Setup Guide: Game Gear IPS Bundle

This guide covers any of my IPS-modded Game Gear bundles: getting power into it, cycling the display modes on the IPS screen, and getting a game running. Every console was fully restored, IPS-modded, and gameplay-tested before it shipped.

Bundles differ in how they take power and in what games come along, so the sections below are written so you can skip whatever does not apply to yours. The packing list in your listing is the authority on what actually arrived.

What is always in the box

• A restored Sega Game Gear with a FunnyPlaying IPS screen. The original dim, blurry LCD is gone, and so is the original plastic lens: these get a flat, real glass lens.
• A way to power it over USB-C, either a RetroSix PowerCore board fitted so a real USB-C port sits in the original DC jack opening, or a Console Artisan USB-C dongle on a console left internally unmodified.

What may also be in the box

• Game cartridges, if your bundle included them
• A flash cart, if your bundle included one

You will also need a USB-C cable and a USB power source, or six AA batteries. Neither is included. The IPS screen may still have its protective shipping film on it, so you get the satisfying “fresh peel” when it arrives.

Quick start

1. With the console off, insert a cartridge firmly into the slot on top. Looking at the back of the unit, the label faces you.
2. Turn the ON/OFF knob on the top right. ON is to the left, off is to the right. The red power LED lights and the game starts.
3. To change games, power off first. Press the cartridge in slightly to disengage the lock, then pull it straight out. Never remove a cartridge with the power on.

Powering it up

If your console has a built-in USB-C port, there is no dongle to keep track of. Connect a USB-C cable from the console’s own port to any charger, power bank, or computer, and switch on.

One important consequence of that board: the original Sega AC adapter no longer works and must not be used. The PowerCore replaces the original power circuitry, and the old brick has nothing to plug into.

If your bundle came with a dongle instead, the console is unmodified inside and the dongle does the work. Plug its barrel connector into the Game Gear’s DC jack, run a USB-C cable from the dongle to your power source, and switch on. On these units the original Sega adapter still works, though there is no reason to use it.

Hot-plugging USB-C can reset your game

On the built-in USB-C boards, plugging the cable in while the console is running on batteries can reset the console, because of how the power board and most modern USB-C sources negotiate. This is normal and not a fault.

To make it less likely, use a plain USB-A to USB-C cable and a power source that does not use Power Delivery. Test your own cable and charger before you are deep into a game with unsaved progress. Unplugging the cable with batteries installed usually does not interrupt anything, but test that too.

Batteries

The console takes 6x AA. The IPS panel draws far less than the original backlit LCD, so battery life is genuinely good now, but a Game Gear still eats more than a modern handheld. High-quality rechargeables are worth it, and lithium-ion rechargeables perform best.

The IPS screen and its display modes

• Brightness is the original thumbwheel on the left side of the console, exactly as it was on a stock unit.
• Display modes and filters: hold START + 1 + 2 together for about two seconds to cycle through them. The modes include Scaled, Scaled with grid, Pixel Scaled, Pixel Scaled with grid, and a Pixel-Perfect integer scale that deliberately does not fill the whole screen. The grid modes imitate the look of the original screen. Try them and settle on what you like; the best answer often differs per game.

Controls and sound

All buttons, the D-pad, 1, 2, and Start, were cleaned and tested for responsive, accurate input. Volume is the wheel on the top left, next to the stereo headphone jack, and sound also plays through the internal speaker.

Cartridges and cartridge care

The slot was cleaned and tested for reliable contact, and every cartridge I ship was tested in a real console first. A restored console has a clean, tight connector, which makes it more sensitive to a dirty cartridge than a worn-out one, and a dirty cartridge will transfer grime straight into it.

To clean a cartridge:

1. You need isopropyl alcohol, 90% or higher, and cotton swabs.
2. Dip one end, then rub it firmly back and forth across the metal contacts on the cartridge edge. Black or grey residue on the swab is oxidation, which is what you are there to remove.
3. Repeat with fresh swabs until one comes away clean, then dry the contacts with the other end of a swab.
4. Let it sit a minute or two until completely dry before inserting it.

Do not blow into cartridges. The moisture in your breath corrodes the pins over time, which is the opposite of what you want.

Caring for the glass lens

The new lens is real glass and it arrives in mint condition, but it is not the hardened glass on a modern phone. A screen protector made for the Game Gear is cheap and strongly recommended. Otherwise, keep the console somewhere dust-free and away from temperature extremes and moisture.

If your bundle came with a flash cart

Flash carts have their own setup. See the Game Gear flash cart guide.

Troubleshooting

A game will not load: black, white, or scrambled screen. Nearly always dirty cartridge contacts. Power off, clean the cartridge as above, and reseat it. On a freshly restored connector even a little oxidation is enough to break the connection.

The console will not turn on. On batteries, check all six are the right way round and actually charged. On USB-C, try a different cable and a different power source, and make sure the cable is fully seated.

The screen has odd colours, lines, or a pixel grid you did not ask for. You have almost certainly changed the IPS display mode by accident. Hold START + 1 + 2 for two seconds to cycle back to a mode you like.

The screen comes on for a second and dies, or is very dim. That is low power. Fresh batteries, or check the USB-C source is actually supplying enough.

Questions

If anything is unclear or you’d like a hand getting set up, reach out. I’m happy to help.