Okay, the first thing we want to rule out is IR interference. Try taking your Game Frame to another room. Just for testing sake, maybe a dimly lit room with no windows, or at least away from other light sources. See if the remote performs better.
If not, there is something else we can try but you’ll need another IR remote. Something like an old school Apple TV remote works great, but just about any remote should do.
Unplug the Game Frame. Unscrew the four screws on the rear of the Game Frame and remove the cardboard cover. Notice the two buttons on the rear circuit board: MENU and NEXT. (You can always use those if the remote completely fails, and holding down MENU functions as hitting the power button.)
While holding in the rear NEXT button, plug in the Game Frame. The screen will go through some screen & SD tests and then stop at an IR remote test. It looks like a stylized remote icon with three colored pixels inside a gray rectangle. Holding down any of the IR remote buttons should change the image on the screen until you release it.
Now, you can teach Game Frame new IR codes so that it uses a different remote. While at the remote test screen, tap the NEXT button on the rear of Game Frame again. You should see the POWER icon with a red border around the screen. The red border means “recording.” Tap a button on your other remote control that you want to act as the POWER button. The screen should change to a MENU icon. Tap a different button on your remote, and finally do the same thing when the NEXT icon appears.
It will return to the IR test screen where you can test your new remote buttons. If they work, you can press the rear MENU button to boot the Game Frame into normal operation and keep testing it out.
If you ever want to use the original Game Frame remote again, you can go through the same process or edit the REMOTE.INI file on the microSD card inside /00system. You’ll see the original codes there that you can copy and paste into place.
Let me know your results whenever you have a chance.