Install a Game Gear LED Backlight! 

From 6 to 15 hours? This is insane! Makes you think how the old technology were expensive and drain more power, but the new stuff we have here are more powerful and uses less power, same thing happened when you did the gameboy backlid test. I am really amazed

Tip when reinstalling the game gear lcd: This step is the most complicated part of this mod. The adhesive strip that held the screen to the light diffuser made it very easy to keep everything in place but once removed dropping the screen back can be a real pain. To make this much simpler you can purchase Uglu strips from amazon or ebay. They are slightly thicker than the original adhesive but work perfectly for this application. I cut 2 small squares and place them next to the screw posts on the diffuser bracket. Take your time aligning the screen and apply gentle pressure to the bracket. The screen will stick to the bracket same as it did prior to the mod. Once this is done, secure that bracket to the main pcb and then secure the other bracket. If done in this order, and the screen is aligned properly to the "glued" bracket, the clips on the other should sit perfectly on top of the very small groove on the edge of the screen which secures the whole thing to the logic board. This will keep everything tight and secured for years to come and in the event you have to reopen the system for maintenance will prevent you from fiddling with securing the screen again. I hope this helps everyone with this led backlight mod. Great video and thanks for your efforts in creating it!

I'm so happy I'm getting this kit for my game gear with usb c kit and a replacement shell

I did this with my Game Gear, and it worked great. Thanks for the video.

You are a hero for making these install videos. This one isn't terribly hard, but I don't think I could have wrapped my head around it so easily without your guidance. Thanks! I also cut a piece of mirror craft paper to fit between the backlight and the reflector. After testing with and without the mirror paper, it is definitely more evenly lit with it in place. You can get suitable reflective paper at craft stores. My VA5 Game Gear was the same install procedure, even though the board's parts are labeled differently. I'm blown away by the results.

I started this project over a decade ago, I hope this video lets me finally fix it.

I only came across this channel today, and have only watched three videos so far, but what I'm already finding very striking is just how well-crafted your texts are. You would make for an excellent copywriter. Or technical writer. Or just writer in general. It's one thing to make an interesting video, and a different thing entirely to have every single word in it fit snugly in its perfect place. Impressive.

I know this video is a little older now, but just wanted to say thank you for the tutorial, because I have just recently done this mod on mine, and the tips on the white plastic part came in very useful, although I did dremel it just a touch too small, so I spend time mounting and removing so i could file the pieces down with a nail file, but was well worth it in the end!!

You make the absolute highest quality mod instructional videos! Thanks so much!!!

Just did this to my Game Gear, used a Dremel to cut the mount, and seriously, be conservative with your cuts and give yourself some extra material to work with. You can always sand it down. I tried to be conservative, and even then the mount was only vaguely helping on one side, leaving me with a tilted screen. I ended up having to make a little plastic wedge to push the LCD down in the corner to straighten it. Also, triple check everything is clean, both sides of the screen, the inside of the front glass before adding the backlight. With the backlight and reflector off you can flash a light through the layers to double check. Also, be very careful with the mount screws, especially if you follow the video and use them to align the screen without the reflector in place. The holes are not meant to let the screw all the way through, so without the thickness of the reflector, if you screw in too far the mount will crack. That also means when you're putting them in for the final time, with the reflector included, don't over tighten it. As soon as it stops turning, you're done. Too tight and at best you'll pop the LCD out of the mount (the mount holds the LCD every so slightly away from the front glass, so too tight and the edge that previously "clipped on" might twist and let the LCD go) - worse is you'll crack the mount. So be careful and happy modding!

Wow, great video as always, Colin, I really like how you put in the right details, but keep things concise. I have a few Game Gears laying around that are in dire need of recapping and this mod. I'm glad something can be done about many of the flaws in this system!

Yeah, video is almost four years old...but something like this doesn't age. In fact, it becomes more needed as time goes on, so thanks for making it for us. I...am quite scared of breaking my system when doing this, though, so I think I'll wait until my tube or caps blow first.

And again a really great video, love your work man! As a game collector these videos are so handy thanks a lot!

