Home News Steam Deck: How To Run Sega Game Gear Games

Steam Deck: How To Run Sega Game Gear Games

Author: Lillian Jan 21,2025

This guide shows you how to play Sega Game Gear games on your Steam Deck using EmuDeck, including optimizing performance and troubleshooting potential issues. We'll cover everything from initial setup to advanced performance tweaks.

The Sega Game Gear, a pioneering handheld console, now finds a new home on the Steam Deck thanks to EmuDeck. This guide ensures a smooth and optimized gaming experience. Recent updates recommend Power Tools via Decky Loader for peak performance.

Before Installing EmuDeck

Preparing your Steam Deck is crucial before installing EmuDeck.

Enable Developer Mode

Press the Steam button.
Access the System menu.
In System Settings, enable Developer Mode.
Locate and access the new Developer menu.
Within the Developer menu, find Miscellaneous.
Turn on CEF Remote Debugging.
Restart your Steam Deck.

Essential Tools

External storage (A2 microSD card recommended) to store ROMs and emulators, keeping your internal SSD free for Steam games. An external HDD is an alternative, requiring a Steam Deck dock.
Keyboard and mouse (highly recommended) for easier file transfers and artwork management.
Legally obtained Game Gear ROMs (backups of games you own are acceptable).

Installing EmuDeck on Your Steam Deck

Let's get EmuDeck installed.

Switch to Desktop Mode.
Open your preferred web browser.
Download EmuDeck from its official website, selecting the SteamOS version and "Custom Install."
Choose your SD card as the primary installation location.
Select your desired emulators (RetroArch, Emulation Station, and Steam ROM Manager are recommended).
Enable Auto Save.
Complete the installation.

Quick Settings (EmuDeck)

Open EmuDeck and access Quick Settings.
Ensure AutoSave is enabled.
Enable Controller Layout Match.
Set Sega Classic AR to 4:3.
Turn on LCD Handhelds.

Transferring Game Gear ROMs and Using Steam ROM Manager

Time to add your games.

Transferring ROMs

Open Dolphin File Manager in Desktop Mode.
Navigate to your SD card (Primary).
Locate the Emulation/ROMs/gamegear folder.
Transfer your Game Gear ROMs to this folder.

Steam ROM Manager

Open EmuDeck and launch Steam ROM Manager.
Close the Steam Client when prompted.
Follow the on-screen instructions, selecting the Game Gear icon and adding your games.
Verify artwork and save changes to Steam.

Fixing Missing Artwork in EmuDeck

Missing artwork? Let's fix it.

Use the "Fix" button in Steam ROM Manager to search for missing artwork.
If the ROM title contains numbers, remove them before searching.
Manually upload missing artwork by saving images to the Steam Deck's Pictures folder and uploading them through Steam ROM Manager.

Playing Game Gear Games on Your Steam Deck

Switch to Gaming Mode.
Access your Steam Library.
Go to the Collections tab (R1 button).
Select your Game Gear game and play.

Performance Settings

To avoid slowdowns and sound issues:

Press the QAM button (three dots).
Select Performance.
Enable "Use per-game profile."
Increase the Frame Limit to 60 FPS.

Installing Decky Loader on Your Steam Deck

Decky Loader enhances control and adds features.

Switch to Desktop Mode.
Download Decky Loader from its GitHub page.
Run the installer and choose "Recommended Install."
Restart your Steam Deck in Gaming Mode.

Installing the Power Tools Plugin

Power Tools further optimizes performance.

Press the QAM button.
Open the Decky Loader plugin store.
Install the Power Tools plugin.
Configure Power Tools (disable SMTs, set threads to 4, adjust GPU clock as needed).

Troubleshooting Decky Loader After a Steam Deck Update

Steam updates can sometimes remove Decky Loader.

Switch to Desktop Mode.
Reinstall Decky Loader from its GitHub page, selecting "Execute" instead of "Open" to preserve settings.
Restart your Steam Deck.