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"How to Play Sega Game Gear on Steam Deck"

Author : Amelia Update : May 26,2025

The Sega Game Gear, launched in the early '90s, was Sega's bold attempt to rival Nintendo's Game Boy. Boasting a vibrant color display and innovative features like a cartridge expansion for Master System games and a TV tuner, the Game Gear was ahead of its time. Despite its short-lived presence in the market, enthusiasts can now enjoy its rich library of games, including direct ports from the Sega Master System like Sonic the Hedgehog, on the Steam Deck using EmuDeck. This comprehensive guide will walk you through installing and optimizing EmuDeck to play Game Gear games seamlessly.

Updated January 8th, 2025, by Michael Llewellyn: The Sega Game Gear shares many similarities with the Steam Deck, making it an ideal candidate for emulation on Valve's handheld PC. To achieve optimal performance, the EmuDeck developers recommend installing Power Tools via the Decky Loader. This guide now includes detailed steps for setting up Decky Loader, installing the Power Tools plugin, and ensuring compatibility after Steam Deck updates.

Before Installing The EmuDeck

Before diving into the installation of EmuDeck for retro gaming, it's crucial to prepare your Steam Deck and gather necessary tools.

Activate Developer Mode

Press the Steam button to open the menu.
Navigate to the System menu.
Under System Settings, toggle Enable Developer Mode to the on position.
A new Developer menu will appear.

Within the Developer menu, find Miscellaneous.
Enable CEF Remote Debugging.
Press the Steam Button again.
Go to the Power menu and select Restart to reboot your Steam Deck.

Install EmuDeck On The Steam Deck

Once your Steam Deck is prepped for emulators, you can proceed with downloading and installing EmuDeck.

Press the Steam Button and navigate to the Power menu.
Select Switch to Desktop to enter Desktop Mode.
Open your preferred web browser.
Visit the EmuDeck website and click on Download to get the installation file.
Choose the Steam OS version and opt for Custom Install.
On the EmuDeck installation screen, select the SD Card image labeled Primary.
You can choose to install all emulators or specifically select RetroArch, Emulation Station, and Steam Rom Manager, then click Continue.
Ensure Auto Save is enabled.
Skip through the subsequent screens and click Finish to complete the installation.

Quick Settings

Launch the EmuDeck program and navigate to Quick Settings in the left menu panel.
Verify that the AutoSave feature is active.
Enable Controller Layout Match.
Set Sega Classic AR to 4:3.
Turn on LCD Handhelds.

Transferring Game Gear ROMS And Steam ROM Manager

Now, let's move your Game Gear ROMs to the correct folder and integrate them into your Steam Deck's library for easy access in Gaming Mode.

Transfer ROMS

Switch to Desktop Mode and open the Dolphin File Manager.
Navigate to Primary under Removable Devices.
Open the Emulation folder, then ROMs, and finally the gamegear folder.
Transfer your ROMs into this folder.

Steam ROM Manager

Reopen the EmuDeck program.
Access the Steam ROM Manager from the left menu panel.
Confirm closing the Steam Client by clicking Yes.
Click Next on the Welcome to SRM! page.
On the Parsers screen, select the Game Gear icon.
Click Add Games, followed by Parse on the Add your games to Steam page.
Ensure the artwork and covers are correctly displayed, then select Save to Steam.

Fix Missing Artwork On EmuDeck

Sometimes, the Steam ROM Manager struggles to find the right cover art for your Game Gear games. Here’s how to fix missing or incorrect artwork.

If the artwork is wrong or missing, click Fix.
Enter the game's title in the fix Artwork and Title search bar.
Choose the correct game cover from the options provided.
Click on the image, then select Save and Close, followed by Save to Steam.

Check if the ROM filename includes numbers before the game title, which can cause the Steam ROM Manager to fail in detecting the correct artwork. Right-click the ROM, select Rename, and remove any preceding numbers.

Upload Missing Artwork

Switch to Desktop Mode.
Use a web browser to search for the missing game cover.
Save the image to the Pictures folder on your Steam Deck.
Reopen the EmuDeck program and run the Steam Rom Manager.
Click on Upload on the game's frame.
Navigate to the Pictures folder and select the new cover image.
Click Save and Close, then Save to Steam.

Playing Game Gear Games On The Steam Deck

It's time to enjoy your Game Gear games on the Steam Deck in Gaming Mode, with optimized settings for smooth gameplay.

Return to Gaming Mode from the desktop background.
Press the Steam button to access the Library menu.
Use the R1 button to navigate to the new Collections tab.
Open the Game Gear window.
Select your game and press Play.

Performance Settings

The Steam Deck defaults to 30 FPS, which can lead to slowdowns and sound issues in Game Gear games. Adjust the settings as follows:

Press the QAS button (the three dots under the right trackpad).
Select Performance.
Enable Use per-game profile under Performance Settings.
Increase the Frame Limit to 60 FPS.

Install Decky Loader For The Steam Deck

For enhanced control over your Steam Deck's performance, particularly for Sega games, installing Decky Loader and the Power Tools plugin is recommended.

Connect a keyboard and mouse for easier navigation, or press the Steam button and X to use the onscreen keyboard and trackpads as a mouse.
Ensure the Steam Deck is in Desktop Mode by pressing the Steam button, navigating to the Power menu, and selecting Switch to Desktop Mode.
Open a browser and go to the GitHub Decky Loader page.
Click the large Download icon to start the download.
After downloading, double-click the launcher and choose Recommended Install.
Once installed, restart the Steam Deck in Gaming Mode.

Install The Power Tools Plugin

With Decky Loader in place, installing the Power Tools plugin will give you finer control over game performance.

In Gaming Mode, press the Quick Access Menu (QAM) button below the right trackpad.
Click the new plugin icon at the bottom of the right-side menu.
Open the store icon at the top of the Decky Loader menu.
In the Decky Store, locate and install the Power Tools plugin.

Settings For Power Tools In Emulated Games

Press the Steam button and navigate to the Library.
Open the Collections tab to find and select a Sega Game Gear game.
Press the QAM button, then Decky Loader, and select the Power Tools menu.
Disable SMTs.
Set the number of Threads to 4.
Press the QAM button again, then open the Performance menu via the battery icon.
Enable Advanced View.
Turn on Manual GPU Clock Control.
Increase the GPU Clock Frequency to 1200.
Enable Per Game Profile to save these settings for individual games.

Fixing Decky Loader After A Steam Deck Update

After a major Steam Deck update, Decky Loader might disappear from your Quick Access Menu. Here's how to restore it without losing your settings:

Switch to Desktop Mode from the Power menu.
Open a browser once the Steam Deck restarts in Desktop Mode.
Navigate to the Decky Loader GitHub page and click the Download icon.
Select Execute, not Open, to avoid resetting your installation and losing settings.
Enter your sudo password when prompted. If you haven't set one, follow the on-screen instructions to create a memorable password.
After installation, power off and restart your Steam Deck in Gaming Mode.
Press the QAM button to access the restored Decky Loader app with all your previous settings intact.

With these steps, you're now equipped to enjoy Game Gear games on your Steam Deck with optimized performance.

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