Factory Sealed Game Gear

[DreamsDied13101]

Just found a really good deal on a factory sealed Game Gear. I have been meaning to pick one up for awhile because I like all of my collection to be factory fresh when I get it. (That is my strange collecting quirk)

So my question is what are the odds this thing will actually power on when I open it up? (sorry for those of you who get freaked out that I am opening a sealed Game Gear) With all the issues that the Game Gears can have with capacitors and different things it makes me think it might be DOA.

It isn't a deal breaker either way because I already own a working unit. It was my wife's (she has been the only owner) and it works great without any refurbishment. Only issue is last year the speaker stopped working, but the headphone jack is still good. I've probably been a little wild with it over the years for it being nearly a 25 year old system. I take it on business trips with me and use it a lot.

[tpugmire]

Not likely. The caps are probably long dead by now. There are a few people here that do Game Gear recaps though (including me), so if they are bad, it's not that big of a deal.

Also, sounds like your other unit needs a recap too if the speaker went out, but headphones work still.

[ignition365]

I've been needing to recap my systems or have some one recap them.

I have like 6 broken game gears.

[rayne315]

very low. my gf is the only owner of her gamegear and it completely stoped working about 2 years ago. and I bought another off a collector I know and he was also the only owner and has taken very good care of it but it has been dimming over the years and now is just like a Gameboy, gotta play it in just the right light or you cant see it. in other words how well its cared for makes zero difference (even if it is sealed)

There are a few people here that do Game Gear recaps though (including me), so if they are bad, it's not that big of a deal.

if I buy the cap replacements and send them both off to you do you think you could recap them for me? my gf has been hounding me about finding one that works. one of them is missing the security screw (tried to fix it once and lost it, whoops)

[DreamsDied13101]

So crazy that my wife's Game Gear has lasted so long in such good condition. Other than the speaker the system works like a champ. Screen is amazingly bright, powers on with no issues, etc...

I'll keep you guys updated if it comes out dead. I will either tackle the capacitors on my own if I can stay home long enough (too many business trips with a new job I just started), or I might reach out to someone who can handle it for me. I wonder if I would be able to take the tools I need on a flight to fix it. It would be a good project for a hotel room.

[sin2beta]

I'd say pretty high chance of it working. If it is factory sealed, I'd wager it is a majesco re-release. These also seem to be in a good pocket between the bad capacitors of the early 90s and the bad capacitors of the early 00s. If you post a picture of the box, I can probably tell ya more.

[thecrypticodor]

I'd say your chances depend on the model you have. The 2110G and Majesco units are pretty reliable. The 2110 are the most common and most prone to capacitor leakage.

The 2110K are by far the worst they have the same problems with leaky capacitors as well as the LCD panel loosing segments of the screen. I've worked on about five 2110K models over the years and could never get one of their LCD panels to work correctly. Most people who re-cap Game Gears will refuse to even work on those models

[DreamsDied13101]

It is not the Majesco model. It is a model released around 1993 based on the packaging. I don't have the unit in hand yet.

My wife's unit (the one I have used these past years) is a 2110. Funny that it has lasted so long (other than the external speaker). I guess it is a ticking time bomb that has lasted for me. I have been playing that thing pretty regularly since around 2001.

[dashv]

As Pugmire says a GameGear recap isn't bad. But is pretty much guaranteed to be necessary with a non-majesco GG.

I've recapped 2 I bought off craigslist no problem.

The only uncertainty is how much and how long the caps have leaked.

If they've been let go too long the acids can eat away the traces on the board making recapping it more difficult or sometimes impossible.

The most important thing is expect it to take a couple of hours to completely recap your first GG. Don't rush it.

[tpugmire]

very low. my gf is the only owner of her gamegear and it completely stoped working about 2 years ago. and I bought another off a collector I know and he was also the only owner and has taken very good care of it but it has been dimming over the years and now is just like a Gameboy, gotta play it in just the right light or you cant see it. in other words how well its cared for makes zero difference (even if it is sealed)

There are a few people here that do Game Gear recaps though (including me), so if they are bad, it's not that big of a deal.

if I buy the cap replacements and send them both off to you do you think you could recap them for me? my gf has been hounding me about finding one that works. one of them is missing the security screw (tried to fix it once and lost it, whoops)

Sure, send me a pm so we don't clog up the thread. I'd be happy to do it.

[tpugmire]

It is not the Majesco model. It is a model released around 1993 based on the packaging. I don't have the unit in hand yet.

My wife's unit (the one I have used these past years) is a 2110. Funny that it has lasted so long (other than the external speaker). I guess it is a ticking time bomb that has lasted for me. I have been playing that thing pretty regularly since around 2001.

On yours, if I remember correctly, you likely only need one cap replaced. On the sound board, there is one cap for the headphone jack, and another for the speaker. It's best to do all of them while you're in there, but probably not necessary in this case.

[dashv]

It is not the Majesco model. It is a model released around 1993 based on the packaging. I don't have the unit in hand yet.

My wife's unit (the one I have used these past years) is a 2110. Funny that it has lasted so long (other than the external speaker). I guess it is a ticking time bomb that has lasted for me. I have been playing that thing pretty regularly since around 2001.

On yours, if I remember correctly, you likely only need one cap replaced. On the sound board, there is one cap for the headphone jack, and another for the speaker. It's best to do all of them while you're in there, but probably not necessary in this case.

I'd sill recommend doing every single one of them. The caps will die under regular use.

[tpugmire]

Well yeah, so would I, but if cost is an issue, it's cheaper to buy one cap than a whole set.

[dashv]

Well yeah, so would I, but if cost is an issue, it's cheaper to buy one cap than a whole set.

A complete cap kit is $10-15 shipped.

Small price to pay for another 20-30 years of operation.

[thecrypticodor]

Even if your Game Gear is still displaying a image a lot of the time the capacitors even though they haven't completely failed or shorted yet can have drifted enough out of tolerance that they still can effect your image and contrast. You will most likely notice a improvement in your image after recapping it.

You don't have to recap the power board as it's only the surface mount caps that are defective failure prone ones.
Here's a good place to order a cap kit if you or any one wants one. Make sure you buy the right one for your board version. http://console5.com/store/kits/console-cap-kits/sega/game-gear.html