However could Nintendo be leading the revolution by launching the Nintendo NX without an optical drive? According to Japanese financial website Money-Link (via Nintendo Life), it seems that they will, but oddly enough they are also claiming that in place of optical drives, Nintendo might opt for a cartridge or game card system similar to that of the Nintendo 3DS handheld console.
Money-Link claims that this is based on ROM chip maker Macronix’s comments that they are expecting a bumper period of growth around the same time that Nintendo launches the NX, which is set for March 2017. Assuming that this rumor is true, it would be a very odd choice for Nintendo which we can only imagine will end up inconveniencing many developers and publishers as they might need to start producing for another format.
However this isn’t the first time that it has been rumored that the NX could be dropping optical disc storage. Last year there was a patent that hinted at such a move, but whether or not it comes true remains to be seen. Until Nintendo actually takes the wraps off, take it all with a grain of salt for now.