The folks over at GameBox Systems just released another addition to their HD line of consolizing kits, this time for the Sega Game Gear!
We are pleased to announce the GGHD listing is live. Consolize Your Game Gear. Starting at $159.99.https://t.co/mIqtFrKRbk
We humbly ask everyone to retweet if you can to spread the word of the release. Your support means everything to us!
— gamebox.systems (@GameboxSystems) October 26, 2022
This kit transforms your Game Gear into a home console and provides a crisp HD picture over HDMI so you can enjoy Sega’s handheld library on the big screen.
Now there are a few important caveats before you dive into this kit. First, this mod is only compatible with VA0 and VA1 model Game Gears. It will not work with VA4, VA5 or Majesco variants. You can typically see what version Game Gear you have by opening the console up and looking at the silkscreening on the motherboard, it should be labeled clearly.
Second, before attempting this mod it is very important to re-cap (replace all the electrolytic capacitors) the console if you haven’t already. Even if the console is working, it is a good idea to re-cap the unit anyway. Game Gear’s are notorious for have low quality capacitors many of which have already started leaking and causing damage to the system. So to ensure this mod works and your Game Gear lives a long and healthy life, replace all the caps on the unit before attempting this mod. Thankfully, GameBox includes a re-cap kit with every GGHD DIY kit (very thoughtful!).
Game Gear Re-cap video:
In addition to the DIY GGHD Kit, GameBox offers fully assembled GGHD consoles for those who are not comfortable with modding. The complete GGHD includes the cost of the Game Gear system itself as well as the re-capping service and will retail for about $330 depending on what options you choose. A base DIY kit will run about $170 which includes the 3D printed shell.
Now this kit does pack quite a few features, many of which resemble those found on GameBox’s other consolizing kits. Here is a full list of it’s features as presented on their product page:
- Triple Resolution Support
- 1080i (1920×1080 interlaced)
- 720p (1280×720 progressive, Default Mode)
- 480p (720×480 progressive)
- Scaling Modes
- 7x Integer Linear (1080i mode)
- 5x Integer Linear (720p Mode)
- 4x Integer Linear (480p Mode)
- Adjustable Aspect Ratios
- Pixel Aspect Ratio (Square pixels to match original aspect ratio)
- Display Aspect Ratio (Matches original Game Gear screen aspect ratio)
- Full Screen non-Linear
- TV Mode (Slight Crop Full Screen)
- Overscan
- Full Master System Mode support
- Gamma Correction
- Pixel Filter Options
- Enhanced
- Smoothing
- Sharp
- Image Brightness Control
- Genesis Controller Input (3 or 6 button controller supported)
- 4 Scanline Modes
- 64 Border Color Options
- Button Remap Option
- AB Remapped to BA
- USB-C powered
Overall, this is a great kit but does require you to have some experience soldering. For a full tutorial on how to put this kit together was well as an overview of all of it’s features, check out the video linked at the top of this article.
