Quick definition:A removable plastic case containing a game's data on memory chips, plugged into a console or computer to play, and used by many systems before discs became common.
Meaning
A game cartridge is a self-contained module with memory chips that stores the game's program and data. When inserted into a console, it connects directly to the machine, so the game can start almost at once without the long loading times that discs often bring.
Cartridges were popular in the early decades of home gaming. They are sturdy and hard to scratch, but they were expensive to make, held less than discs and could not easily be updated. Some included batteries or special chips to save progress or to enhance the graphics.
Discs and downloads replaced them on most home consoles, yet small cards and cartridges returned on portable systems. Collectors prize old cartridges, and enthusiasts create reproduction cartridges and devices that read them, partly to preserve games from ageing hardware that may eventually stop working.
Origin:The word comes from the older sense of a cartridge as a small container holding something ready to use, such as ammunition or film. Early home consoles used plug-in cartridges for games from the 1970s, and the term stayed in use. Handheld systems continued to use them long after discs took over elsewhere.
Example:Cleaning out the attic, Hugo finds a grey cartridge with a faded label. He blows into the connector, an old habit from his childhood, and slides it into the console. After a nervous pause, the title screen appears and the old music starts, instantly bringing back memories of rainy afternoons.
Did you know?Cartridges load quickly because the data is read directly from chips, and some contain extra hardware or batteries to save progress. Their drawbacks were cost and limited capacity, and old batteries can eventually fail, erasing saved games.
