Macronix, a key supplier of ROM chips for Nintendo Switch cartridges, is phasing out its production of this memory type. The company intends to shift its focus toward NOR flash memory, which is currently in high demand for data center infrastructure.
During the Q3 2026 earnings call, Macronix reported a 39 percent decline in ROM revenue compared to the previous year. Conversely, the company saw a 158 percent increase in revenue from NOR memory and a 768 percent surge in NAND memory sales.
CEO Miin Wu noted that customers are actively seeking additional capacity for data center solutions. The company also anticipates that the current trend of rising chip prices will continue in the near future.
Despite the supplier shift, Nintendo maintains its commitment to physical game media. As of August, physical titles represented 38.5 percent of the company's total game sales, a figure that exceeds the performance of competitors like Capcom.
The decision by Macronix follows a similar industry move by Micron, which discontinued its Crucial consumer brand last year to prioritize the growing demand for AI-focused data center hardware.
