Macronix’s (旺宏; NS1 Game Card supplier) Q3 financial report indicates that the company is still unable to produce NS2 Game Cards.
- Their 2025Q3 ROM shipment was barely higher than 2024Q3. Without Pokémon Z-A, the number probably would’ve cratered.
- During the conference call, the Chairman of Macronix disclosed that:
尤其新的機種裡面，我們還一些研發的工作還沒有完成。 […] 我們希望明年以後會慢慢的在 pick up。
Regarding the new console specifically, some of our R&D work is still incomplete. […] We expect [ROM business] to gradually pick up starting next year.
As I shared last quarter, there are evidences suggesting that Macronix and their partner MegaChips (メガチップス) plan to utilize high-density 3D NAND in Game Cards to lower costs. The latest disclosure signals that it isn’t going well.
Currently Game Card 2 is only made by Rohm and an unidentified company. Macronix’s inability to ship perhaps results in low supply. To make things worse, the memory market is in a “super cycle”, with NAND price steadily increasing with no end in sight.
So it seems, unfortunately, that there will be no relief for the NS2 Game Card cost for the time being.
[Originally posted on 2025-10-29 Pacific Time]
