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Game mods

How Do I Add ReShade Shaders? A Complete Windows Guide

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To add ReShade shaders, install ReShade for your game, extract the shader repository, point ReShade to its Shaders and Textures folders, then reload the effect list. The usual paths are .ReShade-ShadersShaders** and .ReShade-ShadersTextures**.

  1. Make sure ReShade is already working in the target game.
  2. Download the original shader repository or ZIP.
  3. Extract it without breaking its folder structure.
  4. Open the ReShade overlay, choose Settings, and add both search paths.
  5. Return to Home, click Reload, and enable the effect.

This adds shader effects; it does not install ReShade itself, a preset, or an add-on.

Before you begin

  • Install ReShade from the official ReShade website and confirm that its overlay appears in the game. ReShade is the post-processing injector; shader files are assets it loads.
  • Download shaders from the original creator or the official ReShade shader repository, not an unverified repack.
  • Back up your current preset and ReShade.ini before changing paths.
  • Check the game’s multiplayer and anti-cheat rules. A visually harmless effect does not make an injector permitted.

ReShade officially supports Direct3D 9, 10, 11 and 12, OpenGL and Vulkan, but an individual shader may still require a particular API, depth data, ReShade version, include file or texture.

The easiest option: choose shaders during ReShade setup

When you install or reconfigure ReShade, the setup program may offer standard effect packages. Select only the packages you need and let the installer configure their paths. This is convenient for a fresh installation, but it is not a complete catalog: many creator repositories are unavailable in the setup tool and must be installed manually.

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The interface and package names can change. As of the official release index checked in August 2026, a 6.8 release topic was listed; use the current installer on reshade.me rather than relying on an old filename.

How to manually install a shader repository

  1. Download the source. On GitHub, use Code → Download ZIP on the creator’s repository. The standard collection is github.com/crosire/reshade-shaders.
  2. Extract the archive. Keep every .fx, .fxh, image, LUT and subfolder. Do not copy only the file whose name looks like the effect.
  3. Merge the folders. Put the repository’s Shaders directory in your ReShade shader location and its Textures directory alongside it, if supplied. Do not rename supporting files.
  4. Open the overlay. Launch the game, open ReShade with its configured overlay key, and select Settings.
  5. Set Effect Search Paths. Add the folder containing the .fx files. For the conventional layout, use .ReShade-ShadersShaders**.
  6. Set Texture Search Paths. Add the matching texture directory, commonly .ReShade-ShadersTextures**.
  7. Reload. Return to Home and click Reload, as instructed in the official repository’s installation README.
  8. Enable and test. Select the new effect, turn it on, and confirm that its controls appear without an error.

The recursive ** form is documented by Marty’s Mods’ manual installation guide. If your ReShade version or layout behaves differently, point the setting directly at the directory that contains the files.

Correct folder structure

For a normal per-game installation, the result should resemble this:

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<Game folder>
├─ Game.exe
├─ ReShade.ini
├─ ReShade*.dll
└─ ReShade-Shaders
   ├─ Shaders
   │  ├─ AdaptiveSharpen.fx
   │  ├─ Vibrance.fx
   │  ├─ shared.fxh
   │  └─ ...
   └─ Textures
      ├─ ...

The exact DLL name and installation target vary with the graphics API, architecture and game compatibility rules. Avoid creating a doubled path such as ReShade-ShadersShadersShaders. Open the folder in File Explorer and verify that the effects are actually beneath the path you entered.

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A per-game library is easiest to troubleshoot and prevents one repository update from changing every game. A centralized folder can serve several installations, but incompatible versions and shared-path mistakes become more difficult to isolate.

How to install one downloaded .fx file

  1. Confirm that ReShade is running.
  2. Copy the .fx file into a directory listed under Effect Search Paths.
  3. Copy any companion .fxh, texture, mask or LUT files supplied with it, preserving their expected relative locations.
  4. Reload from Home and test the effect.

A lone .fx is not necessarily self-contained. Missing includes or assets can make it appear in the list but fail to compile or render correctly.

