Filters and shaders!

[RedNin3]

Is anyone here using some of these, and do you have any recommendations I should try? (any emulator/game, 2D/3D)
I was testing some on GT2 to see what they do and how invasive they can be, so I got curious if people actually use them or if it's just a "1% of players" thing.

 

[AtlasM]

I'm using CRT Shaders on 2D pixelated games (like Pokémon on GBA, for example). Mainly for comfort, because that's what looks best for me (for 2D pixelated games)

For 3D games, I usually just go for FXAA, or Upscaler, whichever works better overall for each specific game. Because 3D games need to look really good to be playable (for me).

I hate Bloom.

 

[DunkeyKong]

It depends, if you like playing these games with CRT TV, then do what @AtlasM says. For 3D games, if you like clearer texture or sharper look, there's a few shaders pack that are available for some of those games

 

[beefbowl]

I really like MESEN's NTSC (Bisqwit) filters. Really good look on NES games. I try to put crt filter on everything before ps2, without any upscaling. I like my older games to look mushy, not clean cut polygons or pixels.

 

[Enian]

For pixel games I sometimes use something like hq4x. I think it looks nice on bigger screens.

Older 3d games have really shitty antialiasing. Your GPU might be able to handle that, but you can accomplish the same with Reshade. Some colors palettes were also kinda scuffed, may it be due to 2000ers stylistic choice or hard-/software limits. Shaders are good for that too.

You might also go completely bonkers and make Call of Duty look like an oil painting. Otherwise, I find most Reshade presets overly aggressive and ugly, especially for modern games. Not to mention it's a hassle to filter out UI and stuff that really shouldn't be messed with.

Now, what I really adore is texture upscaling, but you can't accomplish that with post-processing shaders and is easier to do pre-process than in real time.

 

[The Hectamancer]

CRT shaders mainly, I like the shaders Retro Crisis makes for most emulators like on 8, 16, and 32 bit systems.

For N64 I use CRT Frutbunn, with no scanlines as it causes issues with very bright textures.

For PS2 I just use built in CRT Lottes as it's usually enough for software rendering.

Systems like the Gamecube, I quite like CRT Hyllian.

 

[Koreandr]

I can fix that.

 

[RageBurner]

Just a thought, but maybe a reshade subforum would be useful.

 

[RedNin3]

Thank you all for the recommendations. I will test some to see if they fit what I am playing at that moment.
Except for the CRT ones, I get it, it's the intended look and all that, but my eyesight doesn't like it lmao. It makes my eyes hurt badly, and even after seeing some videos showing the differences between the different CRT shaders, I still can't see the good of making something look like it's not on an emulator with 4k capabilities. I also don't like those options on modern games (indies mostly), it's a matter of taste I guess.

 

[nickxcom]

On my MiSTer and Anologue Pocket I use the shaders and filters. The MiSTer- especially on a nice 4k OLED with the right shaders and filters- looks absolutely incredible. I never use them when I play on PC, no clue why lol . Steam Deck I don't either because the resolution is too low.

 

[McDoob]

So without starting a war what is your stance on filters.
Do you use them?
If so what are your favorite?

I have had a stance on not using them for the longest now but that's because they didn't look right to me.
Now I have seen some that actually look pretty decent and if given the right circumstance I would use them.
When I do use them I just use crt filters. I'm still against smoothing filters.

It depends on the game/system being emulated, really. For instance, 2D games like the earlier Final Fantasy series look great with Super2xSai, but that filter would make, say, Final Fantasy 7 look pretty terrible. I definitely prefer Super2xSai over SuperEagle, and always have. HQ2X/3X/4X is also a good option, and is what I use in DOSBox.

For the most part, I'll use smoothing filters on first- and second-gen console and handheld games, to help with the blocky-ness in high resolutions. Playing GameBoy games at 1080p, for example. But, after a certain point, it becomes a performance bottleneck for my poor Pi 4, or it just isn't necessary. Dreamcast or PSP emulation comes to mind.

As far as CRT or scanline filters, I've never really used them, I don't like the effect.

-McD

 

[SkoomaCatJesus]

For N64 I use CRT Frutbunn, with no scanlines as it causes issues with very bright textures.
For PS2 I just use built in CRT Lottes as it's usually enough for software rendering.
Systems like the Gamecube, I quite like CRT Hyllian.

So right. OMG, especially with PS2 and Dreamcast (custom 640x480 all the way)! The only thorn in my side is CRT Royale... BSNES is the only one to get Royale right... It's so upsetting. I just want a Royale with a custom dot-gain that works. Why must that be so hard? A custom dot and curve Royale for GBA would be a sweet luxury.

