The handheld shares much of its hardware with the Sega Master System and is able to play its own titles as well as those of the Master System, the latter being made possible by the use of an adapter.
Так как предыдущая приставка Sega — Master System — превосходила по своим техническим характеристикам 8-разрядные приставки от Nintendo, было решено применить в Game Gear аппаратную часть на основе Master System.