As always, top quality video, man. Congrats from Brasil !

Someone should just 3D print those mounting brackets and include it in this kit. That would make this mod much easier.

The lighting in your video's is really nice!

Thank you! Very interesting!

I did a similiar mod using 2 normal white leds on either side of the tube. (actually inside the tube)Light is much better and no light bleeds at all.

Excellent video, thank you!

Pretty nifty mod. I put many an hour on my Game Gear growing up. Its got some of the normal issues with it but with doing the cap replacement should bring it back to the life I remember. This would be a good thing to do while already in there.

wow they used a flourescent tube

REAL SHARP HD !!! beautiful sir HARDCORE STUFF

great video. I like your mods and video production.

You should get ahold of another GG and show off the new diffused backlight panel that only uses four wires and doesn't require trimming the LCD bracket, it's amazing after years of destructive mods.

Pretty cool. Seems definitely worth it if your still trying to use the game gear in its original form. I had a brand new LCD put in mine and it's beautiful. Looks just like an old school CRT! I highly recommend it, but it is pricey

Awesome video as usual!

Another great video, as always

wouldn't be a lot easier to just tape a led strip on the original metal reflector just to replace the tube and keep most on the screen intact?

I don't know much about making mod shit my nigga but I'm hooked when it comes to stuff like this keep it u got ur self a sub

Yea i recently got into collecting for game gear and made sure to get a recapped one when I bought it, theres a guy on ebay thats done dozens of them and he was really cool with talking with me and even sent me 2 games for free after he forgot to ship the gg without the battery covers. He did offer me the LED mod for a little bit extra, but i declined, but he also has a service that is cheaper if you send in your game gear to get it recapped and you can do the mod as well so if i ever find a cheap gamegear, ill be sure to send it to him so I can have both.

OMG WOW that's so big improvement with battery life I just got my game gear in

I just took 2 LEDs and installed them on the left and right side of the screen. :P

I did this on a Majesco model Game Gear, and it did not take well. It works, but when it gets to certain heavy memory areas of games ie; Sonic 2, when Robotnik ironically saves your life and gives you a lift from the lava to fight his boss in Zone 1 act 3. At that point, the system will turn off. This doesn’t happen if the contrast is turned down a little. I couldn’t figure this out.

cutting the brackets works great for side to side positioning, but my OCD is getting the best of me it seems as though im low about 2 pixels on the backlight and im probably gona make it worse fiddling with it again

You should review McWill's Game Gear LCD screen replacement if you can get one of the kits. It sounds like a pretty involved process to install one but everyone says the results are spectacular.

I'd like to see a kit to make the game-gear consolized so that you could use either the LCD or a TV with RGB or component.

Hello! I just wanna ask, is it expensive to change for the LCD one? Thanks!

I have 2 faulty GG's that need all the capacitors replaced (I think) neither of them power on at all> My last project was my portable gamecube Haven't touched any electronics since i stopped work on my 2nd one, subscribing anyway Good info

I'm having issues removing the components for the old backlight, any tips?

After watching a video on the mcwill screen this mod looks way easier.

Yesterday I bought my first game gear with 6 games(Shinobi, Ninja Gaiden, Road Rash, Sonic 1 and a official 4 in 1 Cardrige) for 60€. I think that wasn't too bad.

Could you do the mcwill screen for game gear???

Yeah on the silver reflector do you modified it in any way because my silver reflector is pushing against the LED panel and the LCD screen and it keeps popping out of the bracket from the diffuser

Can I use with this modify, the DC high voltage adapter or can I use only battery ?

When I was doing the step where you take out the screen, the screen itself on mine is stuck to the front of the game gear.

excellent video as always Colin. I'm going to give this mod a try when I get my Game Gear. Have you thought about doing a video on the video out mod you can get for the Game Gear?

Just found you and your channel very informative dude..... I've got sound issues with my game gear it works with headphones but the speaker doesn't work.

You should do the lcd mod!!

