Bethesda, was enthusiastic about the product during a recent interview with Glixel.

“I love it. I got to play it. I will tell you — well, maybe that's an [non-disclosure agreement] thing,” Howard said. “One of the best demos I've ever seen. Probably the best demo I've ever seen. At E3.”

When pressed for details, he stated that the demo of the hardware, not any particular game, was what impressed him so strongly.

“I think it's really smart what they're doing,” he continued. “We're definitely going to be supporting it. It's the first time we've done something on Nintendo. If you don't count the old NES stuff. Home Alone. Or Where's Waldo?”

Ah yes, who could forget Where’s Waldo, the classic Bethesda release for the NES?

So even though Bethesda won’t confirm that Skyrim is coming to the Switch, saying that they “are not confirming any specific titles at this time,” when asked for comment on the game’s inclusion in Nintendo’s marketing materials, it sounds like Todd Howard is already sold on the device.

“It's the same game on the TV and on the other screen,” he stated when asked if it would really be possible to bring Skyrim with you “on the go.”

UK retailer GameSeek has listed Nintendo's new Switch console for a March 17 release, as well as stating a price of £198.50 (around USD $245).

It's important to note that both pieces of information could simply be placeholders--GameSeek does use temporary dates for games with unconfirmed release schedules, though Nintendo has previously said the Switch will launch in March. GameSeek does offer a preorder price guarantee, however, so if the console's final price is higher you'd still pay £198.50.

You won't have to trawl eBay or get a whole new unit in case you lose one of Switch's tiny Joy-Cons or if your dog chews on its dock. Nintendo will sell extra accessories for the console separately -- it has even revealed how much each one would cost you. A single Joy-Con is $50, while a pair (in any color combination) will set you back $80. Too lazy to plug and unplug the dock into different TVs in your home? You can get an extra dock set, which includes an AC adapter and an HDMI cable, for $90. Sure, they're kind of expensive, but at least you can buy them, unlike the Wii U's GamePad.

Nintendo will also sell a $30 charging grip that combines your extra Joy-Cons into one controller and gives you a way to keep playing even when your controllers' batteries are low. Finally, the company will sell two Joy-Con Wheels as a $15 set for any racing game coming to the platform. The Switch, which won't be region-locked and has online multiplayer, will land on March 3rd for $300.