Macronix to wind down ROM chip production, a supplier for Nintendo Switch cartridges
Nintendo loses one cartridge chip source as Macronix moves capacity toward data center memory where demand is stronger.
Macronix, a memory chipmaker that supplies ROM for Nintendo Switch game cartridges, told investors on its latest earnings call that it will gradually wind down ROM production. The company is shifting capacity toward NOR flash for data centers, where demand is strong enough that customers are asking for more supply. Its ROM revenue fell 39 percent year over year in the third quarter of 2026, while NOR revenue rose 158 percent and NAND revenue rose 768 percent. Macronix also expects chip prices to keep climbing. For Nintendo this means losing a cartridge supplier as it keeps physical games central, with physical titles making up 38.5 percent of its game sales. The move follows Micron's decision last year to close its consumer RAM and SSD brand Crucial in favour of AI data center work.
Why it matters
The shift shows memory makers choosing data center demand over legacy consumer lines, with ROM output being phased out gradually rather than halted at once. For Nintendo, which still sells a large share of its games on physical cartridges at 38.5 percent of game sales, the change means one fewer supplier for a format it is keeping central. Macronix expects prices to keep rising, so the squeeze on supply for cartridge-based products may persist. The pattern echoes Micron's exit from its consumer Crucial brand to pursue AI data center work.
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