The best fix depends on how you play. For a PC game or emulator, start with integer scaling for crisp, regular pixels. Use a restrained CRT shader when you want scanlines, phosphor-like texture, glow, or curvature. For an original console, check its video output and use a compatible external scaler if the television cannot accept the signal.
These approaches solve different problems: integer scaling protects pixel geometry, fractional scaling fills more of the panel but can distort pixels, shaders recreate selected CRT characteristics, and hardware scalers convert a console signal for a modern input. The guide below shows which path fits your setup and how to configure it.
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Define what “better” means before changing a setting
Older games were designed for lower resolutions and, in many cases, CRT televisions. A modern LCD, OLED, or high-resolution monitor exposes every scaling decision. “Better” can mean sharper pixel-art edges, a larger image, a softer CRT-style presentation, or simply getting an original console to display at all. Those goals can conflict.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches- Sharper pixels: keep each source pixel aligned to a whole-number block of display pixels.
- More screen coverage: enlarge the image beyond whole-number multiples, accepting that some source pixels may become different widths.
- CRT-inspired presentation: add an adjustable shader that simulates effects such as scanlines, phosphor masks, blur, glow, and curvature.
- Original-console compatibility: convert the console’s video signal with hardware designed for its specific connector and signal type.
There is no single objectively best appearance. Compare the untreated image, a sharp integer-scaled image, and one moderate shader preset from the same game. Choose the result that preserves the details you care about without making the picture too dim, soft, or distorted.
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Choose the correct workflow for your source
| How the game is running | First option | What it changes | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native PC game | GPU scaling, if your graphics control panel supports it | Scales the game’s low-resolution output before it reaches the display | Available modes and labels depend on the GPU, driver, operating system, and game |
| Emulator | Integer scaling, then a shader preset if desired | Controls pixel geometry and can add CRT-style rendering effects | Shader languages, renderers, and performance vary by platform |
| Original console | Signal-compatible external scaler | Converts the console’s analog or other legacy output to a modern display input | You must match the console connector and signal; a scaler is unnecessary for PC- or emulator-only play |
Identify the source first. A setting that helps an emulator cannot repair a television’s inability to accept an original console’s signal, and a console scaler cannot change how a native PC game renders internally.
Integer scaling: the cleanest way to sharpen pixel art
Integer scaling enlarges the source by whole-number multiples. A source pixel becomes a 2×2, 3×3, or another evenly sized block instead of being distributed across fractional display pixels. Straight lines and repeated patterns therefore retain regular boundaries.
Why the image may not fill the panel
The largest whole-number scale that fits the display can leave borders when the game’s aspect ratio or resolution does not match the panel. That unused area is the cost of preserving equal pixel dimensions. Stretching the image to fill the remaining space requires fractional scaling and can make some pixels wider or softer than others.
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Intel calls its true integer mode Fixed Width. Its documented setup path is:
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- Open Intel Graphics Command Center.
- Open Global Settings.
- Find Retro Scaling.
- Select Fixed Width for whole-number scaling, or Scaled Width when using more of the display is more important than exact pixel geometry.
Intel’s support article, last reviewed February 18, 2025, lists these requirements for the documented feature: Windows 10 version 1709 or newer or Windows 11; 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. Intel also notes an additional qualification for global settings. Verify compatibility on the current system because driver and application support can change.
Fixed Width preserves true integer scaling and may leave unused screen area. Scaled Width can use more of the panel, but when the aspect ratios differ it may apply fractional scaling and make pixel edges less uniform.
AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition
AMD’s support instructions, updated June 10, 2025 and based on Adrenalin 25.5.1, use the following route:
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- Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
- Use the search field and search for Integer.
- Open Integer Scaling – Display Settings.
- Enable integer scaling with GPU scaling.
- For a game-specific override, open Gaming > Games, select the game profile, and apply the available integer-scaling setting.
AMD illustrates the procedure with a Radeon RX 9070 example and cautions that options can vary by system. If the search result or a control is missing, check the installed driver and the display connection rather than assuming the game is incompatible.
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Use a CRT shader when you want a different presentation
A CRT shader is a software rendering effect, not a physical CRT. Depending on the preset, it can combine scanlines, phosphor-mask patterns, blur, glow, and screen curvature. The result is adjustable and varies with the shader, renderer, display brightness, and scaling mode.
Load a preset in RetroArch
RetroArch’s documented procedure is performed while a game is running:
- Open the Quick Menu.
- Choose Shaders.
- Choose Load Shader Preset.
- Select a preset compatible with the platform and renderer.
- If the preset exposes parameters, adjust its controls and save the configuration only after confirming that the result is readable at your normal viewing distance.
RetroArch documents Slang as the recommended shader format where available. GLSL and older CG formats have different compatibility requirements, so a preset that works on one device or renderer may not appear or may behave differently on another.
Balance the shader with scaling
Libretro’s CRT-shader documentation explains that repeating scanline patterns generally look more even with integer scaling. Some presets are designed to tolerate non-integer scaling better than others. Start with integer scaling, then test the shader at the game’s normal aspect ratio before changing the image size.
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- Lightweight preset: useful on modest hardware or when you want only a hint of scanline structure.
- Moderate preset: adds visible scanlines or mask texture while keeping menus and small text legible.
- Advanced preset: may combine several effects and require more rendering headroom; use it only if the device remains smooth and the image is not excessively dim or blurred.
Tune one control at a time. If text becomes difficult to read, reduce mask or blur strength before increasing brightness. If scanlines break into irregular bands, return to integer scaling or try a preset documented as tolerant of non-integer scaling. Libretro’s page is dated July 19, 2026; its guidance describes shader behavior, not a universal ranking of presets.
