How To Move To ReShade From GShade
0. Don't uninstall GShade yet!
Uninstalling GShade removes the gshade-shaders folder which contains all the content. It does not remove GShade's executable file. This guide will help you do that.
You can uninstall it right before installing ReShade. Uninstalling it after will break ReShade!
1. Identify your game folder, and open it in Windows Explorer.
This is where you installed FFXIV. It contains ffxiv_dx11.exe. If you can't find it, look at the FAQ.
2. Back up the C:\Program Files\GShade\gshade-shaders and game\gshade-presets folder.
This contains GShade's shaders and presets, obviously. If you have lost it, download a backup of the full shader and preset package here.
3. Delete dxgi.dll in the game folder. (If there's a file called d3d11.dll there, delete that too.)
DO NOT DELETE THIS FILE IF IT'S IN THE C:\Windows FOLDER! IF YOU ONLY HAVE A dxgi.dll OR d3d11.dll FILE THERE, SKIP THIS STEP! YOU MUST BE IN THE game FOLDER! DELETING THE WRONG FILE WILL CAUSE WINDOWS TO STOP WORKING!
Note: this file might appear as just dxgi or d3d11. If it's present within the FFXIV game folder, you are safe to delete it.
This is GShade's executable file. The uninstaller does not delete this file, which is mildly suspicious, as it will continue to load into your game after uninstallation.
You can uninstall GShade at this point, if you have backed up its folders.
4. Install ReShade to ffxiv_dx11.exe.
You must install the version with full add-on support. The regular build of ReShade will not work with FFXIV.
Do not tick the options to install the shader packs from vanilla ReShade during the install process. Only make sure to install the ReShade default shaders.
It will pop up a scary-looking message box warning of bans when you first launch. Just ignore it; ReShade can get you banned just as much as GShade can, aka it can't.
Don't install into ffxiv.exe, as that's the DirectX 9 version of the game.
5. Replace the contents of the reshade-shaders folder with gshade-shaders's contents.
If you don't have a reshade-shaders for some reason, copy and paste gshade-shaders and rename it to reshade-shaders.
6. Copy and rename the gshade-presets folder to reshade-presets in the game folder.
This is to make presets work again. Despite what GShade team might have told you, you don't need GShade for presets.
7. Download this ZIP file, extract it, and move all of those .fx/.fxh files into your reshade-shaders\Shaders folder.
Remember to overwrite files if it asks.
As of 9/2/2023, this file may be triggering antivirus warnings for some users. It's safe. Windows Defender is being weird.
This will fix compatibility issues, add new tools (notably FFKeepUI and FFRestoreUI) and make some shaders compile.
8. You're done. Launch the game.
Enjoy not using software full of malware, and enjoy never updating again. If you find this useful, please throw me something, I don't have much money at all.
Mini-FAQ
There's no gshade-shaders folder. What do I do?
It's Program Files\GShade\gshade-shaders. If you have uninstalled GShade, download a backup of the full shader and preset package here.
Where's the game folder?
It's probably in C:\Program Files (x86)\SquareEnix\FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn\game, and if you're on Steam, it's Steam\steamapps\common\FINAL FANTASY XIV Online\game.
I'm looking for reshade-shaders but I can't find it.
If ReShade's installer did not create it, just copy-paste gshade-shaders and rename it to reshade-shaders.
dxgi.dll is not next to the game executable!
You might have already uninstalled GShade. Ignore and continue, but GShade might be required to construct an appropriate reshade-shaders folder.
How do I open the ReShade menu?
Maybe press Home. ReShade will tell you when you run the game.
The Home key may be labeled Pos1 (in German) or Inicio (in Spanish). It's the same key.
But I don't have a Home key on the keyboard!
If you're on a laptop, try pressing Fn and ← at the same time.
>Do GShade presets work?
They should. If they don't, we can't know for certain why, because GShade is closed-source. Project Crystal presets appear to be especially problematic right now, and thus may not function.
My screen is going black when using Project Crystal presets / There are no (shaders/presets) listed.
Add - verbatim - .\reshade-shaders\Shaders\** to the shader search path in ReShade settings, and your texture search path to .\reshade-shaders\Textures\**. You can use the ReShade file explorer to load your presets.
The screen's colours look super weird! / There are two of each shader in the list!
Replace the entire contents of reshade-shaders with the contents of gshade-shaders, leaving nothing behind, and then re-apply the fixed_shaders.zip file you downloaded in Step 7.
Why do some shaders not compile?
Please report these shaders in this Discord server, linking the .fx file and the full text of the error message.
Bard, Astrologian, Monk and Dancer's job gauges look weird!
This is a known issue. There is no fix for it at this time. Use the simple mode gauges.
This project by user 4lex4nder aims to fix the job gauges! Please look at its page for more info. The source code is available following this issue.
Project Crystal presets are far too dark.
You will need to place Technicolor 2 in the middle of the shader stack, and tweak it to your liking.
I want the screenshot sound back.
Well, good news - ReShade 5.7.0 introduced a feature to be able to play a .wav of your choice when taking a screenshot! It's in ReShade's settings tab.
I used startup presets, any way to get them back?
Good news again - ReShade 5.7.0 also introduced the startup preset feature from GShade. I don't know how to use it, but it shouldn't be hard to find.
There's a new version of ReShade out! How do I update? / I installed 5.6.0, but want the 5.7.0 features.
Just download the updated installer from the ReShade website and follow Step 4.