Why does Nintendo Still Use Cartridges?

Why PS5 & Xbox Use Disks And Nintendo Discs

Nintendo has always dominated the handheld market using cartridges, and it was likely an easy play to continue using similar technology with the Switch. Cartridges are more advanced now, so Nintendo can hold bigger files on them than it could in the past.

Will Nintendo Cartridges Last?

But the key point is that it is a lifecycle ; just like retro game media, it'll eventually stop working. Anyway, game preservation is a topic all of its own. So, don't panic. Don't assume your cartridges will last forever though, they certainly will not.

Why do Switches Use Cartridges?

Even though they claimed it was for a better user experience as discs easily scratch, it all came down to the bottom line. Because cartridges were more expensive to make, Nintendo was able to charge a premium, not have anyone knock off their games, and create high demand which drove prices up.

Why did Nintendo Stop Using Discs?

There's a reason home console makers got away from using cartridges. The disc format, for a long time, was incredibly cheap. Discs could be mass produced for very little, and that meant developers and publishers could spend less on printing the discs themselves and could keep more of the profit from a sale.

Why did Nintendo Stick with Cartridges?

When Nintendo was developing the N64, cartridges turned out to be the only solution to delivering the smooth and impressive graphics that you saw in N64 games. Compared to the PS1 and Saturn, the N64 looked much more crisp and visually stunning, and those graphics were believed to be unachievable with simply a CDROM.