In the world of PC gaming, visual mods can completely redefine a player's experience. A new project has emerged that reimagines the neon-drenched, high-fidelity world of Cyberpunk 2077 through the grainy, analog lens of a 1980s VHS tape. This isn't just a simple filter; it's a meticulously crafted visual overhaul that has sparked a fascinating comparison between digital emulation and physical media, with surprising results.
The Quest for Authentic VHS Aesthetics
The project is the work of a Reddit user known as Tulired, who shared their progress on the LowSodiumCyberpunk subreddit. Their goal was not to create a clichéd, error-filled "retro" look, but to authentically replicate the technical characteristics of VHS playback. This involved deep research into the medium's quirks, focusing on subtle visual artifacts like ghosting, chroma bleed, and phosphor trails. The preset also emulates the limited color bandwidth, muddy black levels, and specific blurriness inherent to the NTSC broadcast standard, aiming for a realistic rather than a purely stylistic effect.
Project Creator: Reddit user Tulired Platform: ReShade for PC (compatible with DirectX, OpenGL, Vulkan APIs) Game: Cyberpunk 2077 Goal: Realistic emulation of VHS tape playback aesthetics. Key Emulated Effects:
- Ghosting
- Chroma bleed/smear
- Limited color bandwidth
- Muddy black floor
- Phosphor trails
- NTSC color space artifacts
- Color noise
- Blurriness
- Halo/ringing effect
A Digital Creation That Evokes Real Memories
The results, showcased in a sample video, are strikingly effective. For those who remember the era, the transformation is uncanny. The futuristic sprawl of Night City takes on the quality of a late-night news broadcast or a forgotten action movie from the 1980s. The digital emulation successfully captures the warm, slightly unstable feel of analog tape, complete with color noise and subtle halo effects around bright lights, without sacrificing the core visual identity of the game. This careful balance makes the world feel lived-in through a different, nostalgic technological lens.
The Ultimate Test: Emulation vs. Physical Tape
Inspired by Tulired's digital preset, another enthusiast, Gundog48, decided to conduct a real-world experiment. They recorded gameplay footage of Cyberpunk 2077 onto an actual VHS tape using a recorder and a cheap HDMI-to-composite adapter. The side-by-side comparison revealed a clear winner in terms of aesthetic appeal. While the real VHS recording provided undeniable authenticity, it also aggressively degraded the modern source material, leaching color and detail in a way that was less "stylized" and more "severely compromised."
Real-World Comparison Test by Reddit user Gundog48:
- Method: Recorded Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay to a physical VHS tape.
- Hardware: Actual VHS recorder, cheap HDMI-to-composite adapter.
- Tape Used: Old cassette recorded in EP (Extended Play) mode (lowest quality).
- Result: The physical recording showed more severe degradation, color leaching, and loss of detail compared to the ReShade preset, which was deemed more aesthetically pleasing for gameplay.
Why the Digital Version Wins
Gundog48's experiment highlighted the strengths of the ReShade approach. The real VHS recording, made on an old tape in EP (Extended Play) mode, suffered from significant generational loss and adapter artifacts. In contrast, Tulired's preset applies a curated layer of VHS characteristics on top of the game's pristine render output. This allows it to evoke the feeling of analog media while preserving the artistic intent and visual clarity of the original game—a compromise that many find more enjoyable for extended play.
About ReShade: A generic post-processing injector for PC games that adds a filter layer on top of the game's final rendered output. It allows users to apply custom visual effects like ambient occlusion, depth of field, color grading, and in this case, complex VHS emulation.
Availability and the Modding Community
As of late December 2025, the preset is not yet publicly available. Tulired has indicated they plan to release it on the LowSodiumCyberpunk subreddit after the holiday period. This project is a testament to the vibrant PC modding community around titles like Cyberpunk 2077, where tools like ReShade allow players to become visual artists, reshaping their gaming experiences in profound and creative ways. It demonstrates that sometimes, a carefully crafted digital simulation can not only match but surpass the nostalgic charm of the original technology it seeks to emulate.