Info about ShaderGlass:

Official game description:
Overlay for running GPU shaders on top of Windows desktop.
**Features**
------------
*   applies shader effects on top of desktop, in a floating window or full-screen
*   built-in RetroArch shader library (1200+ shaders!) covering:
    *   CRT monitor simulation
    *   image upscaling
    *   TV, VHS and handheld simulation
    *   softening, denoising, blur, sharpen and many more
*   works with most emulators, retro platforms and pixel art editors including:
    *   DOSBox, FS-UAE, Altirra, ScummVM, AGS, VICE, Aseprite etc.
*   excellent companion for pixel art showing shaded and/or aspect-ratio corrected preview
*   you can even use it on top of YouTube, Twitch or modern games
*   saving and loading profiles
*   import of external .slangp/.slang shaders
*   high customizability with various options, operating modes and shader parameters
*   can be captured by OBS (using Game Capture source)
Please refer to the manual for option explanation and tips on tuning to achieve best effects.

Release date: Apr 29, 2025

Categories: Simulation, Customization, Retro, Utility Software

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 40; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The app CRT-Guest-Advanced-NTSC is highly praised for its ability to enhance the visual experience of older media and games. However, a major drawback is the lack of Linux support, which is crucial for Steam Deck users.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that users typically engage with the application in sessions lasting around an hour. One user explicitly mentions using it for an hour, while another user mentions playing with shaders for hours. This indicates that a typical session length is around an hour. However, there is insufficient evidence to determine the typical total time to finish the game, the typical time to finish the main story/campaign, or the typical post-story/endgame hours.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - Retro Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Enhancing retro gaming experience
    - Playstyle: Uses software to simulate classic gaming environments
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: retro fan; old-school player
    - Reference games: Ufo 50; Sonic
  - Casual User (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoying a well-implemented and nostalgic experience
    - Playstyle: Uses software for casual gaming and media consumption
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: casual gamer; general user
    - Reference games: Sonic


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Extensive shader support (weight 0.92): The software offers a wide variety of shaders, including CRT shaders, high-resolution shaders, and over 1200 different shader effects. Users appreciate the ability to add their own shaders and the enhancement shaders bring to the gaming experience.
- Ideal for emulators (weight 0.8): The software is highly praised for its compatibility and performance with emulators, particularly for retro gaming. It works well with various emulators and is excellent for playing old games.
- Positive user feedback (weight 0.68): Users generally provide positive feedback, describing the software as very good, promising, and well-implemented. It is often referred to as a nice program.
- Variety of filters (weight 0.68): Users highlight the availability of many built-in filters, including high-quality CRT filters. These filters simulate different display effects and enhance the visual experience.
- Highly customizable (weight 0.55): The software is praised for its high level of customization. Users can easily tweak and configure various effects to suit their preferences.
- Easier than ReShade (weight 0.54): Users find this software simpler to use compared to ReShade and Retroarch. It is considered a good alternative to ReShade with easier setup and usage.
- Powerful and fun tool (weight 0.53): The software is described as an amazing and powerful tool that provides incredible results. Users find it fun to tinker with and experiment.
- Effective CRT filters (weight 0.49): The software provides a simple and quick solution for applying CRT filters. Users appreciate the quality of the CRT effects and the ease of applying these filters.
- Recommended for retro gaming (weight 0.48): The software is highly recommended for pixel games and retro gaming. It enhances the experience of playing retro-style games.
- User-friendly interface (weight 0.35): The software is noted for its clean and intuitive GUI, making it easy to use. Users appreciate its simplicity and robustness.
- Free to use (weight 0.34): The software is entirely free, which is a significant advantage for users. Its accessibility and cost-effectiveness are highly appreciated.
- Diverse display options (weight 0.27): The software offers various display and overlay options, providing users with diverse choices to enhance their viewing experience.
- Works as advertised (weight 0.2): Users confirm that the software does exactly what it proposes and works as advertised, meeting their expectations.
- Shader overlay tool (weight 0.2): The software allows users to overlay shaders on top of games and shows designed for CRTs, enhancing the visual experience.
- Compatibility with RetroArch (weight 0.2): The software works well with custom RetroArch filters and uses shaders and presets arranged similarly to RetroArch.
- Good learning curve (weight 0.2): Once users get past the initial learning curve, the software works great and is highly effective.
- Adds life to games (weight 0.2): The software adds a new dimension to games, making them more engaging and visually appealing.
- Improves modern games (weight 0.2): The software can make modern games look better with a softer image and improves the visual experience of retro hardware.
- Interesting shader application (weight 0.19): Users find the ability to apply shaders to any screen interesting and fun, adding to the customization options.
- Focused on CRT shaders (weight 0.19): The software is more focused on CRT shaders, offering tons of CRT shaders and filters for users to choose from.
- Versatile usage (weight 0.18): Users apply the software to various media, including old Adult Swim cartoons and modern games with retro aesthetics, enhancing their experience.
- Nostalgic and fun (weight 0.18): The software not only provides a nostalgic feel but is also great for users who enjoy experimenting with different visual effects.

