@skywake yet one forgets those USB has chipsets in them to read and write while current carts don't have that built in and that would require the Switch board have those chipsets built in-which would also mean a new Switch that has that capability to write to those carts themselves. So looks like someone forgot and discount the hardware/chipset that is need to write to USB sticks.
I actually had an idea some time ago for how Nintendo could appease physical collectors (such as myself) by including a second cartridge slot in the Switch's successor that can be used either for a second game, or as an expansion slot so that DLC can receive a physical release that would require both the base game and the expansion cartridges to be inserted into the system. Obviously, this process would be a bit convoluted, requiring two cartridges to play a single game, but it beats the alternative of having only an incomplete base game on the cartridge, with no way of preserving the complete experience once the servers are terminated.
But the idea of cartridges having optional expansion slots is even better and I absolutely love the idea of it. Perhaps such expansion slots can be used for microSD or proprietary expansion cards to be inserted so that all DLC and software updates can be downloaded directly to them, and so any DLC/software updates will therefore be tied to a physical card as opposed to one's NNID.
Either way, this is a very exciting development and certainly one that I have had on my mind for quite some time now, and it's interesting to see a patent surface that may potentially fulfill one of my biggest hopes for the Switch's successor.
"Gee, that's really persuasive. Do you have any actual points to make other than to essentially say 'me Tarzan, physical bad, digital good'?"
I would be wary as this might be a way of passing costs onto the consumer, if it's just a means of storing additional game data in the event of the publisher not paying for a large enough ROM chip.
But if it's meant to store user data, it's not the first time they've made something like this.
Exclusive to Japan was something called DS Vision, which resembled a DS flash cart but was an official accessory that could download and run some content downloaded from a PC store front, like entire Pokémon movies.
@RupeeClock : But something like that ought to (and should) be stored in the system memory or the microSD card instead, especially as such an application would not require its own physical media in this day and age.
An expansion slot for actual game cards implies that they could be used for storing software updates and/or DLC.
"Gee, that's really persuasive. Do you have any actual points to make other than to essentially say 'me Tarzan, physical bad, digital good'?"
@Silly_G My thoughts as well, I can't think of a practical reason for adding a microSD slot to game cards considering the system already has those.
With DS Vision, they needed that microSD slot because the original DS system had no such internal or expandable memory.
@SwitchForce
Not really how stuff like this works. Pretty much every physical interface will have ground, power, clock and data pins. Sometimes you'll lack a clock because you use data for the clock, sometimes you'll lack power because the other side is powered but generally it's some combination of those four. Power and ground are obvious, clock makes sure the two devices are on the same page and data sends the data. The Switch cartridge has power, ground, clock and an 8 pin (and therefore bit) data bus: https://switchbrew.org/wiki/Gamecard
Across that bus? Has to be bidirectional even though the cartridges are read only, hence why the wiki labels these pins as inout. Because the Switch has to be able to make specific commands to the cartridge. If this was not the case there would be no way to read the specific files on the cartridge needed as specific times. Eg the cartridge is inserted and detected, the Switch asks "what game are you", cartridge responds, Switch asks "can you give me your game art", cartridge responds etc
So it follows that the current Switch, with appropriate firmware which Nintendo has control of, would be able to write to a cartridge that allowed it. All it would need to do is issue a command the cartridge recognises as write and full the data pins with the required data aligned with the clock. The Switch itself couldn't care less what's on the other side as long as it recognises and responds to its commands appropriately
@skywake Switch doesn't write to the cart and has no option for that being the case that is why one has to buy a MicroSD cart to save DLC/updates to. Switch as of now doesn't or hasn't shown to be able to write to cart or has the chipsets to do so. And if so someone should tell us this option by now. The Wiki site chipset picture shows no chips that would write so therefore the new design would allow such and would also need a chipset upgrade to make such write options. Since Wiki doesn't elaborate about writing on current Carts I doubt the Switches now are able to do that. Data Bus doesn't mean much when nothing says it can write to it. You need a Read/Write command besides the bandwidth to allocated to do such commands.
My guess is that Nintendo have patented something like this not because they intend on manufacturing it, but to actually prevent others from coming out with something similar. A gamecard that has a Micro SD slot screams piracy and Nintendo have been coming down hard on that lately, going after the manufacturers, suppliers and installers of those custom chips, ROM websites etc. so I imagine this has been done to give Nintendo even more legal clout when somebody invariably produces something similar and they go after them.
As for the idea of Nintendo trying to use this to attack piracy ... U.S. copyright and patent law does not allow one to copyright or patent something and then dry dock it indefinitely. You have to show that you're using the IP. You can't just design something so others can't.
@Burning_Spear Really did you talk to the Drug Companies yet on this. They don't have to show neither what your saying. Why do you think we have all these Patent Trolls running around if you don't Patent something you will be dealing with Patent Trolls whom does nothing more then trolls lawsuits and they don't even produce or do anything with those Patents. So you need to direct your anger towards the Patent Trolls not at when Nintendo makes a Patent.
@SwitchForce Ummm ... I'm not angry. I don't care to get into an argument about this, but even the patent trolls can't hold onto patents forever. They make their loot by ransoming companies that are ready to develop a product now. Eventually they have to use the patent or it expires. (The time varies according to the type of patent.) It's just that the companies with the legitimate business need aren't willing to wait years for the patent to expire.
@Silly_G I wish it would be the same thing you hope for. I would love to store game saves, updates, DLC etc right on the game cart. I miss the days when you could pop in your cartridge and everything is ready to go. Honestly, the "minor" inconvenience of an internet connection gating you at the game startup is one reason why I would rather just buy the ACNH expansion separately than use it through Nintendo Switch Online Expansion.
If nothing else, I hope the Switch2 evolves its game cartridges to allow this.
@Ulysses This would be something good for those DLC and only Digital games to download onto the cart and reduce the microSD cart usage. As games gets more and more DLC/Updates the sd can only hold so much and if you have upwards of 300+ games you want to install for library game play this kinda expansion would be the best usage of NIN Carts.
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Topic: Nintendo patents new cartridge with a memory expansion slot.
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