Nintendo loses major Switch cartridge memory supplier Macronix

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 01:03 · Archive

Memory chip manufacturer Macronix is phasing out ROM production for Nintendo Switch cartridges to focus on more profitable data centre chips.

Memory chip manufacturer Macronix has announced during its third-quarter 2026 earnings call that it is phasing out ROM chip production and redirecting production capacity towards more profitable memory types for data centres. The company's CEO Miin Wu said demand for NOR flash memory used in data centres is 'very robust', with customers demanding increased capacity.

Macronix's ROM business has declined sharply. ROM revenue fell 39 per cent compared with the previous year in Q3 2026 and now accounts for just 5 per cent of Macronix's total business, down from 26 per cent a year earlier. Meanwhile, revenue from NOR memory rose 158 per cent and revenue from NAND memory surged 768 per cent year on year. The company reported record-high net profit of $337 million for Q3 2026.

Macronix is Nintendo's main supplier of ROM chips for Switch cartridges, but is not the only supplier. Analyst David Gibson notes that other manufacturers including Rohm and Lapis Semiconductor also produce ROM chips for Nintendo. The Switch 2, which uses NAND flash memory rather than ROM, is less affected by Macronix's exit since the company is not phasing out NAND production.

Nintendo has signalled it remains committed to physical games. The company said last month it had 'no plans' to abandon cartridges, and physical titles accounted for 38.5 per cent of Nintendo's games sales in August, higher than other gaming companies. However, the loss of Macronix's ROM production capacity could increase manufacturing costs and potentially lead to higher prices for physical Switch games, as Nintendo relies on other suppliers with less capacity.

Macronix's departure from ROM production reflects broader semiconductor industry pressure. The company's limited monthly wafer production capacity of 25,000 12-inch wafers means less profitable ROM chips compete with more lucrative data centre memory for manufacturing space, while planned new capacity will take over a year to come online.

Nintendo loses major Switch cartridge memory supplier Macronix — Image: Ars Technica

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How it is being reported

Nintendo's biggest ROM chip supplier is bowing out of the businessAnd what that could mean for physical Switch game costs.Ars Technica · 4 Nov, 22:47
Nintendo's main Switch cartridge supplier is leaving the ROM businessThis is potentially terrible news for those who love physical media.Engadget · 4 Nov, 18:39
Nintendo is losing a Switch cartridge supplierNintendo is about to lose a major memory supplier for its Switch cartridges. The supplier, Macronix, announced during a recent quarterly earnings call that it would be gradually phasing out ROM production and is instead focusing on NOR flash memory for data centers, Taipei Times reports. Macronix's ROM revenue fell 39 percent compared to last […]The Verge · 4 Nov, 17:03

In this story: Nintendo · Macronix · Miin Wu · Rohm · Lapis Semiconductor · Sony

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