Decide between integer scaling, fractional scaling, and a shader
| Your priority | Setting to try first | Trade-off to accept |
|---|---|---|
| Regular, crisp pixel edges | Integer scaling in the emulator or supported GPU control panel | The image may occupy less of the display when the source and panel aspect ratios differ |
| Maximum screen coverage | Scaled-width or fractional scaling, where available | Pixel widths can vary and edges may look softer or uneven |
| Scanlines, mask texture, glow, or curvature | A CRT shader preset | The effect is an adjustable approximation; preset compatibility and rendering cost differ |
| Original console video on a modern TV | An external scaler with matching inputs | Adds hardware and requires signal, connector, and display-compatibility checks |
Do not combine every effect by default. Integer scaling plus a restrained shader is often easier to evaluate than a heavily processed image, and fractional scaling may be reasonable when a small border is more distracting to you than slightly irregular pixels.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Original consoles: verify the signal chain before buying hardware
An original console may output a legacy analog signal that a modern display does not accept directly. In that situation, the problem is signal conversion, not game rendering. An external scaler sits between the console and television, processes the incoming signal, and outputs a format the display can use.
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Check the console output
- Identify the exact console model and its video connector.
- Determine whether its output is composite, component, RGB, or another documented signal type.
- Check the scaler’s documented inputs for that connector and signal; a physically matching plug does not guarantee electrical or timing compatibility.
- Confirm that the scaler’s output resolution and refresh mode are accepted by the television or monitor.
- Connect the console, scaler, and display with the appropriate cables, then select the display input used by the scaler.
RetroTINK’s current catalog describes video processors, transcoders, cables, and accessories for retro-console setups. Its RetroTINK-5X Pro announcement, published April 29, 2021 and updated April 20, 2022, describes the device as a bridge between retro consoles and modern televisions and identifies motion-adaptive deinterlacing for interlaced game content. Those statements establish the product category and intended use; they do not establish current stock, price, warranty, firmware behavior, or compatibility with every console.
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When a scaler is the wrong purchase
If you play only native PC releases or emulator software, start with the game, emulator, or GPU settings. A console scaler does not improve a framebuffer that is already being rendered by a computer, and buying one adds an unnecessary signal-conversion step.
Troubleshoot the result systematically
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Pixels look uneven or some edges are softer | Fractional scaling or a stretched aspect ratio | Enable integer or Fixed Width scaling and compare the image with borders |
| The image is sharp but too small | The largest whole-number scale does not fill the panel | Decide whether the border is preferable to fractional scaling; test a higher supported integer mode if available |
| Scanlines are broken or irregular | The shader and scaling mode do not agree | Try integer scaling or a preset documented as more tolerant of non-integer scaling |
| The picture is too dark, hazy, or difficult to read | Shader strength, mask, blur, or glow is excessive | Reduce effect parameters one at a time and reassess menus and small text |
| A shader option is missing | Unsupported shader language or renderer | Try a compatible Slang, GLSL, or other format documented for your platform and renderer |
| GPU controls do not show integer scaling | Driver, hardware, application version, or configuration support differs | Check the current driver and the documented system requirements; AMD notes that options vary by configuration |
| The original console shows no picture | Input, signal, cable, scaler, or display mismatch | Verify the exact console output, scaler input, cable type, output mode, and television input |
Change only one variable between tests. Keep a known game scene on screen so you can distinguish a scaling change from a shader change or a signal problem.
A practical setup sequence
- Classify the source. Record whether the game is native PC software, an emulator, or an original console.
- Establish a baseline. Disable extra filtering or shaders and view the game at its normal aspect ratio.
- Try integer scaling. Use the emulator’s option or the compatible Intel or AMD control-panel setting.
- Check geometry. Look at diagonal lines, text, repeating tiles, and circles. Decide whether the border is acceptable.
- Choose coverage or fidelity. If the image is too small, test scaled-width or fractional scaling and compare the regularity of pixels.
- Add one shader preset. In RetroArch, load it through Quick Menu > Shaders > Load Shader Preset, then adjust parameters only when the preset supports them.
- Check readability and performance. Menus, small text, motion, and bright effects should remain clear and smooth on the actual display.
- For an original console, stop and verify the signal chain. Match the output and input before purchasing or connecting a scaler.
- Save the configuration per game or core when appropriate. A handheld-era game, a 3D console title, and an interlaced game may need different scaling or shader choices.
What the documentation does—and does not—prove
The Intel and AMD documents establish available integer-scaling controls and their stated requirements, not a universal image-quality ranking across every monitor. RetroArch and Libretro document shader features, formats, loading, and scaling behavior, not a single best CRT preset. The RetroTINK materials establish the purpose of a console scaler and describe motion-adaptive deinterlacing for interlaced content, but they do not provide a current price, stock status, latency comparison, or compatibility list for every console.
Use those limits to make a sound choice: configure software first when the source is software, preserve integer geometry when crisp pixels matter, use shaders for a deliberate visual style, and buy hardware only after matching the console’s signal to the scaler’s documented inputs.
Final recommendation
For most low-resolution PC games and emulators, begin with integer scaling and accept modest borders if necessary. Move to scaled-width or fractional scaling only when filling the panel matters more than perfectly even pixels. Add a restrained, compatible CRT shader when you specifically want scanlines, mask texture, glow, blur, or curvature. For an original console, identify its output and use a signal-compatible external scaler; software scaling settings cannot replace that conversion step.
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