Sega Game Gear

The Sega Game Gear was released in Japan in October 1990, followed by North America and Europe in 1991. The handheld console was designed to be a portable version of the Master System, with lower resolution but with a larger colour palette and hence better looking graphics. The unit could also provide stereo sound when used with headphones, unlike the monaural output of the Master System.

Because of the basic similarities between the Master System and the Game Gear, many of the games for the Master System could be written directly onto ROMs in Game Gear cartridges. In addition, an adapter could be used (known as the Master Gear) to enable users to plug in and play Master System cartridges directly on the Game Gear. However, due to the Game Gear's larger colour palette, the reverse could not be done. One of the more unusual add-ons for the Game Gear was the TV Tuner Adapter, which plugged into the system's cartridge slot, to enable users to watch TV on the console's screen. Other peripherals included a magnifying glass that could be used to compensate for the relatively small size of the Game Gear's screen.

The Game Gear was held in a landscape position making it less cramped to hold than other handheld units of the time, such as the Nintendo Game Boy. However, due to its colour screen, the Game gear's battery life suffered badly in comparison with the Game Boy, requiring 6 AA batteries for approximately 5 hours of play compared to 10-12 hours of 4-AA battery lifespan for the Game Boy. As a result, external and rechargeable battery packs were sold to extend the device's battery life.

However, the biggest problem that Sega faced was the lack of key software developers compared to Nintendo, and the corresponding lack of games. As a result, the console only achieved a modest success, selling 8.65 million units before Sega finally dropped support in 1997.

In 2000, Majesco released a version of the Game Gear, whilst in 2006 a smaller version was also re-released under the brand names of PlayPal, Coleco and others. This smaller version contained 20 Game Gear and Sega Master System games , had a brighter active matrix screen and was powered by 3 AAA batteries.