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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe best fix depends on where the game comes from. For a PC game or emulator, start with integer scaling for sharp, evenly sized pixels. Choose a restrained CRT-style shader if you want scanlines, glow and curvature instead. An original console may need an external video scaler that matches its analog output and your TV’s accepted input. These approaches solve different problems: integer scaling preserves pixel geometry, fractional scaling fills more of the screen, shaders change the presentation, and a scaler converts an incompatible console signal.
Identify the source before changing anything
“Old games” can reach a modern display through three very different paths. A Windows game is rendered by the graphics driver and the display pipeline. An emulator creates a new video frame from the emulated console and can apply its own scaling and shader stages. An original console sends a physical video signal that may need conversion before a current TV or monitor can display it.
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- PC game: use the game’s resolution and aspect-ratio options first, then the GPU’s scaling controls if the game is locked to a low resolution.
- Emulator: configure scaling and filtering inside the emulator. RetroArch also lets you load shader presets while a game is running.
- Original console: identify the console’s exact output (for example, a particular composite, component or RGB connection) and buy only a converter or scaler whose documented inputs match it.
Do not buy a hardware scaler for a game that already runs in an emulator, and do not expect a driver setting to repair an analog signal that the TV cannot accept. The correct branch avoids unnecessary hardware and makes troubleshooting much easier.
Choose between sharp pixels, full-screen coverage and a CRT look
| Goal or constraint | First option to try | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Crisp, regular pixel edges | Integer scaling in the emulator or a supported GPU control panel | The image can leave unused borders when the source and display aspect ratios differ. |
| More of the display filled | A fractional or scaled-width mode, where available | Pixels can become unevenly sized, producing softness or geometric distortion. |
| CRT-inspired presentation | A shader preset with adjustable scanlines, mask, blur, glow or curvature | It is an approximation; each preset has different scaling and performance behavior. |
| Original console on a modern TV | An external scaler with inputs matching the console | You add a device and must verify signal compatibility and the TV’s accepted output. |
There is no universal “best” image. Compare the untouched output, a sharp integer-scaled version and one moderate shader on your own display. Choose the one that preserves the details you care about without making the image uncomfortable to view.
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Why integer scaling usually looks sharper
Integer scaling enlarges every source pixel by a whole-number multiple: 2×, 3×, 4× and so on. A source pixel therefore maps to a neat square block rather than being blended across neighboring pixels. Edges in low-resolution sprites remain regular, and small text is less likely to acquire a fuzzy halo.
The limitation is geometry. A game rendered at a low resolution rarely has the same aspect ratio as a modern 16:9 panel, and the available height or width may not be an exact multiple of the source. A scaler must then choose between preserving whole pixels and using more of the screen. Integer scaling normally preserves the pixels and leaves borders; fractional scaling enlarges the picture further but makes some source pixels larger than others.
Intel uses two names for this choice in Intel Graphics Command Center. Fixed Width is its true integer mode. Scaled Width can use more of the panel but may apply fractional scaling when the aspect ratios differ. Intel’s support article, last reviewed February 18, 2025, notes that the global setting also has an additional platform qualification, so the option may not appear on every system.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteInteger scaling is not the same as simply selecting a higher desktop resolution. The game must still be rendered at its original or intended low resolution, and the scaling stage must avoid smoothing filters that blur the resulting blocks. If a game has a “nearest,” “point” or “pixel-perfect” filter, that setting complements integer scaling; if it offers only a bilinear or smooth filter, disable that filter where the game or emulator allows it.
Set up integer scaling on Intel graphics
Intel’s documented controls apply to compatible systems running Windows 10 version 1709 or newer, or Windows 11, with a 10th Generation Intel Core processor or newer, graphics driver 26.20.100.7212 or newer, and Intel Graphics Command Center version 1.100.1725.0 or newer. These are the requirements listed by Intel for the support article reviewed in 2025; current hardware and driver compatibility can change.
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- Open Intel Graphics Command Center.
- Open Global Settings.
- Find Retro Scaling.
- Select Fixed Width for true integer scaling, or Scaled Width when filling more of the display is more important than perfectly even pixel blocks.
- Launch the game and check its actual image. If it looks stretched, verify the game’s aspect-ratio setting and the monitor’s aspect mode before changing the scaling mode again.
