That would be awesome hate digital

I would be OK with that! It would be much better than a digital only console, that's for sure!

Good, it's about time one of the console manufacturers got with the times. Releasing a console without a disk drive will cut down expenses which means cheaper hardware for the user, allow for 100% backwards compatibility on all software in the future, and is just far more convenient for everyone. There is no benefit to having data on multiple disks instead of just one disk, which can be accessed through your account on multiple devices and all future devices which access the platform - with additional disks, the old mediums become obsolete and therefore unplayable on more up to date consoles, which is neither a progressive or convenient approach.

3-3.5c per GB? Where? How? And then what class? The HDDs in the PS4/Xbone have a reading speed of up to 100MB/s. Which isn't really great. A Class 10 SD card has a certified reading speed of.. 10MB/s indeed. One sure can't run modern games on it. There would be pop-ins all over. Then 32GB aren't enough. And a console needs internal (fast) storage as well for patches. Which can get just huge nowdays.

Sure SD cards for selling games is under consideration by all for the future consoles, but I'm afraid it's still a bit too early in terms of costs for it.

Look up 3DS cartridge speeds if you dont believe me.  Even a cheap 64GB USB will cost them at least $20 instead of $0.50 for q blue ray.  That destroys your profits and is one of the Main reasons the N64 made so much less money than the PS1 (even accounting for marketshare differences).  There is a reason some people here arent in charge of companies like Nintendo, and it is because they would make idiotic profit destroying choices like the ones being proposed in this thread.

As opposed to discs with 2x the space in the same bulk for 10 cents a pop. Let's not act like that isn't a significant difference, because it is. Why would any sane developer look at the PS4 where it costs X to ship their game, look at the XBO where it costs X to ship their game, and then look at the NX where it costs significantly more to port the exact same game and go "WORTH IT." It doesn't matter if it isn't earth shattering. The difference is significant with absolutely no benefit to the developer at all. The aren't going to simply pay more just for the joy of it, and they aren't going to hike up the price of just the NX version.

No, they'd use the larger cards, just like they use larger discs.

Of course the format will decide something. It'll decide if Nintendo even has a chance at third party support to begin with. With carts, which aren't happening, the answer is a loud no.

I don't think it's as much of a risk as people think it is, and if investors let Nintendo do the Wii after the GCN, they'll "allow" an all digital platform after the Wii U.

I wouldn't mind an 100% only digital console *shrugs*

Increase costs compared with 3DS carts. 3DS carts clearly aren't too expensive, and if they can do 8 GB at a decent price for 3DS, I'm sure they could easily do at least 32 GB at a decent price in a couple more years, with a larger form factor, without a significant increase in costs.

And no, the patent doesn't prove a thing, except that they're considering a digital-only option. Indeed, the patent SPECIFICALLY refers to a version with an optical drive as a potential variation.

Costs permitting, I don't see a problem. I think they're faster, and I also imagine they are more durable. That should be two major advantages over optical storage media.