Brightness-preserving CRT shader
Compare a standard CRT look with brightness preservation and tune scanlines, mask strength, glow, and preserve amount.
Luminance controls
Tune the CRT texture while keeping text and bright pixel art from getting crushed.
Many CRT shaders look attractive until they are placed over a real game. Scanlines remove light from rows, mask patterns reduce channel output, and contrast changes can crush dark areas. The result may feel authentic in a preview but make gameplay harder to read. This tool isolates that single issue: how much brightness can be preserved while the scene still feels like it is being shown through a CRT display?
The left preview represents the common problem: a standard CRT treatment that gains texture but loses usable light. The right preview applies brightness preservation so you can compare the same scene under more readable conditions. This side-by-side view is more useful than a single slider because it shows whether the fix is improving clarity or simply making the image flatter.
Start by setting scanlines and mask strength to the style you want. Then raise preserve brightness until the image becomes playable again. If you begin by pushing preservation to the maximum, the effect may lose contrast and feel washed out. The better workflow is style first, recovery second. Preserve only as much luminance as the art needs to remain usable.
Small fonts, subtitles, inventory counts, health numbers, and button prompts are usually damaged before large sprites are. If the gameplay layer looks good but the HUD suffers, consider keeping UI outside the CRT layer. Brightness preservation helps, but it does not restore sharp edges. When the main problem is text clarity, reduce scanlines and mask strength or separate the UI layer.
The goal is not to make every CRT shader bright. Horror games, VHS-inspired scenes, and night levels may benefit from partial darkening. The important difference is intention. If the image is dark because the shader blindly removed luminance, preserve it. If it is dark because the scene is meant to feel unsafe or heavy, keep some of that mood and protect only the elements needed for play.
The copied JSON is a compact record of your tuning choice. It can be moved into a shader note, issue comment, design doc, or material setup. It is not meant to be a universal preset. Use it to remember the relationship between scanlines, mask strength, and preservation amount for a specific project state, then retest when the art or UI changes.
The shader is probably too dark if players lose the edge of platforms, miss item icons, struggle with subtitle contrast, or stop noticing low-health warnings. These are usability failures, not just visual preferences. A moody game can still preserve the information a player needs. Check the darkest room, the busiest combat scene, and the smallest UI text before deciding the effect is safe.
Brightness preservation is not a magic quality slider. Too little preservation makes the scene muddy. Too much can remove the weight that made the CRT effect appealing. The best setting usually sits between those extremes. It keeps the game readable while allowing scanlines and mask texture to remain visible. Treat the comparison view as a balance tool rather than a race toward the brightest result.
Run this check before the art style is locked. If a shader requires extreme preservation to stay readable, the underlying palette, UI contrast, or mask strength may need adjustment. It is easier to tune those relationships early than to rescue the whole game later. The tool is most valuable when it shapes art direction before screenshots, trailers, and store assets are finalized.
A successful brightness-preserved CRT look still has visible scanlines and screen texture, but the player does not lose critical information. Dark areas can stay moody, bright UI can stay legible, and sprites can keep their silhouettes. The goal is not to remove the CRT effect. The goal is to stop the effect from subtracting more clarity than the game can afford.
Brightness problems become clearer when the scene moves. A still preview may look acceptable, but scrolling backgrounds, flashing hits, particle effects, or camera shake can make dark scanlines harder to parse. Test the preserved setting during actual movement before trusting it. If the readable version only works when everything is still, increase preservation slightly or reduce the mask so motion does not hide important information.
No. Glow adds light around bright areas. Brightness preservation compensates for luminance lost through scanlines and masks.
Usually only partially. Preserve enough for playability, but leave room for the dark mood if that is part of the art direction.
Brightness preservation protects luminance, not sharpness. Lower scanlines and mask strength, or keep UI outside the CRT layer.