macOS and Linux
Unishade for macOS and Linux is experimental. It’s new, so expect bugs.
ReShade only runs on Windows, so Unishade for macOS and Linux runs ReShade’s effects itself. It uses ReShade’s own effect compiler with Vulkan, through MoltenVK on a Mac. The same effect packages and presets work, and presets move between Windows, macOS and Linux unchanged.
Like on Windows, Unishade copies the game’s window and draws it again with effects in a window of its own on top. It doesn’t touch the game.
macOS
You need a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) and macOS 13 or newer. Macs with an Intel processor aren’t supported.
- Download Unishade-macOS.zip from the download page, unzip it and move Unishade to Applications.
- The build isn’t notarized yet, so macOS stops it the first time:
- On macOS 15 or newer, open Unishade and click Done when macOS says it can’t verify it. Then open System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down to Security and click Open Anyway next to Unishade. Confirm with Open Anyway and your password.
- On macOS 13 and 14, right-click Unishade and choose Open, then click Open.
- When Unishade asks to record the screen, allow it under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording, called Screen Recording on macOS 13 and 14. Then open Unishade again.
The shortcuts differ, since Mac keyboards have no Home key:
| Shortcut | Does |
|---|---|
| Cmd+Shift+U | Opens and closes the menu |
| Ctrl+Cmd+O | Turns the overlay on and off |
| Cmd+Shift+C (hold) | Shows the game without effects |
| Cmd+Shift+P | Screenshot |
| Cmd+Shift+B | Before and after screenshot |
| Cmd+Shift+Right / Left | Next or previous preset |
Roblox is found automatically. Windowed or borderless games work best. Unishade also stays above full-screen games on their own Space.
Linux
Unishade works with games that draw through X11. That covers X11 desktops and, on Wayland desktops, every game that runs through XWayland, such as Wine and Proton games. Games that draw to Wayland directly can’t be captured. It needs a 64-bit (x64) PC.
- Install the Vulkan driver for your graphics card. Most distributions include it.
- Download Unishade-linux-x64.tar.gz from the download page and unpack it. It holds a Unishade folder.
- Open a terminal where you unpacked it and run
cd Unishade, then./unishade.
Roblox is found automatically, whether it runs through Sober or through Wine. If Sober draws to Wayland directly on your desktop, start it without Wayland so it uses XWayland: flatpak run --nosocket=wayland org.vinegarhq.Sober.
The shortcuts are the same as on Windows: Home opens the menu.
Effects
The first time, click Download effects and presets in the launcher. Unishade downloads every package from ReShade’s official list and the Unishade presets, like Setup on Windows. From a terminal, unishade --install-effects does the same. On a Mac, run the executable inside the app, Unishade.app/Contents/MacOS/Unishade.
Everything is kept in one folder, which the launcher’s Data folder link opens:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Unishade - Linux:
~/.local/share/unishade
Screenshots go to ~/Pictures/Unishade.
What’s different from Windows
- Everything the menu shows happens in Unishade’s own menu. ReShade’s menu isn’t there.
- Preprocessor definitions, which some effects use for quality and feature options, are at the bottom of an effect’s settings. A new value applies when you press Enter.
- Depth estimation and DLSS5 are Windows only. Effects that need the game’s depth see an empty depth buffer, as they would on Windows without the depth add-on.
- A few effects use stencil, which is skipped. The Status tab lists effects that didn’t compile.