So I found this peculiar Nintendo Switch cartridge….

 Hey guys, so I recently purchased a used Nintendo Switch OLED Model, and the guy gave me a pretty unique cartridge along with the console. He said it was some kind of developer cartridge to use with the Switch, and when booting it up, it has what look like demos for the various technological parts of the Switch, which I assume are for developers to experiment with the Switch’s various inputs to optimize their games for the Switch. It also looks like some kind of diagnostic tool, but I'm not sure.

Even after scouring the internet, I couldn't find ANYTHING online about what this is supposed to be, so l've turned to Reddit: What is this? Is it worth anything? Is it rare? Does Nintendo only give these out to developers? I’m really curious to hear what you guys think.

So I Found This Peculiar Nintendo Switch Cartridge...

It all started at a dusty garage sale last weekend. Browsing through the usual assortment of chipped mugs and forgotten picture frames, my eye caught a flash of red plastic – a Nintendo Switch cartridge nestled amongst old DVDs. The faded label depicted a swirling galaxy, unlike any game I’d ever seen. Intrigued, I snatched it up for the measly price of a dollar, the seller barely glancing at it.

Back home, I dusted off the cartridge. It was lighter than a regular Switch game, and the plastic felt oddly smooth. The etching on the back, usually denoting the game’s name and developer, was blank. No hesitation – I slotted it into my Switch.

The console booted up normally, but instead of the usual menu, the screen flickered to life with a dazzling animation of the same swirling galaxy from the cartridge label. Eerie, otherworldly music swelled from the speakers. Before I could react, a menu materialized, unlike anything Nintendo had ever produced. The options were cryptic symbols that pulsed with a faint inner light.

Hesitantly, I navigated the menu using the joycon. The first symbol, a glowing spiral, sent the screen into a flurry of code. Lines of text streamed by in an unknown language, punctuated by flashes of what looked like 3D models and game environments. It seemed like some kind of developer tool, a glimpse into the inner workings of the Switch itself.

The next symbol, a shimmering cube, took me to a different menu. Here, I found a selection of minigames, each represented by another cryptic symbol. One involved navigating a tiny spaceship through an asteroid field, the controls far more responsive than any Switch game I’d played. Another tested the gyroscopic capabilities of the joycons, sending me hurtling down a neon racetrack that defied all laws of physics.

With every minigame, the strangeness intensified. One displayed a pixelated world that seemed eerily familiar, yet wrong somehow. The final symbol, a pulsing sphere, led to a black screen with a single prompt: "Insert Memory." My heart pounded. What memory? Did this cartridge require some special attachment?

Just then, a notification popped up on my Switch – a software update. It downloaded and installed in seconds, the console rebooting automatically. When it came back on, the peculiar cartridge menu was gone, replaced by the familiar Nintendo Switch home screen. The cartridge itself, however, had transformed. The faded label was now vibrant, depicting a fantastical landscape filled with strange creatures. On the back, the etching displayed the title: "Prototype X."

Intrigued beyond measure, I launched the game. It began with a cryptic message: "Welcome to the Betaverse, a testing ground for realities yet to be." The game itself was unlike anything I’d ever experienced, a mind-bending blend of genres that pushed the Switch’s capabilities to their limit.

Now, I'm left with more questions than answers. Where did this cartridge come from? Was it a prototype for a scrapped game, or something more? The experience has ignited a spark of curiosity within me. The Switch I hold feels different somehow, infused with a touch of the unknown. One thing's for certain: I'll be scouring the internet for clues, determined to unravel the secrets of Prototype X.