Nintendo NX may use cartridges instead of an optical drive

The second potential outcome is that the NX really is a replacement for the Wii U and the 3DS, suggesting the 3DS replacement requires higher capacity ROM chips, which makes perfect sense.

Macronix has announced two key bits of information that point to the Nintendo NX potentially not using an optical drive.

Macronix Nonvolatile Memory Products is a company Nintendo uses to produce the ROM chips inside game cartridges for the Nintendo DS and subsequently the 3DS.