this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2025
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The game gear had two major issues:
-It was too far ahead of its time (something SEGA unfortunately did multiple times, cfr Dreamcast's online gaming capabilities)
-Battery life sucked major donkey cock
It was also somewhat pricey, but the former point was paramount.
The battery life was hilariously bad, it was almost the defining trait. It was made especially prominent since it was being compared to the OG Game Boy which could go 20 hours on four AA batteries. The GG could only go about five, if you were lucky, on six AA. Mine basically lived plugged into the wall with a long extension code so I could use it from anywhere in my bedroom.
Which, while of course requiring exponentially more power, the Switch 2 only goes for about 6 hours on less demanding games, funny how battery life hasn't really changed much for advanced handhelds.
This is also why I have never considered the Switch a portable system. It was a hybrid that was never quite a "real" console or a handheld, and thus made compromises on both ends. I personally never used the Switch undocked, I'd have rather they sold a fixed model with no screen or joycons that just plugged in.
The real reason that Game Gear was so power hungry is that it was just a Sega Master System crammed into a handheld. This is why it felt wildly better and more advanced then the Game Boy. Sega did the same thing years later with the Sega Nomad aka a Genesis crammed into a handheld.
the real reason it was such a bitch for power is that it had a compact flourescent tube for the backlight.
when you remove that and replace it with a LED backlight suddenly the battery life explodes.
I figured the backlight was a big part of it. crazy that people actually modded a game gear
You would not believe the amount of mods the GameGear has, my dude.
and they are expensive as fuck, lol
I can't say I loved the Game gear enough to go that route, but seeing as I have had people try to argue with me that E.T. for the Atari 2600 is actually a fine game, there are enthusiasts for everything.
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
I'm generally of the same opinion about the Switch, but it's amazing to be able to play it on flights