Cyberpunk 2077 gets nostalgic with this user-made VHS filter and has me yearning for a simpler time — are CRT TVs cool again?

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A fun new trend is popping up among PC gamers – especially those who remember older technology. They’re using filters to make games look like they’re displayed on old, blurry CRT screens, bringing back memories of the distinctive glow and imperfections of those displays. While not entirely new – similar effects have been used in game emulation for some time – it’s gaining popularity now.

A compelling take on the cyberpunk aesthetic comes from u/Tulired on the /LowSodiumCyberpunk subreddit. Their work is inspired by older technology and prioritizes a realistic look, avoiding the exaggerated glitch effects often seen in popular smartphone filters.

You might be eager to download this effect and try it in your own Cyberpunk 2077 game on PC, but the creator, Tulired, hasn’t released it yet – they’re planning to do so after the holidays. If you can’t wait, there’s good news: you can actually try it out right now, and it’s completely free!

Spend few days learning about VHS and decided to make an Reshade Preset. Thoughts? from r/LowSodiumCyberpunk

I use a different method for adjusting a game’s appearance than Tulired does. His method, ReShade, alters how a game looks without changing its code, and it’s perfectly fine – I just prefer a simpler approach for quick visual tweaks.

I prefer ShaderGlass, a much simpler program that lets you easily place a window with retro effects over any game or video. The default settings already look great for those wanting a nostalgic feel, but it also offers plenty of customization options for more advanced users.

As an analyst, I’ve been testing ShaderGlass, and the first step is to download it from the latest releases page on their GitHub. I’m currently using version 1.2.3. Once it’s open, you can simply drag the window over any image or game you want to affect. What’s really impressive is that ShaderGlass doesn’t interfere with your mouse clicks – you can still interact with the application running underneath it, like controlling a game’s menu, without any issues.

I really like using the ‘pal-r57shell’ filter with ShaderGlass – you can find it in the ‘Community Favorites’ section of the shader library. To make text easier to read and create a nice ghosting effect, I also set the ‘Pixel Size’ to x2 and the framerate slice to 1/2. Of course, this works best if you’re already playing the game at 60 FPS or higher, and adding the ‘vhs’ filter helps achieve a look similar to Tulired’s work.

For most US players, the ‘newpixie-crt’ or ‘crt-guest-advanced-ntsc’ filter will likely look best. However, as someone from Europe who grew up with a different video format (PAL), I have a different preference. Keep in mind that the results will vary depending on the game you’re playing, and you might need to adjust the settings, especially if the game has a lot of text.

I’ve been experimenting with ShaderGlass on classic SEGA Genesis games, trying to recapture the feeling of watching those games on an old CRT TV as a kid – even the eye strain! The filters are really good, but a VHS filter Tulired is developing for Cyberpunk 2077 seems particularly promising, and I’m excited to try it out when it’s ready.

I’ve been playing this on my Windows handheld like the ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion Go, and it actually runs pretty well! The menus weren’t really made for controllers or smaller screens, so it can be a little fiddly, but it’s totally playable. It doesn’t have a specific version built for the Steam Deck, but it works on Windows handhelds if you’re looking for that. I’m not trying to make retro games look *too* old-school, but it’s cool that it even runs on these devices!

Do you miss the look of classic CRT TVs, or is this just a fun throwback for gamers? Share your thoughts in the comments – would you use something like this, and what games would you play with it?

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2025-12-29 17:39