How to Open and Clean a Game Gear Cartridge

Over time, moisture and muck in the air build up on the metal contacts of any cartridge, and Game Gear games are no exception. If a cartridge is playing up, cleaning the edge contacts is the first thing to try. This quick how-to shows how to open a Game Gear cartridge with a 3.8mm Gamebit and clean the contacts with isopropyl alcohol, plus what to use when they’re badly corroded.

How do you open a Game Gear cartridge?

Game Gear cartridges use a single 3.8mm Gamebit screw on the back. With that out, some Game Gear cartridges reportedly slide down and then lift off, but the ones I have simply pull apart: there’s a little flange, so it comes out and down, and the board is revealed.

Removing the 3.8mm Gamebit security screw from the back of a Sega Game Gear cartridge — A single 3.8mm Gamebit screw holds a Game Gear cartridge shut

Checking the contacts

Unlike Master System cartridges, Game Gear boards only have contacts on one side, so that’s the only side you need to worry about. Under a harsher light you can see the furring on the pads.

Sega Game Gear cartridge opened to show the circuit board and single-sided edge connector — Game Gear boards only have contacts on one side

Close-up of furred, dirty edge connector contacts on a Sega Game Gear cartridge under a bright light — Furring on the pads shows up under a harsh light

What to clean Game Gear contacts with

Isopropyl alcohol: what I used here, on a clean cotton bud. It contains no water, so it won’t leave the board wet.
Brasso: very effective on heavily corroded pins, but it eats the top layer of the contacts if you leave it on too long.
A silver conductive pen: if a pad is completely corroded away, you can use one to fill it back in.

Wet the cotton bud with isopropyl and give the contacts a good rub. The dirt starts coming off straight away and the pins are instantly much cleaner. Then I use the dry end of the bud to give them a squeaky buff, which lifts off a bit more grime.

Game Gear cartridge contacts cleaned with isopropyl alcohol on a cotton bud — Much cleaner after isopropyl and a dry buff

Don’t forget the cartridge slot in the Game Gear itself. Because the slot faces upwards, it’s a big dust catcher, so clean it regularly too.

Reassembly and result

Pop the two halves back together, keeping an eye on the tabs, and refit the screw. In the interest of honesty, this particular cartridge was already working (I’d cleaned all of mine before), but it still showed visible dirt coming off the pads, and the same process revives cartridges that won’t boot.

More from the Sega cartridge cleaning guides: How to Open and Clean a Sega Master System Cartridge, Cleaning Sega Master System Cartridge Contacts with Brasso.

More Game Gear on the site: trying to fix a parts-only Game Gear with iFixit. For another Sega cartridge job, see changing the save battery in a Mega Drive cartridge.