Common complaints:
- Performance and stability issues (weight 0.62): The application can cause framerate issues, performance problems, and is described as slightly unstable when switching shaders. It is also noted to be heavy on hardware resources.
- Yellow border issues on Windows 10 (weight 0.58): Many users report persistent yellow border issues on Windows 10, which significantly detract from the user experience. This problem seems to be pervasive and impacts the visual quality of the application.
- Filter functionality problems (weight 0.57): Filters may not work correctly with all games and can cause screen stretching or lag. Some filters also lead to performance issues and do not provide the expected visual improvements.
- Input and control problems (weight 0.43): There are issues with controller support, mouse input, and general input lag. These problems make it difficult to play games smoothly and affect the overall usability.
- General usability and design flaws (weight 0.39): The application is described as poorly made, half-baked, and less practical to use than alternatives like Reshade. Users find it unwieldy and not fully functional as expected.
- Complex configuration process (weight 0.36): Users find it complicated to make adjustments and configure the application. The setup process can be tricky and not very user-friendly.
- Limited multi-monitor support (weight 0.29): The application lacks the capability to apply effects across multiple monitors and only works on the main monitor. This limits its usability for users with multi-monitor setups.
- Compatibility and scaling issues (weight 0.28): Certain games, particularly SNES and DS games, do not scale properly. Additionally, there are compatibility issues with specific hardware and operating systems like Linux.
- Lack of specific features (weight 0.28): The application lacks certain features such as a search function for shaders and the ability to disable the yellow border on Windows 10. These missing features limit the user experience.
- Does not save custom shader settings (weight 0.21): The software does not remember custom changes to shaders, forcing users to reconfigure their settings each time they use the application. This lack of persistence is a significant inconvenience.
- Crashes and technical glitches (weight 0.21): Launching the application in fullscreen can cause crashes. There are also reports of the application not opening at all and various other technical glitches.
- Visual discomfort and usability problems (weight 0.2): Users report that using the application can cause eye strain and visibility issues with shaders. Small details or text can be hard to see, and the overall visual experience may be negatively impacted.

Gameplay feedback:
No gameplaypoints

Performance notes:
- Mixed FPS performance (weight 0.51): The game has stable FPS for some players, while others experience drops and stuttering. This indicates varying performance across different systems.
- Compatibility with old hardware (weight 0.2): The game is compatible with older hardware, but it can be more demanding on hardware resources, leading to performance issues.
- Shader performance impact (weight 0.2): Using shaders significantly impacts performance, increasing the computational cost to the GPU and causing framerate issues.
- Multi-monitor support issues (weight 0.2): The game only works on the main monitor and has rendering issues on secondary monitors, such as only displaying the left 2/3 of the screen.
- Fullscreen launch crashes (weight 0.13): Launching the game in fullscreen mode causes the program to crash. This is a significant issue affecting the game's playability.
- Application functionality issues (weight 0.11): The app does not function properly, which can include various bugs and stability issues affecting the overall experience.
- Frame tearing problems (weight 0.1): Players experience frame tearing, which disrupts the visual continuity and smoothness of the gameplay.

