ROM

From Styleguide

ROM

Technical. An acronym for read only memory – the type of memory used to store most game data. A digital copy of a game's code run by an emulator can also be referred to as a ROM.

ROM acceptable on all references. Games for cartridge-based systems are encoded on ROM chips; games for optical media systems and modern PCs are stored on CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or another disc format. Games are loaded from the ROM into RAM, where the program code is actually run by the system.

In general, use the specific ROM format (cartridge, CD-ROM, etc.) instead of the more general ROM when referring to the media used to store specific game code.

Example: Amazingly enough, the original Super Mario Bros. now fits onto a 3-megabit ROM chip.

Wrong: Rom, rom.

Also see: cartridge, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, emulator, memory, RAM.