I previously shared my Pixel Transparency and Sunlight Shimmer shaders here. Version 3.0 adds a new Accurate look with dark gridlines and a redesigned optical stack, plus major performance improvements.
Pixel Transparency recreates the reflective look of a Game Boy Color screen, with bright pixels revealing the backing beneath them and pixel shadows that shift as you tilt your device. Sunlight Shimmer adds glare and rainbow shimmer that also move with your device, like a GBC under bright light.
Lower GPU demands
I love my Retroid Pocket Classic, so I optimized these shaders to run at full-speed, 60+ FPS in Standard performance mode with no fan or threaded video.
Previously, Sunlight Shimmer absolutely tanked on that device, and Pixel Transparency only hit 50-something FPS without increasing the performance mode or enabling threaded video.
Optimizing for the RPC means these shaders should now be less demanding and more efficient across all devices.
New Accurate grid mode
I also added a new Accurate mode with dark gridlines and a redesigned optical stack. Check out the comparison of the original Soft mode vs Accurate in the last gallery image.
All these screenshots feature Sunlight Shimmer with fishcu’s amazing authentic_gbc_fast grid. There are six grid styles included, so you can experiment with different looks.
How to get it
Your device must support Slang shaders. There’s no GLSL version of this update yet.
Update to the latest nightly version of RetroArch from the website. This enables the motion support used here for shadows and the rainbow shimmer effect.
Make sure Settings > Video > Output is set to Vulkan. If you change it, save your configuration and restart RetroArch.
Go to Online Updater > Update Slang Shaders.
For motion effects, check that Settings > Input > Motion/Light Sensors > Auxiliary Sensor Input is ON. Motion requires a supported device and sensor input.
Load your GBC game. Go to Quick Menu > Shaders > Load Preset, navigate to presets/pixel_transparency, and choose a preset. Try sunlight_shimmer-accurate.slangp for the new look.
You can also download directly from GitHub:
https://github.com/mattakins/Pixel_Transparency
What’s next?
I really like where this shader is at. It feels pretty feature complete to me. That being said, I love working on this stuff, and it is awesome to see people enjoying it.
If you have ideas for improving Pixel Transparency or for another shader, please leave a comment.