In an age where physical game releases are quickly fading out, Nintendo has consistently remained committed to offering both physical and digital options. However, the company recently suffered a massive blow regarding its Nintendo Switch 2 cartridge production, as Macronix is officially ending ROM production. This major setback officially ends one era and could potentially foretell an all-digital future for the gaming giant.
Currently, Nintendo Switch 2 games are still receiving physical releases. Nevertheless, a massive shift in industry production priorities is rapidly approaching on the horizon.
The Shift Away from Physical Media
The heated debate over physical versus digital games recently dominated the gaming community. Sony recently announced the complete end of physical PlayStation game production starting in 2028. Furthermore, recent announcements added fuel to the fire by confirming that GTA 6 will launch without a physical disc. Instead, retailers will only sell a digital code inside a physical box.
Nintendo initially sidestepped this controversy. However, a recent announcement from a major Switch 2 cartridge manufacturer might force the company to completely reevaluate its physical releases.
MST Financial’s Senior Analyst, David Gibson, reported the news on Twitter. He confirmed that Nintendo’s largest supplier of Switch and Switch 2 game cartridges is officially ending production on ROM chips. Macronix previously served as the primary manufacturer for these cartridges. Now, the company is completely exiting the ROM manufacturing industry.
1/4 Nintendo’s main memory chip maker is quitting the Switch business
Macronix, which makes the ROM chips in Switch 1 and Switch 2 game memory cards, is phasing out that business. There will be no new ROM products, and Q3 is the last quarter it reports ROM sales separately.— David Gibson (@gibbogame) November 4, 2026
Recently, ROM fell to just 5% of Macronix’s Q3 sales, a massive drop from 26% during the previous year. Therefore, the company will now shift its focus toward NOR and eMMC production to meet the high demand for data center memory.
What This End of Macronix ROM Production Means for Switch 2 Collectors
Understandably, this news greatly concerns physical Nintendo Switch 2 game collectors. However, players have no immediate cause for alarm just yet. Nintendo still receives a portion of its cartridges from other manufacturers. Moreover, the company has shown no clear indication that it will stop physical game production entirely.
Even so, Macronix’s exit from the ROM manufacturing industry could heavily accelerate a digital-only approach for Nintendo further down the line.
To solve this impending production problem, Nintendo could utilize its game-key cards. These specific releases do not contain the full game on the cartridge. Instead, they provide players with a unique key to download the game digitally. Ultimately, this approach could stave off an all-digital future, which might otherwise result in extremely expensive physical Switch 2 games.
The End of a Historic Partnership
Macronix manufactured Nintendo’s memory products for several decades, dating all the way back to Nintendo 64 cartridge production. Consequently, the company’s departure from the ROM industry signals the end of a historic relationship, at least for the current Switch 2 generation.
Looking ahead, Nintendo plans to launch major 2027 releases later in the year. These highly anticipated titles include Metroid Ravenous, The Duskblods, Kirby and the World Beyond, Xenoblade Genesis, and Pokemon Winds and Waves. Currently, it remains to be seen whether the end of this long-standing manufacturing relationship will directly affect the prices or physical production status of these upcoming games.
