Can we have Overlays?

[AshleyPikachu]

What should happen

Hi, can we have a option to select a png of our choosing to fill the black bars on non 16:9 displays. The person choosing their image would need to measure it for their own device.

For example here is one that would fit the Retroid Pocket 2S which is a 640x480 device.

Who would this benefit

This would help those with non 16:9 displays as it would fill in those black bars. This scenario is common on Android based Retro Handhelds. It would also make games like Digimon Adventure feel less cramped as it looks letterboxed when the background is black. In general it makes it look a lot more natural.

Platform (if relevant)

Android

Games this would be useful in

ULJS-00541 - Digimon Adventure

Other emulators or software with a similar feature

Retroarch's overlays, the sample I included is from a Retroarch using my overlay. That being said PPSSPP runs much smoother with less bugs than Retroarch's core and is far more beginner friendly.

Checklist

• Check the latest git build in case it's already implemented.
• Search for other requests of the same feature.

[ThunderDragonRandy]

As someone who has the Anbernic RG Cube with a square screen, since I like using custom bezels, I too would like the standalone version of PPSSPP to have custom overlays or custom backgrounds during gameplay and make custom themes for Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X and the Final Fantasy games/ports to make these square screens (and 4:3 screens) more appealing to play PSP or other widescreen games on since the libretro core version of PPSSPP isn't that great (but can use custom overlays).

[Jack54guythecoder]

This would be useful and customization related.

[hrydgard]

Hi,

Can you point to some resources about how overlays are usually defined in other emulators? Maybe we can support the same format. I assume there must be some metadata specifying how to center the bezel properly around the screen, etc.

[ThunderDragonRandy]

Hi,

Can you point to some resources about how overlays are usually defined in other emulators? Maybe we can support the same format. I assume there must be some metadata specifying how to center the bezel properly around the screen, etc.

I don't really have any resources on how overlays are defined in other emulators but...

In RetroArch, Overlays are images added in the foreground (including virtual gamepad buttons), and since RetroArch doesn't have a feature to add background images during gameplay, some users use the Overlays as a substitute for making background images around the game window.

Since you were able to add virtual gamepad buttons on mobile ports, would it also be possible to custom foreground images (i.e. in front of the game window) in a similar fashion? With foreground images (Overlays), users could also create their own screen filters.
If not, how about custom background images behind the game window? PPSSPP's main menu background is customizable. Is it possible to do the same in a game?

[hrydgard]

There's a lot of stuff that's possible. But the feature design is important, like, how do users import overlays and how do they make sure they actually look correct. How does retroarch align the hole in the overlay image to the emulated screen?

I've never used overlays so I need to understand the expected details of the requested feature.

[Expressive-Synapse]

I'd love to see overlays added to PPSSPP, I use a retro handheld and being able to just add a small bezel around the empty space on the screen would be a wonderful addition.

There's a lot of stuff that's possible. But the feature design is important, like, how do users import overlays and how do they make sure they actually look correct. How does retroarch align the hole in the overlay image to the emulated screen?

I've never used overlays so I need to understand the expected details of the requested feature.

Im not experienced at design yet, but I think a great way to implement this would be to allow for overlays to be added like a shader or post-processing effect is. Users could create a small config file that determines the image file location, it's dimensions, resolution, and other such details and that could be loaded in like a shader. That way user made overlays would be easy to share between people.