Nintendo could be planning a gaming console without an optical disc drive, according to a recent patent application, Digital Spy reports.

The unannounced machine may or may not be related to the company's upcoming games system, which is codenamed NX.

"An example system includes an internal hard disk drive storing a programme and/or data, a communication unit transmitting/receiving a programme and/or data via a network, and a processor executing a programme stored in the hard disk drive to perform game processing," reads a portion of the patent's abstract (via NeoGAF).

"The example system is not provided with an optical disk drive for reading out a programme and/or data from an optical disk."

The patent also states that the console's controller will sport some sort of 'display unit' - akin to the capabilities of the Wii U GamePad.

A recent report suggested that the NX could be out as early as July 2016. Nintendo has supposedly asked supply chain partners to begin pilot production of the console this October.