Use Fixed Width when a pixel-art game looks soft or when diagonal edges show inconsistent thickness. Try Scaled Width only when the unused border is distracting and you accept that fractional scaling can distort the pixel grid. If Retro Scaling is absent, update the driver and Graphics Command Center within Intel’s supported range, then check whether your processor and display path meet Intel’s qualifications. Do not assume that installing the control panel alone adds the feature to unsupported hardware.
Set up integer scaling with AMD Software
AMD’s support instructions, updated June 10, 2025, describe the controls in Adrenalin Edition 25.5.1 and illustrate them with a Radeon RX 9070. AMD also warns that available options vary by system, so labels or visibility can differ on another Radeon configuration.
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- Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
- Use the search field and search for Integer.
- Open Integer Scaling – Display Settings and enable GPU scaling.
- Start the game and inspect the result. Keep the mode if edges are crisp and the aspect ratio is correct.
- For a game-specific override, open Gaming > Games, select the game profile and set the integer-scaling option there.
A per-game profile is useful when only a few titles need pixel-perfect treatment while modern games should retain their normal scaling. If the option does not appear, check that the display is connected through a path controlled by the Radeon GPU and that the installed Adrenalin version exposes the feature for your hardware. A missing menu is a compatibility limitation, not proof that the game itself is incompatible.
Use an emulator’s scaling controls before adding effects
Emulators commonly expose an integer-scale checkbox, a scale multiplier, an aspect-ratio choice and a texture filter. Names differ by emulator, but the order of decisions is consistent:
- Set the emulator to the console’s intended aspect ratio rather than stretching the image to 16:9 automatically.
- Enable integer or pixel-perfect scaling if the option exists.
- Choose nearest-neighbor or point filtering for hard pixel edges. Avoid bilinear smoothing when your goal is a crisp grid.
- Run the game at the highest integer multiple that fits vertically and horizontally. Leave borders rather than allowing a fractional remainder to blur the image.
- Save the setting globally only after checking several games. A title with a different native resolution or a special widescreen mode may need its own profile.
Integer scaling is especially useful for repeating patterns such as 8-bit and 16-bit sprites, tile maps and bitmap fonts. It does not restore detail that was never present in the source, and it cannot correct a game whose original artwork was intentionally soft or dithered. In those cases, a shader or a small amount of smoothing may be a better visual match.
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Add a CRT-style shader when you want the older presentation
A CRT shader is a real-time image effect, not a higher-resolution reconstruction. RetroArch and Libretro document presets that can combine scanlines, phosphor masks, blur, glow and screen curvature. These effects can make flat digital pixels resemble the way a consumer or arcade CRT displayed them, but the result is an adjustable simulation rather than a perfect recreation of a particular tube, calibration or viewing distance.
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In RetroArch, load a preset while the game is running:
- Open the Quick Menu.
- Choose Shaders.
- Choose Load Shader Preset.
- Select a preset compatible with your platform and renderer.
- If the preset exposes parameters, adjust its effect strength and save a per-game or core preset only after testing it at normal play speed.
RetroArch’s documentation identifies Slang as the recommended shader format where available. GLSL and older Cg formats have different compatibility requirements, and the usable language depends on the platform and renderer selected by your installation. If a preset is listed but will not load, try a format supported by that renderer rather than repeatedly changing unrelated display settings.
Start with a restrained preset
Begin with moderate scanlines or a light mask. Increase blur or glow only if the image is excessively harsh; too much blur can erase the small details you were trying to preserve. Curvature and vignette darken or reshape the edges and are matters of taste, not accuracy requirements. Compare the effect with the shader disabled at the same brightness so that a darker preset is not mistaken for a sharper one.
Match the shader to the scaling mode
Libretro’s CRT documentation notes that repeating scanline patterns generally look more even with integer scaling. At a fractional scale, a scanline can cover different numbers of output rows across the image, causing uneven bands or shimmer. Some presets are designed to tolerate non-integer scaling better than others, so test the combination rather than assuming every shader behaves identically.
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Watch performance and latency
Simple scanline effects are relatively light, while advanced masks, multiple passes, curvature and bloom can require substantially more rendering work. Select a preset appropriate for the device running the emulator. If the game stutters after enabling a shader, disable extra passes first, then try a lighter preset or a supported shader language. Do not trade stable frame pacing for an effect that is visible only in a paused screenshot.
