Decorations (bezels)

Most of the TVs and computer screens in the 80s and 90s were 4:3. When you run them today on a 16:9 format monitor, there will be empty space on both sides.

The remaining space on the left and right side of the game can be filled with decorations (bezels).

Retrobat offers 3 types of decorations:

• Decorations

• The Bezel Project

• Mega-Bezels

It is also possible for some systems to enable "tattoos", which are overlays that show the control layout for the emulated machine.

Decorations

Standard decorations are the simplest way to fill the left and right space.

They can be enabled from the MAIN MENU (Game Settings > Decorations), from the VIEW OPTIONS (Advanced System Options > Decorations) or from the GAME OPTIONS (Advanced Game Options > Decorations).

The following options are available:

Setting	Remark
AUTO	Default search logic
NONE	No decoration
AMBIANCE BROADCAST
AMBIANCE GAMEROOM
AMBIANCE MONITOR 1084S
AMBIANCE NIGHT
AMBIANCE VINTAGE TV
ARCADE 1980S
ARCADE 1980S VERTICAL
ARCADE VERTICAL DEFAULT
DEFAULT CURVE
DEFAULT CURVE NIGHT
DEFAULT NOCURVE
DEFAULT NOCURVE NIGHT
DEFAULT UNGLAZED
THEBEZELPROJECT	See The Bezel Project section

Here is an example of the AUTO setting for Super Nintendo:

Default search logic:

• retrobat\decorations\<bezel type>\games\<system>\<rom>.png

• retrobat\system\decorations\<bezel type>\games\<system>\<rom>.png

• retrobat\decorations\<bezel type>\games\<rom>.png

• retrobat\system\decorations\<bezel type>\games\<rom>.png

• retrobat\decorations\<bezel type>\games\<system>\<indexedRomName>.png

• retrobat\system\decorations\<bezel type>\games\<system>\<indexedRomName>.png

• retrobat\decorations\<bezel type>\games\<indexedRomName>.png

• retrobat\system\decorations\<bezel type>\games\<indexedRomName>.png

• retrobat\decorations\<bezel type>\<system>\<system>.png

• retrobat\system\decorations\<bezel type>\<system>\<system>.png

• retrobat\decorations\<bezel type>\default.png

• retrobat\system\decorations\<bezel type>\default.png

• retrobat\decorations\default_unglazed\<system>\<system>.png

• retrobat\system\decorations\default_unglazed\<system>\<system>.png

• retrobat\decorations\default\<system>\<system>.png

• retrobat\system\decorations\default\<system>\<system>.png

The Bezel Project

The Bezel Project provides personalized bezels per gaming system, and for many of them even personalized bezels per game.

Downloading Bezels

You can download the bezels from the UPDATES & DOWNLOADS menu

Select THE BEZEL PROJECT and choose the system for which you want to download bezels.

Press and confirm installation.

The download starts

Wait until completion of the installation

The downloaded Bezels are stored in the \decorations\thebezelproject\games folder:

Enabling Bezels

See the Decorations section.

Set the decoration option to THEBEZELPROJECT

Example of decoration from The Bezel Project:

To use per game Bezels, the rom file needs to have the exact same name as the bezel in the \decorations\thebezelproject\games folder.

Mega Bezels

The MegaBezel pack combines both Shaders and Bezels, it adds dynamic reflections on the bezel.

Mega Bezels can only be used with Libretro cores, it does not work with standalone emulators.

Downloading a MegaBezel pack

From the CONTENT DOWNLOADER, select Megabezels

The pack is downloaded in the \emulators\retroarch\shaders folder

Enabling Mega Bezels

Mega Bezels can be enabled from the MAIN MENU (Game Settings > Shader Set), from the VIEW OPTIONS (Advanced System Options > Shader Set) or from the GAME OPTIONS (Advanced Game Options > Shader Set)

There are multiple options available for each pack.

In addition, set DECORATIONS to NONE and GAME ASPECT RATIO to FULL

You can leave GAME ASPECT RATIO on "AUTO" if you are using a 4/3 screen.

Last but not least, Mega Bezels only work with VULKAN video driver, so ensure it is set properly in the Advanced Settings > Drivers menu

Here are some examples of Mega Bezel:

Customize Mega-bezels

Refer to section "Customize Mega-bezels"

Tattoos

Tattoos are a bezel overlay that can help with identifying the controls for the emulated system:

To enable tattoos,open the MAIN MENU > GAME SETTINGS:

then GLOBAL OPTIONS > TATTOO:

It is possible to configure the corner in which the tattoo will be displayed.

Tattoos will only work in combination with bezels : no bezels, no tattoos.