The Gamate was a handheld video game console introduced in 1990 by Bit Corporation in Taiwan. It was one of a number of handheld consoles released after the Nintendo Game Boy, perhaps in response to the Game Boy’s success.
The monochrome LCD screen was green and not backlit, similar to the Game Boy, and it even had the same resolution. However, the Gamate screen attracted criticism for ghosting of moving objects. The console was a similar size to the Game Boy, but in a landscape configuration to make it easier to hold. Stereo sound was available through headphones, but the unit itself had just one speaker.
As well as being sold by Bit Corporation in Taiwan, thanks to distribution deals it was available in China and was also sold in other markets including some countries in Europe (such as the United Kingdom), Australia, Argentina and the US.
The games came on ROM cards that had two rows of contacts, similar in design to the Sega Card. It’s thought that perhaps as many as 70 game title were released, though the exact number is not known despite each game title being numbered (C1-001 etc.)
After Bit Corporation ceased trading in 1992, United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) carried on producing Gamate consoles and games until around 1995.
Throughout its short-life, the Gamate sold poorly due in part to its low-quality screen and poor game library, and it’s now a very rare console.