I have some questions: - you say the tube light runs at a high voltage. Does this mean that my Game Gear with this mod will blow a fuse if I use an AC adaptor due to the reduction of power needed to run it? - can we please see a tutorial of how to apply this same mod to the Atari Lynx? Thanks

You should do a Game gear LCD mod

McWill's Game Gear LCD screen replacement video please?

is there any way you can do a better video with the cuts from the plastic to hold in the screen?

Can we make a replicate for the bracket from 3D printing??

if you remove the transformer, is it still ok to use the capacitor that use high voltage such as the R47 50V? or i have to search R47 with lower voltage? THX a lot with this tutorial

Cant the led mod be placed behind the old diffuser? It would simplify the process a lot... I mean prying of the diffuser and then cutting it seam like a big risk damaging something...

yo got passed the first zone in sonic 2 gg? quite the feat im

If I were to replace the screen, do I need an extra board to fit a new LCD display? all the guide's I've seen online require extra boards, but they have all bells and whistles added to them, I just want a newer screen, can I just replace the screen straight up?

This might get me into game gear instead of just being focused on Nintendo & Playstation consoles

Can you recommend site to buy "quality" Game Gear capacitors? Thank you!

I had two issues: no sound after completion, brightness cannot be adjusted. Any suggestions?

hey , you should do a more gamegear video like change caps , trobleshoting

Hi. I have a question. This front light is compatible to Gameboy SP?

You should do the mod with the mcwill screen!!

great video. - them florescent lights killed battery life more then the game itself LMFAO

I'm really shocked that they were able to get one of those two bites to shrink down and fit inside of a game gear. I have no idea what's up with those tube lights even in a normal situation because it seems like they're just use that random oh what's make a house and put one in the closet and nowhere else or let's make a building and put some on the building but some of them are regular screw bulbs like what's up with that?

So, I totally Butchered the white polarizer. A bit of patience, and screwing down the screen with the reflector... My game gear is looking and playing great!

I assembled a kit for this mod which requires no dremel, no craft knife and no cutting of any kind. How do I get one of these kits to you for an instructional video for the gaming community?

You should've changed the capacitors

i would do this if i got a game gear everdrive

can you please do a front light mod to the gba all the vids on youtube are not in english

The Game Gear came out in the early 90s. 91 i believe not the late 90s

Is it suppose to flicker or is the LCD?

why not 3d print a copy of the diffuser brackets? if someone can scan the part and modify it for the backlight, wouldn't it be better than the original part when it comes to durability?

How long were you at this? Your hands are shaking. Was this kinda frustrating to do after breaking the diffuser bracket?

Someone needs to 3d print the diffuser brackets instead of having to cut the old one

16 hours with alkaline or lithium?

led backlight sega nomad

Add a rechargeable battery, and you have an even better handheld!

It seems difficult

When i was 7 i wired up some d cells with tape and aluminum foil for longer play time 😂

Is it worth using LOCA for this mod?

Hi Colin. I'm not sure if you'll get this message or not. There's a new replacement LCD mod available for the Gamegear via RetroRGB.com which vastly improves the original Gamegear's image quality and battery life. It's quite pricey though. retrorgb.com/gamegearmcwilllcd.html

Mcwill

I dare you to try and replace the screen with GBA AGS 101 screen, or at least try? Pls

I think we found Sheldon's twin brother.

cool you buy game gear that already mod

Dear Santa.

Why is it so difficult to pronounce solder, it isnt sodder. Its derived from Latin solidaire.

but the game gear does has backlight

Gotta correct you on the year the Game Gear came out. You said late 90's It came out in the early 90's actually. I remember getting one for Christmas '93.

No recapped video board? For shame. Takes less than an hour.

Putting bateries in a game gear? Just use the wall power

Be worth it for battery life alone.Quickly pay for itself

The main benefit here is the battery life, I don’t think visually the upgrade is worth it. To get a truly great upgrade you need to do the McWill mod

I don't like the LED mods, the light is not even on the screen anymore.

and back light led look still junk and look same with original... LCD is best

don't place your face on tutorial.....damn

Quick question, why do you lool like that on your video?...you look shaky, lost and eyes opens so wide, No offense.