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Developer Preview: Patron-only build (apk) Built-in “LCD Grid (DSLite)” shader + Preview librashader integration

Added 2025-10-24 18:38:41 +0000 UTC

Hey everyone!
Here’s a little peek at what I’ve been working on lately for melonDS-android 👇

🧩 1️⃣ Integrating librashader

I’ve been implementing librashader to allow melonDS-android to load existing RetroArch .slangp shaders directly.
This means:

More visual customization inside the emulator without relying on RA.
A unified shader parser and runtime.
Future support for per-display shader configuration (for DS top/bottom screens).

Right now the library is fully integrated, shaders parse correctly, and the texture bindings are set up.
However, there’s still a rendering bug that causes the screen to turn black once the shader pipeline is applied, I’m currently debugging it and narrowing down which stage is breaking presentation.

🧩 2️⃣ Internal shader: lcd-grid-v2-dslite-color-motionblur.slangp

By popular request from patrons, I’m also porting this shader directly into the native code as a built-in preset.
This will make it possible to:

Enable it instantly from the in-app video menu.
Adjust parameters like grid intensity, color separation, and motion blur strength later on.
Preserve a realistic DS Lite LCD look even on external displays.

📦 Patron-only build available!

There’s a special APK for patrons included with this post 🎁
You can test the new LCD Grid (DSLite) shader right now.
It’s selectable in Video → Built-in Shader → “LCD Grid (DSLite)” inside melonDS-android.

⚙️ Current Status

✅ librashader integration (parse + texture binding)
✅ Built-in shader loader (internal preset system)
⚠️ Black screen issue during render (under investigation)

❤️ Thank You

This feature exists thanks to your support and votes!
The goal is to bring RetroArch-level shader flexibility directly into melonDS-android, without leaving the emulator.
Expect beta builds once the rendering path is fixed.