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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Question: Do devs make custom chips for cart games anymore?

rjason12 on 19 March 2017

I'm not too tech-savvy. I'm just curious if any developers still make custom chips like Nintendos super FX chip, and Capcoms CX4 Chip to boost capabilities of their games? Or if it's even possible in today's cartridge based consoles?



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Nettles on 19 March 2017

Don't think they could even fit a chip on an SD card.



thekitchensink on 19 March 2017

Doubt it, because all physically-released games are also available digitally these days, and you can't (yet) deliver physical upgrades over the Internet.



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derpysquirtle64 on 20 March 2017

1) Modern consoles don't support such extension chips anyway.
2) There is no really need for this right now. In the past these chips were maybe to add support for features like 3D graphics, floating point co-processors, etc. Because such things were expensive to put in the base console. Now we already have everything out of the box.



 

SegataSanshiro on 20 March 2017

No. No need to. Also digital games so the could not.



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SonytendoAmiibo on 20 March 2017

The DS and 3DS does not have Bluetooth and yet it got a typing game in Japan that supported Bluetooth keyboards. Thats because they added Bluetooth to the cartridge. So adding extra hardwear into a SD style game card is not unheard of. http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=752765



   

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AlfredoTurkey on 20 March 2017
thekitchensink said:
Doubt it, because all physically-released games are also available digitally these days, and you can't (yet) deliver physical upgrades over the Internet.

They could just say screw digital and release a physical only release though. I mean, it's THEIR games, right? 



AlfredoTurkey on 20 March 2017
derpysquirtle64 said:
1) Modern consoles don't support such extension chips anyway.
2) There is no really need for this right now. In the past these chips were maybe to add support for features like 3D graphics, floating point co-processors, etc. Because such things were expensive to put in the base console. Now we already have everything out of the box.

The reason it was done in the past was to make up for lacking hardware. 



SonytendoAmiibo on 20 March 2017
AlfredoTurkey said:
derpysquirtle64 said:
1) Modern consoles don't support such extension chips anyway.
2) There is no really need for this right now. In the past these chips were maybe to add support for features like 3D graphics, floating point co-processors, etc. Because such things were expensive to put in the base console. Now we already have everything out of the box.

The reason it was done in the past was to make up for lacking hardware. 

 

Right, and here we are again. But if Nintendo wants to upgrade Switch's power for a game, they could potentially add more hardwear to a Switch cartridge. It might be bigger and stick out the top but it would work.

   

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archer9234 on 20 March 2017
SonytendoAmiibo said:
AlfredoTurkey said:

The reason it was done in the past was to make up for lacking hardware. 

 

Right, and here we are again. But if Nintendo wants to upgrade Switch's power for a game, they could potentially add more hardwear to a Switch cartridge. It might be bigger and stick out the top but it would work.

It would. But, there's no real reason for it. Pokemon Pinball had rumble, built into the card. Simply because the GB had no way to do that. It was feasable. Because there where no other means of doing it. And it wasn't cheaper to just build everything into the system. We could still be using VHS tapes, for HD content. We choose not to. There are better and easier ways to deal with it. Adding in the hardware, to make a game better. Just benefits that game only.