Despite never managing to unseat the Game Boy as the leader in the handheld gaming market, the Sega Game Gear, which was first introduced in Japan on October 6th, 1990, has gone on to become a beloved device in its own right, especially among handheld enthusiasts and retro collectors.
This explains why there's always been a pretty strong desire in the handheld community to see Sega give the device a modern refresh to give the portable console another chance in the spotlight, and bring some of its features (such as the 3.2-inch 160 x 144 resolution backlit LCD screen and poor battery life), up to date with current standards
Unfortunately, as those of you reading will already be aware, Sega has yet to act on this growing demand, with the company instead choosing to release the Game Gear Micro — a micro console that was disappointingly limited to just four games per colourway.
But recently, a YouTuber named Macho Nacho Productions has given us a look at what a potential device of this nature could be like if Sega ever decided to revisit the console again (but properly this time), combining components from the original handheld with newer mods to build what he calls the "Ultimate Game Gear"
As noted in the video, this new device was built using the cart reader, link port, and ASIC reader taken from an old motherboard acquired off eBay and soldered onto a brand new board (created by the company SYF), where they would be positioned alongside new parts. This includes a new custom power board which allows for USB-C charging (solving the issue of constantly having to find new double AA batteries), a custom audio board, dual aftermarket speakers, and the SYF GGFM.
The SYF GGFM, as MachoNachoProductions Notes, is one of the newer products from SYF and is essentially a board that features an authentic FM chip from Yamaha to allow the owner to have authentic FM sound when playing Master System games on Game Gear with a EverDrive GG X7 flashcart.
In addition to this, the Game Gear's original screen, which has often been accused in the past of looking washed out, also got a significant upgrade, with a BennVenn GGHD LCD kit from High Score Tech Supply, which includes a 640 x 480 IPS LCD screen, and a HDMI add-on (allowing players to output video to a television).
All of these components were then encased inside of a new shell created by Andrew of Retro Gear Customs, which features a sleek matte grey colour and some Japanese characters. One mistake we did notice here was the missing Dakuten on the "ケ" katakana in the bottom right hand side of the shell of the device. Currently it reads "Kemu-Gia", as opposed to "Gemu-Gia". But that is really only a minor issue, when you consider how great the rest of the build is.
In total, the device apparently set Macho Nacho Productions back roughly $303. You can watch the video above, for more details on the amazing build.