Macronix to exit game ROM chip production amid AI-driven memory demand

On November 5, 2026, Solidot reported that the supply of ROM chips used in physical game cartridges for Nintendo Switch had been affected. Macronix, Nintendo's largest ROM chip supplier, announced in its third-quarter earnings report that it is preparing to end ROM chip production and exit the gaming industry. Macronix stated that ROM chip output had shrunk by 39% over the past year and now accounts for only 5% of its total business, as other memory chips with higher margins and stronger demand gradually displace them. The company linked the shift to the memory chip boom driven by AI demand. The report also noted that Nintendo may in future have to rely on other ROM chip suppliers such as Rohm and Lapis Semiconductor, and that the cost of producing physical game cartridges could rise further. Nintendo has committed to continuing to offer physical game cartridges and will not follow Sony in offering only digital versions.