It’s no secret that Roblox’s aesthetic and graphics are often lacking when compared to a majority of other video games, including popular AAA titles that use various layers of texture, lighting, and shading to make them appear as realistic as possible. In most cases, however, Roblox developers utilize this lacking LEGO-like design to their advantage, creating charming, multi-colorful worlds that are appealing to younger audiences as they resemble the plasticity of toys and silliness of cartoons.

Though this design style is the most popular on the platform, there are Roblox developers who push through the typical to create impressively realistic designs—this is where RoShade comes into play.

What are shaders?

A shader is a computer program that’s typically utilized to add texture to an object and its environment—in this case, shaders are used to add depth and make video games appear more lifelike. Shaders can help add shadows, reflections, gloss, bumps, grooves, etc. Basically any texture or environmental aspect that you can think of can be integrated and manipulated with the use of a shader.

Are shaders allowed on Roblox?

At the time of this article’s publication, there are currently no rules in Roblox’s Terms of Service that forbid the use of shaders. It’s unknown as to if this will change in the future, but as of Dec. 8, 2021, shaders can be installed and used by Roblox players without the fear of getting banned.

What do shaders do on Roblox?

Have you ever been playing a Roblox experience and thought, this would look so much cooler if it had better graphics? That’s what shaders are for! Upon installing and using shaders on Roblox, each of the experiences that you play from then on will have their graphics bumped up to look as realistic as possible.

Installing and using RoShade

RoShade offers various packs for users to install and try including a base pack, glossy pack, and, probably the most popular, Zeal’s pack. Zeal is a Roblox design YouTuber and engineering student who has been working with RoShade for multiple years to perfect his easy-to-use and impressive shading pack. The base pack and glossy pack can be downloaded from RoShade’s main website, while Zeal’s pack can be installed from a side link.

To install and use any of these packs, follow along with the steps outlined below.

  • Access the RoShade website and click the download button for whichever shader pack that you preferWhen the next window opens, press download once moreAfter the program finishes downloading, a pop up menu will appear that asks if you’d like to open the file or save it—click Save File and press OKLocate the newly saved file on your PCIt’s likely been saved to your downloads folder or desktopOpen the fileSelect RoShade setup.exeClick the Run option from the pop up that appearsAfter clicking Run, another pop up will appear that asks you to select an install mode—choose the recommended optionFrom the .exe setup window, press Next, then select the I accept the agreement option, then press Next, and then finally, press InstallAfter the installation has finished, another pop up will appear—press OKOpen Roblox and enter any experienceYou will now have RoShade shaders enabled!

The keybindings for RoShade can be found below.

  • It’s likely been saved to your downloads folder or desktop

  • F8 - Toggle effectsF7 - Toggle menuPage Up - Next presetPage Down - Previous presetPrint Screen - Take screenshot

ReShade

If you’ve tried the packs mentioned above and are looking for even more shader pack options, ReShade can be a great resource to find numerous, incredibly detailed packs uploaded by various users. The packs on this website are updated regularly and stretch across various Roblox experiences, and even other video games outside of Roblox.

Example

To see an example that shows just how impactful adding shaders to Roblox can be, we’d recommend checking out the video below!

Looking for more Roblox content? We’d recommend checking out our articles on the new Roblox developer starter kit available through Humble Bundle or Roblox Mad City is looking for testers for Mad City Chapter 2, no experience required!