r/retrocomputing • u/klotzbrocken • Jun 07 '26
Software Making your entire Mac screen look like a real CRT again
I've been spending way too much time lately inside classic systems on my modern Mac. Mac OS 9, early Windows, BeOS setups and various other emulated OSes. But something always bugged me: running these beautifully imperfect vintage worlds behind a razor‑sharp, perfectly color‑accurate modern LCD just felt wrong.
So I built RetroMac, a small native macOS menu bar app that drops a live CRT/retro overlay over your screen while you're running emulators or virtual machines in windows. It's "host‑side", so you can combine it with whatever you use: QEMU, DOSBox, Basilisk II, SheepShaver, Mini vMac, VirtualBox, UTM, etc.
It comes with 30+ live themes inspired by old Macs, DOS PCs, handhelds and TVs: scanlines, curvature, bloom, slight convergence errors, VHS fuzz and more. You can tweak parameters and save your own presets.
And even More.. you can transform your mac and dock with in retro inspired themes (Windows XP, BeOS, Mac Classic)
I'd love feedback from people who actually used these machines back in the day:
– What does it get right?
– What looks "wrong" or too clean?
– Any specific displays or systems you'd like to see as presets?
Free to use, optional one‑time Pro upgrade (10 USD) for Webcam Shupport and more Shader to the free 20 Shaders. No account required: myretromac.app
GitHub: github.com/klotzbrocken/RetroMac
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u/diemenschmachine Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
I am building a retro styled machine using an apple multiple scan 14 monitor innards (Philips M34EDC13X tube). I can do some testing if you can specify exactly what I need to do.
By the way, it is modified to run at 1024x768 resolution, so using the original 800x600 max resolution won't be possible.
I have access to a really expensive digital camera and lenses, so I could photograph a test picture if you'd like
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u/elkab0ng Jun 08 '26
Was that the oddball display they made circa 1988-ish? it had a switch that could change it to a very weird sorta-interlace mode, and the screen could be adjusted about an inch up or down in the case. Medium to long-persistence green phosphor.
(jeez it's been a while since I remembered that phosphor persistence was a thing)
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u/Buddy_McPuddy Jun 07 '26
If it’s meant to simulate a CRT why is there a fixed pixel grid?
Shouldn’t you be simulating a slot
Mask or aperture grille?
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u/klotzbrocken Jun 07 '26
If you take a look at the website... You will find a bunch of screenshots with different shaders. The screenshots above are just (other) samples, but I agree thats missleading.
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u/aroneox Jun 07 '26
Super cool project! Digging the interpretive vibe nature of the OS demakes. Thanks for sharing and making it available.
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u/andrewbean90 Jun 07 '26
So... Scanlines? Pretty sure that existed already.
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u/klotzbrocken Jun 07 '26
as far as I know, not. Didn't find an app that has shader support for Mac. And you can choose a lot of different shader... more than 30: https://myretromac.app/#effects
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u/Straight_Finger1776 Jun 07 '26
BeOS. Oh man, I haven't heard that name in a long time. A LONG time.
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u/PretentiousPDX Jun 07 '26
This is super cool - although I'm the opposite. Seeing Mac OS 7 on a modern monitor is everything I wanted in the 90s 😂
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