Connect an original console to a modern TV
An original console can output a signal that a current TV does not accept directly, especially when the console uses an older analog connection or an interlaced mode. In that situation, an external scaler or converter sits between the console and the display. It digitizes or reformats the signal and can provide image processing that the television’s basic input circuit lacks.
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Check the signal chain in this order
- Read the console manual or inspect the cable to identify the exact video output. “Analog” is not specific enough: composite, component, RGB and proprietary connections require different inputs or cables.
- Check the scaler’s documented input for that signal and confirm that the cable is wired for the console’s regional and model-specific pinout.
- Check the scaler’s output modes against the TV or monitor’s accepted resolutions and refresh rates.
- Connect the console to the scaler, the scaler to the display, and select the corresponding input on both devices.
- Test a game that uses the console’s normal progressive mode and one that uses interlacing. Confirm that motion remains stable and that the display does not lose sync during transitions.
A scaler is not automatically an upgrade for every setup. It adds cost, cables and another possible failure point, and its best result depends on the quality and type of the console’s source signal. If your games are already running on a PC or emulator, use software scaling and shaders first; the external hardware branch is for a physical console signal.
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Fix the most common problems
The image is sharp but surrounded by large borders
This is usually the expected result of integer scaling when the source aspect ratio and display dimensions do not divide evenly. Confirm that the game is not being stretched by a second scaling stage. If you prefer a larger image, try the emulator’s next lower or higher integer multiplier, or accept a fractional/scaled-width mode with its uneven pixel tradeoff.
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The image fills the screen but looks blurry
Fractional scaling or bilinear filtering is the likely cause. Turn on integer scaling, Fixed Width, or nearest-neighbor filtering. On a TV, disable picture modes that add smoothing, noise reduction or artificial sharpness; these process the already-scaled image and can create halos.
Pixels have alternating widths or shimmering edges
Check for a fractional scale and for a shader that was designed around integer-sized pixels. Use integer scaling first, then test the shader. If the effect still shimmers, choose a preset documented as more tolerant of non-integer scaling or reduce animated mask and curvature effects.
A shader will not load
Verify the active renderer and the shader language supported by that platform. RetroArch recommends Slang where available, while GLSL and older Cg support differs by environment. A preset made for another language or renderer may fail even though the file itself is valid.
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Recheck the console’s exact output and the scaler’s input rather than changing display settings at random. Try the scaler’s documented input mode, verify that the TV accepts its output resolution, and test another known-good cable. Interlaced content may require a device with suitable deinterlacing; a basic adapter may pass no usable signal.
The picture is too dark or the mask is distracting
Reduce shader strength and adjust brightness only after confirming that the display is not applying a second darkening mode. Phosphor masks and scanlines intentionally reduce average brightness. A lighter preset can preserve the intended texture without forcing the display’s backlight or contrast to extremes.
A practical setup sequence
Use this sequence when you are unsure which combination will look best:
- Record the game’s native resolution and intended aspect ratio, if the emulator or game menu reports them.
- Disable smoothing, enhancement and shaders so you have a neutral baseline.
- Enable integer scaling or the equivalent pixel-perfect mode.
- Correct the aspect ratio without stretching to fill the panel.
- Compare the result at normal viewing distance, not only while zoomed in on a screenshot.
- If the sharp image looks too clinical, load one moderate CRT preset and compare it at the same scale.
- Save separate profiles for games or systems that use different resolutions.
- For an original console, stop at the software steps and move to a scaler only after confirming that the display cannot accept the console signal directly.
This process keeps each change identifiable. You can tell whether a problem comes from scaling, aspect correction, shader parameters or the physical signal path instead of stacking several filters and losing track of the cause.
What to expect from each approach
- Integer scaling: the most predictable way to preserve hard pixel boundaries. Expect borders when the arithmetic does not fit the panel.
- Fractional or scaled-width scaling: more screen coverage, with a risk of uneven pixels and softness.
- CRT shader: adjustable scanlines, mask, blur, glow and curvature that can make pixels feel less stark. It remains an approximation and can cost rendering performance.
- External scaler: a solution for converting an original console’s output to a modern display. Compatibility depends on the console connection, the scaler input and the TV’s accepted output.
Use the least complicated option that solves your actual problem. A crisp emulator image needs no scaler; a console that the TV cannot sync to needs more than a software filter; and a CRT look is a creative choice rather than a mandatory correction.
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