 

[Deleted member 132407]

Ares nightly builds @ https://nightly.link/ares-emulator/ares/workflows/build/master

 

[kyujin]

Often I use filters just for preserve the game than make it better, to be more close from the original in 2D games just 2D preservation filters I like to see pixel by pixel how good or bad someone make it, in 3D I have to confess the extremely quality filters combination I use more in PS1 Saturn and some 3D games in other non-3D consoles, the only exception is for N64 and 6th generation onwards, but it's more to see the model better or make more clean to see, recently I played Die Hard Trilogy 1 and I get a little bothered for don't seeing somethings correctly and was really great see all the game in 720p but I played crash bandicoot until the end without filter because I really like the graphics. It's more the game than habit

 

[fishboneKiller]

for the longest time i was staunchly against filters on emulators, but a couple of years ago i was fiddling around with settings in fceux and accidentally enabled an NTSC filter, and ever since i've been a huge fan of those specifically. ive always really loved the look of shoddy AV capture cards, (dazzles, cheap AV2USB stuff, things like that) and i think it nails that perfectly

 

[5thWolf]

The only filter I ever use, and I rarely use them, are ones to simulate the original monitors. Like if I was playing a game I remember on my Tandy1000 and just want to relive that horrible monitor for a little bit! hahahahaha. Or play NES game on old CRT :P

 

[leoblaidd]

I always use CRT filter and shaders on Ps1 games or sega megadrive (plataforms i play on emulator), really looks like more better, soft, more pleasant for me that i played for years in ps1 in my childhood. Mainly because they are made to be played like this with adjacent pixels.

My favorite actually is CRT - Guest NTSC, but i've already use CRT royale. I never use in Ps2.
In duckstation i have played with border overlay, which has been satisfactory.

 

[Nidstang]

I live off CRT shaders when it comes to emulation. My favorite are some I got using Reshade (especially the crt-frutbunn and scanlines-abs combo for older games) and surprisingly the SNES Mini console's stock CRT filter is very good.

Example of the crt-frutbunn and scanlines-abs combo

And here's how good the SNES Classic's stock filter looks compared to the game on an actual CRT (and how terrible the Legacy Collection's built-in CRT filter is)

And (this one is not my picture), using HelelSingh's CRT-Guest shader, you can replicate Dracula's red eye effect from Symphony Of The Night that you see on a CRT, when using a LED

 

[King Koopa's iconKing Koopa]

I think I only use CRT shaders

 

[FateLanegod]

Goat (goatron) shader with Mednafen and 4x scaling looks really great on 32’’ LCD TV.

If I emulate some low resolution systems such as GBC/GBA, I just enable interpolation and nearest neighbour 2xy filter on scale2x. So making the screen small, almost as original device size.

 

[SuperGamer61499]

I usually love CRT Filters for older games. Like CRT Royale. Typically, for my personal taste I prefer anything from the 1st to 6th gen to have a CRT Filter. Even if I gotta use Reshade to make one for Dolphin. Raw pixels tend to bug me more and in my educated opinion, I 100% prefer retro games with a filter. Ofc, I admit this doesn't apply as much to LCD oriented consoles like the Gameboy and Gameboy Advance. Typically I keep it as is since that was the design intent. But it just feels more authentic to me. And RetroArch imo typically has pretty accurate video filters and great choices.

 

[_oBSOLEte_]

Lately I'm just slapping the CRT-NewPixie shader on anything before PS2 era. It even makes those ugly PSOne prerendered backgrounds look good?

Same boat. NewPixie and Mattias are gorgious. I just reduce the curvature. Youtube hates them tho, rolling scanlines are making the compression algorythm nuts.

 

[RuckusMcGuckus]

Might make this its own thread later.

When I play retro games, at this point, I want to have the right tv/monitor.
I've been putting off playing some classic pc games, that I've never played before, because I don't have a 4:3 CRT pc monitor atm. I have other CRT TVs and a CRT monitor, but not a 4:3 one.

I decided to play diablo 1 on my laptop last night anyways. Only 3 floors/levels in and I just can't stop thinking how it would look so much better on a CRT monitor, but I really wanna play it. I've never used a filter before but I'm willing to try one for now.

Does anyone know a good ( i guess 'standalone') CRT shader/filter program? Like one that I don't use in a program like Retroarch, but one that I can use in any application? If it exists anyways. I know some people already listed some in the thread, but there were a lot and some were tied to specific programs

A no or if someone could point me in the right direction would be much appreciated.

 

[_oBSOLEte_]

Does anyone know a good ( i guess 'standalone') CRT shader/filter program? Like one that I don't use in a program like Retroarch, but one that I can use in any application?

You could try with ShaderGlass or Reshade.

 

[Nidstang]

Might make this its own thread later.

When I play retro games, at this point, I want to have the right tv/monitor.
I've been putting off playing some classic pc games, that I've never played before, because I don't have a 4:3 CRT pc monitor atm. I have other CRT TVs and a CRT monitor, but not a 4:3 one.

I decided to play diablo 1 on my laptop last night anyways. Only 3 floors/levels in and I just can't stop thinking how it would look so much better on a CRT monitor, but I really wanna play it. I've never used a filter before but I'm willing to try one for now.

Does anyone know a good ( i guess 'standalone') CRT shader/filter program? Like one that I don't use in a program like Retroarch, but one that I can use in any application? If it exists anyways. I know some people already listed some in the thread, but there were a lot and some were tied to specific programs

A no or if someone could point me in the right direction would be much appreciated.

Reshade

Home

ReShade - Advanced post-processing everywhere.

reshade.me

If you scroll up to my last comment, those Warcraft screenshots were done with Reshade: crt-frutbunn and scanlines-abs combined. You can add Reshade to just about any program. You can also add other filters. Same comment, those Symphony Of The Night screens were with HelelSingh's CRT-Guest which can be added to Reshade to implement on any program