Guide: Using Special K with RenoDX - clshortfuse/renodx GitHub Wiki

Combining Special K and RenoDX can be a complicated mess, since both pieces of software can try to get their hands on the same resources. However, there are a few different configuration possibilities and, usually, one of them will work out. This guide will walk through the different options, go over the possible reasons for compatibility issues, and provide comprehensive troubleshooting steps that, with any luck, will get SK + RenoDX coexisting.

• Ensure you've installed the latest Special K Installer release from the Special K Discord Server. We will need to use software injection via SK's SKIF software for maximum compatibility.
• Attempt all of the following methods, compatibility varies.
• Please attempt the following methods with a fresh Special K config file. Don't rule out compatibility until you've done so.

1. Install ReShade and RenoDX like normal (following the instructions provided by the mod author).
2. Inject SK into the game via the SKIF launcher. If launching a game through Steam, you can alternatively add the following command to the launch options for the game:

SKIF %COMMAND%

1. Install ReShade and RenoDX like normal (following the instructions provided by the mod author).
2. Rename the reshade dll (most likely named dxgi.dll) to reshade64.dll.
3. Inject SK into the game via the SKIF launcher. If launching a game through Steam, you can alternatively add the following command to the launch options for the game:

SKIF %COMMAND%

This is for those that prefer the centralized ReShade functionality within Special K. Reference the SK Wiki to set this up.

1. Inject SK into the game via the SKIF launcher. If launching a game through Steam, you can alternatively add the following command to the launch options for the game: SKIF %COMMAND%
2. Start the game and open the SK Overlay (ctrl + shift + backspace).
3. Locate the Plugins section -> Third-Party. Enable ReShade, set Load Order to Lazy, and disable Compatibility Mode.
4. Close the game.
5. Navigate to the game's profile folder where you've installed Special K, and go to ReShade/AddOns (Special K/Profiles//ReShade/AddOns).
6. Place the RenoDX addon into this folder.
7. Start the game.

"My game is super washed out" or "My game is super vibrant"

Open the SK HDR settings (ctrl + shift + h, by default).

• If HDR10 is selected, select the HDR10 Native profile and click Reset.
• If scRGB is selected, select the scRGB Native profile and click Reset.
• If None is selected, try selecting either HDR10 or scRGB (restart may be required), and apply the above steps to the respective mode.

"SK is loading, but ReShade isn't injecting with Method 2"

This usually means that the ReShade dll needs to be moved to a new folder for SK to see it. This may require some experimentation, but try moving the reshade dll to the root folder or into a "bin" folder if one exists. If you can't figure this out, try the Alternate method.

"My game is crashing at startup"

Make sure you try all of the installation methods first. If all of them crash, open the SK config file from the Profiles/ folder and edit the following section to say the following.

[Import.ReShade64]
Architecture=x64
Filename=ReShade64.dll
Role=ThirdParty
When=Lazy

This only applies to both Method 2 options.

If nothing listed resolves the crashing, try resetting your config and trying again to be sure no mistakes were made. If that doesn't work, it may not be a solvable problem.

For many RenoDX mods, the swapchain needs to be upgraded to support HDR. Special K also messes with the swapchain in various ways (virtually always beneficial in a vacuum). However, having two separate mods messing with the same parts of the game can be a recipe for disaster. Most compatibility issues seem to arise from RenoDX needing to upgrade the swapchain. The extent of the issue is entirely game dependent, and sometimes cannot be remedied without updates to either RenoDX or Special K.

The methods listed in this guide are, essentially, pulling the levers that are available to us to try to stumble our way into a compatible configuration. Essentially we're trying to alter when/how these two pieces of software attempt to alter the game. The good news is that compatibility for modding games with preexisting Native HDR should be pretty much 100%.