Use Reshade's Retroarch shaders for a proper CRT look.

[Khronikos]

https://reshade.me/

You will find the Retroarch shaders on the install. Just select them and whatever else you want. Lottes also looks great and works better on stuff with high-res art combined with low-res sprites, e.g., Phantom Brave.

This is CRT Easy Mode through Retroarch, which is also available on Reshade for PC now.

Here's a comparison with scanline brightness setting at default and then slightly blurrier down the line. There is also a sharpness setting on both axis for those that want less or more clarity. I use default scanline brightness.

https://imgur.com/a/UgtRe

CRT Easy Mode is beautiful when tuned. The aperture grille was used in Sony Trinitrons, and this reminds me perfectly of that time.

Honestly, raw pixels are basically only meant for small displays and hip indie games. CT released on the SNES when people had CRT TVs. Many people remember the aperture grille CRTs that Sony manufactured because they were beautiful. While raw pixels might work on a tiny handheld, they don't really hold up well on a 55 inch OLED.

Tuned setting from my older LED set:

https://imgur.com/a/YDPZQ

Honestly, I hate that companies seemingly have no clue, and expend no effort, on making these classic games look like they used to on CRTs.

A few companies do at least give you a scanline filter. Sonic Mania had a nice one. Why not these big publishers? Why can't you give us simple options! It does not take long to produce a CRT filter for these games!

I know Reshade can help here, but the reality is I would REALLY love it if companies like Square actually put in work for these releases. This was a completely pathetic launch, and only massive complaining and whining got us to where we are.

Anyway, Reshade with Retroarch shaders has almost completely taken care of this now. So whatever.

[Turbo Nozomix]

My post from the other thread:

That looks amazing, compared to the Steam CT filtered and pixellated versions!

Which emulator and filter setting is that?

One thing I would adjust, is the darkness of the scan-lines, so that they're just slightly less dark.



This is something I keep wanting to say every time I see a picture of a scan-line filter, or when I choose a scan-line filter in an emulator:

I don't know what CRT TVs everyone else had, but the scan-lines in emulators are typically garbage-looking, and don't make the image look anything like it did on any of the CRTs that I played my SNES and Sega Genesis games on.

The scan-lines in emulators are typically way too dark and visible, darkening the whole screen too much. Sometimes they can also be too thick.

On TVs that I remember using, they were present enough that they gave games an additional sense of texture, but they weren't so intense that the picture looked like it was filled with obvious lines - like all emulator scan-lines tend to.


I wish that programs that try to emulate scan-lines would do them better.

-------------------------------


Overall, I agree that ( https://imgur.com/a/YDPZQ ) is a demonstration of a filter done well. But, like I said, I think the scan-lines should be brightened by a very slight amount, and then I think it will look about as good as a SNES game can.

I hope that SE will add a filter option similar to that.

[Khronikos]

You can brightn the scanlines if you wish. It is CRT Easy Mode available through Retroarch. You can preview the settings in this filter in real time just configure RA so it has no background but the game when you pause.

That is a fairly thin mask right now. If you want to brighten scanlines:

https://imgur.com/a/Sl6XA

Min scanline brightness increased from .3 to .6.

Max increased from .6 to .8.

As you can see the look is a little different.

If it only goes to 1 so if you go much more it starts looking really smudged.

I prefer a fairly sharp look to my filter, but I am looking at this change a bit to see how I like it.

I think for me it depends on the game. If there are a lot of faces like CT you might want a slightly higher brightness. I don't mind the min being on .4. I might change it on mine. And remember the effect is more apparent on your actual screen. Definitely too little and the image becomes too dark.

My original image still looks pretty good though.

[Khronikos]

I actually upped all my CRT Easy Mode filters for various games and systems to .35 and .65 for scanline brightness setting. I like that a little better, and it's a tad less dark and separated. Any more though and I feel the image starts to fall apart and become smudgy. Just a small change really.

[Turbo Nozomix]

Originally posted by Khronikos:

You can brightnes the scanlines if you wish. It is CRT Easy Mode available through Retroarch. You can preview the settings in this filter in real time just configure RA so it has no background but the game when you pause.

That is a fairly thin mask right now. If you want to brighten scanlines:

https://imgur.com/a/Sl6XA

Now that is IT! That's what I recall SNES games on CRT TV's looking like - and not like the pixellated version of Steam CT, or the awful filters in Steam CT and in most emulators - and also not like the scan-line option that most emulators give.

That's how I'd like Steam CT to look.


I'm interested in seeing how that looks with even bright scan-lines, if you don't made making an example.


Also, could you upload a shot of the dialog box with text in it, using that quoted filter setting?

I think this forum could use a good reference for what it should look like. The new text in Steam CT is nasty, just like the previous text was. It's just a different type of nasty.

[Khronikos]

https://imgur.com/a/UgtRe

Here is a comparison of my own setting at .35/.65 brightness. I use .4 or .45 these days as it softens it a tad.

One at .6/.8

and one at 1/1

all with text.

I feel the .6/.8 one goes way too far and definitely prefer my own setting here.

Remember it is slightly sharper in real life imgur compresses.

[Khronikos]

Looks like they are certainly adding more options to this game. So why not a CRT filter for the game like every other retro port these days? These games were never meant for raw pixels on large screens!

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Originally posted by Khronikos:

Looks like they are certainly adding more options to this game. So why not a CRT filter for the game like every other retro port these days? These games were never meant for raw pixels on large screens!

You can try adding your own CRT filter if you want it that much.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1317758687

[Seraphita]

Is it only me or those black lines look stange in the screen...? Maybe I'm not getting something.

[Crashed]

Wonder if J.Kyle Pittman's SuperCRT can be used on Chrono Trigger?

[Khronikos]

Yeah Reshade works alright I guess. But I would rather something better just for the game.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Originally posted by Khronikos:

Yeah Reshade works alright I guess. But I would rather something better just for the game.

I don't think SE going to give us filter options that you're hoping for, but if they do, then that be a nice thing to have.

[Seraphita]

Serious question. How difficult would it be for SE to give us such filters like these in this image?

{LINK REMOVED}https://i.snag.gy/LBwlA6.jpg

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Well since they apply the filter manually right onto the textues, maybe few days depending how many people. But who knows.

[Seraphita]

Only asking because those options are incredibly convenient and polyvalent. It pretty much fits any tastes and probably would make everyone happy. At least it'd be better than what we have.

[Dé]

2024 and still no crt filter...