until the launch of the switch in 2017, the nintendo 64 was the latest major home console to use the cartridge as its primary storage format, although most handheld systems (with the exception of the playstation portable) continued to use cartridges. most home systems began using disc, flash, and online formats. with the nintendo gamecube, the company utilized the optical disc format instead of the cartridge format, in a boon to some developers. the company's stated goal was to reduce manufacturing costs; nintendo did not cite storage space as a rationale. while the new console lacks backwards compatibility with nintendo 64 game paks, nintendo said players could simply keep their nintendo 64.