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"How to Play Sega Game Gear Games on Steam Deck"

by Henry Apr 20,2025

The Sega Game Gear was a pioneering handheld console in the early '90s, designed to rival Nintendo's Game Boy with its vibrant, full-color display and innovative features. It boasted a cartridge expansion for playing Sega Master System games, a TV tuner for turning it into a mini TV, and more. The Game Gear's game library included titles specifically designed for it, as well as ports of popular Sega Master System games like Sonic the Hedgehog. Although it didn't achieve the longevity of Nintendo's device, its games can now be enjoyed on the Steam Deck, thanks to EmuDeck. This guide will walk you through the process of installing EmuDeck, setting up your Steam Deck, and playing Game Gear games.

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

Before Installing The EmuDeck

Before you dive into installing EmuDeck for retro gaming, it's crucial to prepare your Steam Deck and gather the necessary tools.

Activate Developer Mode

Press the Steam button.
Navigate to the System menu.
Under System Settings, toggle Enable Developer Mode on.
Access the new Developer menu.

In the Developer menu, find Miscellaneous.
Enable CEF Remote Debugging.
Press the Steam Button again.
Open the Power menu and restart the Steam Deck.

Install EmuDeck On The Steam Deck

With your Steam Deck prepared, you're ready to install EmuDeck and enjoy retro gaming.

Press the Steam Button.
Open the Power menu and select Switch to Desktop.
Launch your preferred browser.
Visit the EmuDeck website and click on Download to get the program.
Choose the Steam OS version and opt for Custom Install.
In the EmuDeck installation screen, select the SD Card image named Primary.
You can install all emulators or select RetroArch, Emulation Station, and Steam Rom Manager, then click Continue.
Enable Auto Save.
Skip the subsequent screens and select Finish to complete the installation.

Quick Settings

Open the EmuDeck program and navigate to Quick Settings in the left menu panel.
Ensure AutoSave is enabled.
Turn on Controller Layout Match.
Set Sega Classic AR to 4:3.
Enable LCD Handhelds.

Transferring Game Gear ROMS And Steam ROM Manager

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

Transfer ROMS

In Desktop Mode, open the Dolphin File Manager.
Under Removable Devices, open Primary.
Navigate to the Emulation folder.
Select ROMs and open 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.
Click Yes to close the Steam Client.
Click Next on the Welcome to SRM! page.
On the Parsers screen, select the Game Gear icon.
Choose Add Games.
Then click Parse on the Add your games to Steam page.
Verify the artwork and covers are correctly placed, then select Save to Steam.

Fix Missing Artwork On EmuDeck

Sometimes, the Steam ROM Manager might struggle to find the correct cover art for your Game Gear games. Follow these steps to fix missing or incorrect artwork on your Steam Deck.

If the artwork is incorrect or missing, click Fix.
Enter the game's title in the fix Artwork and Title search bar.
The engine should display a selection of game covers.
Click on the desired image, select Save and Close, and then Save to Steam.

Check if the ROM has any numbers before the title of the game. The Steam ROM Manager may read these numbers incorrectly and fail to detect the correct artwork. Right-click the ROM, select Rename, and delete the numbers.

Upload Missing Artwork

Switch to Desktop Mode.
Use a browser to search for the missing game cover.
Click image search and save the cover to the Pictures folder on the Steam Deck.
Reopen the EmuDeck program.
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 click on 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 and optimize the settings for a smooth experience.

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

Performance Settings

The Steam Deck may default to 30 FPS, causing slowdowns and audio issues with Game Gear games. Adjust the framerate with these steps:

Press the QAS button, the one with three dots under the right trackpad.
Select Performance.
Under Performance Settings, enable Use per-game profile.
Increase the Frame Limit to 60 FPS.

Install Decky Loader For The Steam Deck

To further enhance the performance of Sega games on your Steam Deck, installing Power Tools via Decky Loader is recommended. Follow these steps:

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, opening the Power menu, and selecting Switch to Desktop Mode.
Open a browser and navigate to the GitHub Decky Loader page.
Click the large Download icon to start the download.
Once downloaded, double-click the launcher and choose Recommended Install.
After installation, restart the Steam Deck in Gaming Mode.

Install The Power Tools Plugin

With Decky Loader installed, you can now add the Power Tools plugin to fine-tune your gaming experience:

In Gaming Mode, press the Quick Access Menu (QAM) button below the right trackpad.
Click on 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.
Select Library and navigate to the Collections tab to find and play a Sega Game Gear game.
Press the QAM button, open Decky Loader, and select the Power Tools menu.
Turn off SMTs.
Adjust the number of Threads to 4.
Press the QAM button again, then open the Performance menu by selecting the small battery icon.
Enable Advance View.
Turn on Manual GPU Clock Control.
Increase GPU Clock Frequency to 1200.
Finally, enable Per Game Profile to save these settings for individual games.

Fixing Decky Loader After A Steam Deck Update

Major Steam Deck updates might remove Decky Loader from your QAM, but you can easily restore it without losing your settings:

Switch to Desktop Mode from the Power menu.
After restarting in Desktop Mode, open a browser.
Visit the Decky Loader GitHub page and click the Download icon.
Select Execute; do not select Open, as it will reset your installation and remove your settings.
Enter your sudo password when prompted. If you haven't set one yet, follow the on-screen instructions to create one. Choose a memorable password and note it for future use.
Once the installation is complete, power off the Steam Deck and restart it in Gaming Mode.
Press the QAM button and open the Decky Loader app to find your settings restored.

With these steps, you're all set to enjoy and optimize Game Gear games on your Steam Deck.

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