A Nintendo patent reveals the company is working on a console that no longer uses optical discs. The games will only be made available through the internet. The Nintendo patent was filed in February in the United States and discovered by users of gaming forum Neogaf.
The patent describes a console without an optical disc drive, games can only be downloaded over the internet and are then stored on the internal memory of the device. Although digital game downloads are very common on consoles like the Xbox One, Nintendo Wii U and Playstation 4, these consoles also offer the possibility to physically purchase games on a disc.
The Nintendo patent describes the diskless system as an advantage for the user, who doesn't have to buy discs anymore. Whether Nintendo will entirely remove the possibility to physically purchase games for the future console is unknown. The patent does describe the possibility to transfer data using memory cards.
Also a controller with a display is described in the patent which in itself is nothing new, the current Wii U is also delivered with a controller that features a 6.2" touchscreen. It's unclear whether the patent describes the new Nintendo NX console. Of that console currently only the name is known, it's expected that Nintendo will reveal more information on the console in 2016.
