The main reason the emulation community gravitates toward xukmi.shaders.fx is performance vs. quality. These shaders are highly optimized. They allow low-end hardware (like older Android phones or budget laptops) to run advanced smoothing and CRT effects without suffering from heavy frame rate drops.
For gamers nostalgic for the era of tube televisions, xukmi offers excellent CRT modes.
The advanced math in xukmi.shaders.fx is expensive. On an NVIDIA GTX 1060, running all techniques simultaneously may drop frames from 60 to 30. Here is how to optimize:
There is a block of code commented out that tries to fake ray-traced global illumination using the depth buffer. It isn't true path tracing—it breaks on transparent blocks—but when you stand near a red wool block, the white wall next to it actually catches a hint of red. For a free .fx file, this is witchcraft.
If you have downloaded a shader pack containing these files, here is how to apply them in PPSSPP:
If you are satisfied with default game graphics, probably not. But if you are a perfectionist—someone who notices banding in skies, jagged specular highlights, or unrealistic bokeh—then xukmi.shaders.fx is essential.
It represents the bleeding edge of what community-driven HLSL coding can achieve. It is mathematically robust, surprisingly well-optimized given its complexity, and versatile enough for titles spanning two decades of gaming history.
Final Checklist for Implementation:
By integrating this shader collection, you are not just adding a filter; you are rewriting the rendering pipeline of your favorite game—one pixel at a time.
Have you used xukmi.shaders.fx in a specific game? Share your performance benchmarks and custom presets in the community forums. xukmi.shaders.fx
xukmi.shaders.fx (often referred to as Vanilla Plus Shaders ) is a high-performance shader suite primarily designed for the game (KK) and its successors, such as Koikatsu Sunshine (KKS). Developed by
, these shaders recreate and enhance the game's original "vanilla" look while providing modern lighting and material features. Core Features
The suite is known for adding "Plus" features to standard material types, such as Eye, Skin, and Hair. Dynamic Lighting & Shading Dynamic Light Support
: Enhances how characters react to dynamic lights in the environment, which is a significant improvement over the base game's static-leaning lighting. Custom Shadows
: Provides advanced control over shadow behavior, including a "Shadow Extend" parameter to adjust how far shadows stretch across surfaces. Maplight Integration
: Designed to work effectively with maplights and "color shadows" to create specific lighting effects like the Tyndall effect. Material & Texture Enhancements Emission Control : Includes a dedicated Emission Mask
with intensity and color settings, allowing specific parts of a mesh to glow. Reflective & Specular Effects
: Features built-in support for reflections (including MatCaps) and advanced specular controls to simulate different material finishes like shininess or metallic surfaces. Liquid Masks
: Includes specialized parameters for "Liquid Masks" and "Liquid Tiling," often used for specific overlay effects. Rendering & Outline Controls Advanced Outlines The main reason the emulation community gravitates toward
: Allows for fine-tuning of outline width and color, including "Sobel color outlines" when paired with post-processing effects. Alpha Masking
: Uses alpha masks to hide or show specific parts of a material, which is useful for complex clothing layering. DisablePointLights
: A performance-focused feature added to all materials to toggle point light interactions. Integration These shaders are highly compatible with the Material Editor (KK_MaterialEditor)
, allowing players to swap and modify shaders in real-time within the character maker or studio. or how to use them with the Material Editor
xukmi/KKShadersPlus: Recreated Koikatsu shaders ... - GitHub
Xukmi.shaders.fx is a primary shader file used in the KKShadersPlus mod for the game
. It is part of a "Vanilla+" shader pack designed to recreate and improve upon the game's original character shaders, offering a more refined anime look with better lighting. Core Features & Usage The "Vanilla+" suite, including xukmi.shaders.fx
, focuses on lightweight improvements to character rendering: Enhanced Lighting
: It supports multiple light sources, specifically for skin shaders, allowing for more dynamic character lighting compared to the base game. Shadow Refinement For gamers nostalgic for the era of tube
: It is often used with specific game settings like "Light Clear Shadow" (浅いくっきり影) to achieve a crisp, anime-style aesthetic. Compatibility : It integrates well with the Material Editor MEBS (Material Editor Batch Settings)
plugin, allowing you to bulk-apply Xukmi shaders to clothing and accessories. Recommended Setup
For a high-quality visual result using Xukmi's shaders, community guides on recommend the following workflow: Swap Shaders : Change the character's shader to "xukmi vanilla plus". Add Lights
: Place a maplight on one side of the character and use "Iro-kage" (colored shadow) objects—one in front, one behind, and one for the face. Combine with PPE Haruka Post Processing Effects
to enable Sobel color outlines and vignette for a finished look. Repository & Links Development
: The source code and history for these shaders can be tracked on the KKShadersPlus GitHub
: Newer versions and specific presets are frequently shared via community links on or Google Drive. to tweak specific settings?
Koikatsu!, tutorial, GirlsBandCry / Xukmi Shaders & Haruka PPE
xukmi/KKShadersPlus: Recreated Koikatsu shaders ... - GitHub
Open ReShade.ini in your game directory. Under [GENERAL], ensure that EffectSearchPaths includes the exact path to the shader folder. If the file includes custom include headers (e.g., #include "xukmi_math.fxh"), you must ensure those supporting files are in the same folder.