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: