4 ms·

There isn't a technical reason to change the cartridge format. I don't see why they wouldn't just use the same carts if backwards compatibility is the goal.

WhereIsTheTruth 2y ago
there always is: - smaller - energy efficient - cost saving and they are all valid reasons, it's a handheld, the form factor will evolve until perfected
- micromacrofoot 2y ago
  they could have made them smaller the first time around, but I have to imagine they intentionally chose not to — we have to remember that they're also optimizing these things for children... so smaller isn't always better for things like swallowing (which is why they add a bitterant to the current cards)
  - vundercind 2y ago
    Even at the size they are, I wish they were closer to GBA—cart sized.
    - taikahessu 2y ago
      You wouldn't vacuum a cartridge.
- toast0 2y ago
  The carts are already plenty small. Yes, they could be smaller, but any smaller (without being downloads only) and they'd be difficult to handle. For cost, they could likely reduce the pincount for new cartridges, by changing the number of data pins, but that doesn't preclude using the same slot. Reducing cost of cartridges is more effective than reducing the cost of the console. Reducing pin count would probably save more money than shrinking the small amount of plastic case. For energy efficiency, maybe they can eliminate 3.3v and only keep 1.8v for new carts, maybe redesign the insertion detection pins to detect old and new.
  - jonhohle 2y ago
    The carts are shockingly big compared to Vita carts. The plastic housing with a PCB sliding around underneath always felt cheap to me compared to any cart from the late 80s to current.
mkjonesuk 2y ago
There are now cart dumpers that can copy and store multiple Switch games on an SD card. If the same form factor is used its likely these will still work for original Switch games.
- jerf 2y ago
  I would be unsurprised if the cartridge has the same form factor but has internal differences for Switch2-only games. If they want to try to lock Switch2 cartridges down more, there's plenty of ways to do that while maintaining a similar enough form factor for Switch1 compatibility.
  - mattl 2y ago
    I suspect the cartridge will be similar but have a notch on it that prevents it being inserted into a Switch console. This is how Game Boy Color, DSi and 3DS systems handled being able to accept games from older models worked.
  - mmaniac 2y ago
    NDS and 3DS cartridges had a similar form factor but operated by a completely different protocol. I expect Switch 2 to do something like that, given that piracy-enabling cartridge emulators for the Switch 1 currently exist.
CountHackulus 2y ago
Because they can get more money by selling the same game twice. But they can still claim backwards compatibility with download-only games.
klausa 2y ago
You probably want to add a notch or something that makes it impossible to put the "new" carts into the "old" slots; like they did for DS/3DS: http://i.imgur.com/OQLR0xM.jpg http://i.imgur.com/OQLR0xM.jpg

WhereIsTheTruth 2y ago

there always is: - smaller - energy efficient - cost saving and they are all valid reasons, it's a handheld, the form factor will evolve until perfected

micromacrofoot 2y ago
they could have made them smaller the first time around, but I have to imagine they intentionally chose not to — we have to remember that they're also optimizing these things for children... so smaller isn't always better for things like swallowing (which is why they add a bitterant to the current cards)
- vundercind 2y ago
  Even at the size they are, I wish they were closer to GBA—cart sized.
  - taikahessu 2y ago
    You wouldn't vacuum a cartridge.
toast0 2y ago
The carts are already plenty small. Yes, they could be smaller, but any smaller (without being downloads only) and they'd be difficult to handle. For cost, they could likely reduce the pincount for new cartridges, by changing the number of data pins, but that doesn't preclude using the same slot. Reducing cost of cartridges is more effective than reducing the cost of the console. Reducing pin count would probably save more money than shrinking the small amount of plastic case. For energy efficiency, maybe they can eliminate 3.3v and only keep 1.8v for new carts, maybe redesign the insertion detection pins to detect old and new.
- jonhohle 2y ago
  The carts are shockingly big compared to Vita carts. The plastic housing with a PCB sliding around underneath always felt cheap to me compared to any cart from the late 80s to current.

mkjonesuk 2y ago

There are now cart dumpers that can copy and store multiple Switch games on an SD card. If the same form factor is used its likely these will still work for original Switch games.

jerf 2y ago
I would be unsurprised if the cartridge has the same form factor but has internal differences for Switch2-only games. If they want to try to lock Switch2 cartridges down more, there's plenty of ways to do that while maintaining a similar enough form factor for Switch1 compatibility.
- mattl 2y ago
  I suspect the cartridge will be similar but have a notch on it that prevents it being inserted into a Switch console. This is how Game Boy Color, DSi and 3DS systems handled being able to accept games from older models worked.
- mmaniac 2y ago
  NDS and 3DS cartridges had a similar form factor but operated by a completely different protocol. I expect Switch 2 to do something like that, given that piracy-enabling cartridge emulators for the Switch 1 currently exist.

CountHackulus 2y ago

Because they can get more money by selling the same game twice. But they can still claim backwards compatibility with download-only games.

klausa 2y ago

You probably want to add a notch or something that makes it impossible to put the "new" carts into the "old" slots; like they did for DS/3DS: http://i.imgur.com/OQLR0xM.jpg http://i.imgur.com/OQLR0xM.jpg