Skip to main content

Pre-Launch Screen Options for Games

LaunchBox for Windows

šŸ“‹ Summary

Introduce a pre-launch screen in both LaunchBox and Big Box that allows users to quickly configure display enhancements such as bezels, filters, shaders, and upscalers before starting a gameā€”similar to the interface used in the NES/SNES Classic menus.

ā— Problem

  • Currently, display enhancements (bezels, shaders, filters, upscalers) must be set globally or configured individually within emulator settings.

  • Changing these settings requires digging through menus or editing configs, which is disruptive if you only want to adjust them occasionally.

  • Users who want to tailor the visual experience on a game-by-game basis (e.g., widescreen hacks, scanline filters, or pixel-perfect scaling) lack a convenient way to do so.

šŸ’” Proposal

  • Add an optional pre-launch screen that appears when starting a game in LaunchBox or Big Box.

  • From this screen, users can quickly select:

    • Bezels/Overlays (on/off or choose from available sets).

    • Shaders/Filters (CRT scanlines, smoothing, LCD effects, etc.).

    • Upscalers/Resolution Enhancements (integer scaling, 2x/4x, widescreen modes).

  • Allow users to set default values globally but override them on a per-game basis at launch.

  • Provide a simple UI toggle so users who donā€™t want the extra step can disable the pre-launch screen entirely.

šŸ§© Use Cases

  • A user loads Sonic the Hedgehog and quickly enables a CRT filter for an authentic look, while keeping Mario 64 with a widescreen upscale.

  • Someone playing on a large TV wants bezels turned on for handheld systems but off for arcade titles, selectable at launch.

  • A player testing different shaders doesnā€™t have to constantly exit the game and edit configsā€”they can switch before boot.

šŸ“¦ Benefits

  • Simplifies access to visual enhancements without digging into emulator menus.

  • Provides more flexibility and personalization for game presentation.

  • Aligns LaunchBox/Big Box with modern retro re-release systems (NES Classic, Sega Genesis Mini, etc.).

  • Gives users fine-grained control without sacrificing ease of use.

Posted by crusadeRGP Ā·
Status: Open To Community2 comments

Log in to comment and vote

Comments2

  • AstroBob changed status to Open To Community
    Teamā€¢

    Sep 8, 2025

    Pinned

    Hi there!

    Thanks so much for submitting this request and for taking the time to explain your use case ā€” that context is always super helpful.

    Iā€™ve gone ahead and fleshed out the main idea using the info you provided, and Iā€™m opening it up to the community for further discussion and feedback. Please let me know if this fleshed-out version doesnā€™t match your original intended request.

    Feel free to let me know if you have any extra thoughts, examples, or edge cases you think might be relevant!

    Cheers,
    The LaunchBox team

  • crusadeRGP

    ā€¢

    Sep 8, 2025

    Change screen requirements when loading a game

    Screen enhancements such as bezels, filters and upscalers etc that a user can select before game loading similar to what the NES classic menu has. Would be more useful for BigBox.