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Installing shaders needed by a preset

A preset is normally an .ini configuration created by ReShade; it is not the shader code. The official site describes presets as shareable configuration files and advises linking to ReShade rather than redistributing binaries or shader files. If a preset reports missing effects, identify the referenced repository and obtain the files from its original creator, then configure the paths above. A preset can load partially while silently omitting effects you do not have.

What ReShade shaders do

Shaders are post-processing effects. Depending on the package, they can provide color correction, sharpening, bloom, ambient occlusion, depth of field, anti-aliasing, film grain, debanding or LUT-based grading. ReShade supports multiple APIs, but depth-dependent effects may need usable depth information and can behave differently between games. Never assume that an effect works identically everywhere.

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Fix “no effect files found”

  1. Confirm that the download contains files ending in .fx; a preset-only ZIP contains no effects.
  2. Open the configured Effect Search Paths directory in File Explorer.
  3. Look for an extra top-level folder created during extraction, such as Repository-mainShaders.
  4. Change the path to the directory that really contains the files, or use the documented recursive form .ReShade-ShadersShaders** for nested folders.
  5. Remove obsolete or duplicate paths, return to Home, and click Reload.
  6. Restart the game if the overlay still shows stale results, then inspect the ReShade log.

Fix a shader compilation error

  • Missing include: restore the repository’s .fxh files and preserve their relative locations.
  • Missing texture or LUT: copy the supplied Textures folder, add it to Texture Search Paths, and keep filenames and case unchanged where relevant.
  • Incomplete or corrupt archive: download the original repository again and extract the complete ZIP.
  • Wrong version or API: read the creator’s requirements; ReShade supporting the game’s API does not guarantee that every effect supports it.
  • Duplicate files: remove competing copies from other search paths so ReShade loads one known version.
  • Depth or configuration dependency: follow the shader’s documentation for depth settings or required preprocessor definitions.

Use the exact error text to choose the fix. Do not replace a broken shader with an unverified “fixed” copy from a file-hosting site.

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Fix missing textures

An effect may appear and compile while producing a blank, incorrect or unlike-the-author’s result when its noise pattern, mask, LUT or other image is absent. Copy the repository’s complete Textures directory, add the correct directory under Texture Search Paths, preserve names and subfolders, and reload. Do not rename assets to make them fit a guessed path.

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What if the game crashes?

Separate injector failures from one bad effect:

  • If the game crashes before the ReShade overlay appears, investigate the ReShade installation, selected API, other overlays, game protection and conflicting mods.
  • If it starts normally but crashes after one effect is enabled, disable that effect and remove or update its repository.
  • Temporarily move the newly added repository outside the search path and test with only a standard package.
  • Restore your backed-up preset and ReShade.ini if a path change caused the problem.

ReShade’s setup code uses compatibility information and can refuse or alter installation for applications known to block or ban it. Direct3D 8 titles may additionally need a D3D8-to-D3D9 wrapper such as the releases at github.com/crosire/d3d8to9/releases.

Multiplayer and anti-cheat warning

ReShade is not automatically permitted in every online game. Publishers and anti-cheat systems set their own rules, and a harmless-looking post-processing shader can still violate them. Check the game’s current policy before installing or using ReShade online; when it is prohibited, do not run it.

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How to remove shaders safely

  1. Disable the effects and close the game.
  2. Back up the current preset and configuration.
  3. Remove only the added repository files or move that repository outside the search path.
  4. Delete or correct its entries under Effect Search Paths and Texture Search Paths.
  5. Reopen the game and click Reload.

Do not delete the entire ReShade installation unless you intend to uninstall ReShade itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add shaders without ReShade?

No. A ReShade shader is an effect file loaded and compiled by the ReShade injector; the file is not a standalone game mod.

Where do .fx files go?

They can go in any directory listed under ReShade’s Effect Search Paths. A common layout is .ReShade-ShadersShaders**.

Do I always need a Textures folder?

No. Some effects have no external images, but repositories that provide textures, LUTs or masks require the matching folder in Texture Search Paths.

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Can one shader folder serve several games?

Yes, if each installation points to it, but separate per-game folders make version conflicts and troubleshooting easier.

Why does a shader compile but look wrong?

It may need a texture, LUT, depth buffer or game-specific setting. Check the creator’s documentation and verify both search paths.

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