Recommendations:
- Steam Workshop integration needed (weight 0.13): Players are requesting Steam Workshop integration to allow for community-created content.
- Appeals to older generations (weight 0.12): The game is recommended for those born before 2010, suggesting it has a nostalgic or retro appeal.
- Retro style lovers' recommendation (weight 0.12): The game is highly recommended for those who enjoy retro-style games.
- Gameplay filters needed (weight 0.12): Players suggest the game would be better with additional filters.
- More language support (weight 0.12): Adding support for more languages could greatly enhance the game's accessibility and appeal.
- Steam Deck version (weight 0.12): Players are interested in a version of the game compatible with the Steam Deck.
- General recommendation (weight 0.11): Many players generally recommend the game without specifying particular reasons.
- Add RTX support (weight 0.11): Players are requesting the addition of RTX support for improved graphics.
- Add OBS support (weight 0.11): Adding OBS support would be beneficial for streamers and content creators.
- Increase game visibility (weight 0.1): Players feel that more people should be talking about the game to increase its visibility.

Other player notes:
- Requests Linux support (weight 0.11): There are requests for native Linux support, suggesting a portion of the user base uses Linux and wants compatibility.
- Offers to help advertise (weight 0.1): Some users have offered to assist with advertising the game, indicating a willingness to support its promotion.

Emotions:
- Nostalgia (weight 0.16): The software evokes strong feelings of nostalgia by simulating old CRT TVs and retro gaming experiences. Features like shaders and the ability to play classic games on old hardware bring users back to their childhood and the 90s era.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.11): Users are satisfied with the software's performance, versatility, and ease of use. It runs well on low-end devices and enhances the gaming experience with features like dithering and sharp filters.
- Excitement (weight 0.09): The software's versatility and wide range of customization options excite users. Its ability to transform displays creatively and its potential for future development add to the enthusiasm.
- Positive (weight 0.09): Users express overall satisfaction with the software's performance, features, and ease of use. The fact that it is free and works well for specific use cases contributes to the positive sentiment.
- Appreciation (weight 0.08): Users appreciate the software's quality, simplicity, and the fact that it is free. The ability to simulate a CRT monitor and enhance visual experiences of retro games is highly valued.
- Frustration (weight 0.07): Users experience frustration due to issues with software immersion, functionality, and compatibility. Problems like lag, stuttering, and the software not working on Linux contribute to this emotion.
- Excited (weight 0.05): Users are excited about the software's extensive customizability and its game-changing capabilities. Enjoying the effects and playing old games enhances this excitement.
- Awe (weight 0.02): Users are amazed by the visual enhancements provided by the software. The completely different and more atmospheric experience leaves users in awe.
- Nostalgic (weight 0.02): The software's retro atmosphere and the ability to watch old cartoons evoke a strong sense of nostalgia.
- Happy (weight 0.02): Users feel happy due to the cozy screen effects and the ability to play GameCube games while watching Pokémon.
- Satisfied (weight 0.02): Users are satisfied with the software's performance and utility, especially when used with pixel art games.
- Disappointment (weight 0.02): Users feel disappointed due to the tool's poor quality and negative impact on visuals. The software not working as expected and having several issues contributes to this emotion.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Users hope that the software will be ported to other operating systems. They also hope for improvements in shader editing functionality.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Users enthusiastically recommend the software due to its impressive capabilities.
- Love (weight 0.01): Users express a strong love for the software, as it makes them feel like they are playing Hypnospace all the time.
- Enthusiastic (weight 0.01): Users are enthusiastic about the software because it is fun to mess around with.}