Real-time visuals that dance to your music. Classic MilkDrop presets, and stunning GPU shaders in one playlist. True HDR, a psychedelic webcam mirror with green screen, logo overlays, and OBS-ready output for content creators.
Release Date:
October 2026
Developer:
Publisher:
Tags

Sign in to add this item to your wishlist, follow it, or mark it as ignored

Early Access Software

Get involved with this software as it develops.

Note: This Early Access software is not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to use this software in its current state, then you should wait to see if it progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“Spiroshader's core player, library, HDR, webcam, live-source and
synchronization workflows are already usable today. Early Access gives us a
larger range of real-world GPUs, displays, audio setups and preset libraries
to test against while we refine compatibility, performance and usability and
expand the included preset set.”

Approximately how long will this software be in Early Access?

“We currently expect about six months. That is a development target rather than
a guaranteed date; compatibility findings and user feedback may change the
schedule.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“For 1.0 we plan to expand the included preset library, broaden hardware and
display validation, improve compatibility and performance where Early Access
uncovers issues, and refine the workflows and controls people use most. The
features described on this store page are features of the current Early Access
build, not promises that depend on 1.0.

Additional platforms, if released, are separate products/projects and are not
part of this Early Access purchase or a commitment for the desktop 1.0 release.
”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The features described on the store page are implemented in the current Early
Access build. The included preset library is intentionally small and curated;
you can also point Spiroshader at compatible MilkDrop presets you already have
or install package files.

Hardware compatibility and performance can vary with the GPU, driver, graphics
backend, display, audio setup, preset and enabled effects. Known issues that
matter to users will be documented in Steam announcements or release notes while
we work on fixes or workarounds.
”

Will this software be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“We currently plan for the Early Access price to be lower than the 1.0 price.
If that plan changes, this answer will be updated; any price increase will be
communicated in advance.
”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Bug reports, hardware/compatibility reports and preset feedback are welcome
through the Steam forums and support channels. The package format and
network protocol are documented so preset authors and integration developers
can test real workflows, and beta branches may be used for changes that benefit
from broader testing before the default build is updated.”
Read more
This game is not yet available on Steam

Planned Release Date: October 2026

Interested?
Add to your wishlist and get notified when it becomes available.
 

Report bugs and leave feedback for this software on the discussion boards

See all discussions

About This Software

Turn your music into a living visual world.

Spiroshader™ turns whatever is playing on your computer into real-time visuals that move with the beat. Streaming apps, your browser, DJ software and games all work. No microphone is needed. Pick your audio output and press play.

Play the classic MilkDrop presets you remember, stunning GPU shaders and your own images, all in one playlist. They run on modern GPUs, in 4K, at high refresh rates and in true HDR. For Windows, Linux and macOS.

  • Second monitor, TV or projector - fullscreen ambience that keeps changing
  • Psychedelic webcam mirror - with green-screen support for parties and streams
  • Your brand on every visual - logo watermarks and live stingers for streams and events
  • Streaming-ready - send the output to OBS, bring cameras and other video sources in
  • HDR highlights that use your display's peak brightness
  • Find the vibe - search by colorfulness, calmness, brightness and flicker

Three visual formats, one playlist

MilkDrop 1 and 2 presets. The classic preset format, including the custom shaders, waves, shapes and sprites used by the most elaborate presets.

Shadertoy-style shaders. Single- and multipass GPU shaders: fractals, fluid simulations, ray-marched worlds, procedural landscapes and abstract digital art, fed with Spiroshader's real-time audio analysis.

Images. Photos, artwork and HDR images (Radiance HDR and OpenEXR) as backdrops, interludes or calmer moments between animated scenes.

A curated starter library - plus your own collection. Spiroshader ships with a hand-picked set of original presets. Drop in any compatible MilkDrop collection you already own, or install preset packs, and they play right alongside it.

True HDR

On an HDR display, Spiroshader keeps the visual pipeline in high dynamic range. Glowing highlights reach above ordinary SDR white.

HDR output requires an HDR-capable display and a supported Vulkan, Direct3D 12 or Metal setup.

Turn a webcam into a psychedelic magic mirror

Point a webcam at yourself, your friends, a dance floor or anything around you. Camera-aware presets pull the live image into the visual: liquid distortion, kaleidoscopes, feedback tunnels and infinity-mirror effects that react to the music.

With chroma-key / green-screen support, remove the camera background and place a person or object inside the generated scene. Use it as a party mirror, a performer backdrop, a stream effect or an art installation.

Your logo, alive in the visuals

Turn every visual into branded stream and event content. Add your logo as a transparent PNG and keep it on screen across every preset as a watermark. Or feed it into the preset, so the same warps, feedback and color that shape the visuals make your logo ripple, melt and swirl with the music.

Fire a logo stinger live from a hotkey. Combine it with your keyed or picture-in-picture camera for a complete branded look, then send the result straight to OBS.

Visuals that respond to the music

Spiroshader continuously analyzes the audio and hands it to the presets: bass and percussion, mids and vocals, highs, musical peaks, the full spectrum and overall energy. Per-preset controls let you adjust smoothing, frequency balance and sensitivity.

A playlist that fits the room

Play in order, shuffle, or favor your top-rated presets. Give entries their own duration, mark favorites, lock a preset, skip one, or cut automatically on strong beats. Use smooth crossfades or instant cuts, and control everything from the couch with mouse, keyboard, gamepad or touch.

Something colorful but calm? Filter for it.

Spiroshader indexes loose files and installed packs into a searchable library. Search names, authors, tags and metadata, preview results live, and add your own tags.

Every preset can be described by five visual characteristics:

Complexity · Movement · Color · Brightness · Flicker

Spiroshader measures them in the background when a preset doesn't carry them. Sort and filter by them alongside ratings, favorites and skip marks. Find something dark and slow for late nights, or simply less flicker.

Tune the look without touching the preset

Choose an enhancement level, then fine-tune glow, vividness, clarity, line thickness, motion speed, beat sensitivity, feedback timing and audio analysis. Tune everything globally or per preset. The original preset file is never modified.

Render resolution is independent of the window size, so you can balance image quality and GPU load per preset.

For streamers, VJs and tinkerers

  • Live video in and out: cameras and webcams, Spout (Windows), Syphon (macOS), PipeWire (Linux) and supported screen and window sharing. Composite a source over a visual, blend it, key it, or map it into a preset as a texture. You can also publish Spiroshader's own output to tools such as OBS.
  • Your music here, the picture there: two copies of Spiroshader sync over your local network. The leader sends audio, timing and visual changes to one follower on another screen.
  • Conductor Mode: lead a follower without rendering locally.
  • JSON-RPC remote control for scripts, show-control systems and integrations.
  • Multi-display layouts on one computer: side-by-side stripe and 2×2.
  • Native graphics backends: Vulkan · Direct3D 12 · Metal · OpenGL.

Packs and credits

Preset collections install as packs of presets, textures and playlists that you can enable or disable as a unit. Spiroshader shows each preset's author, source and license terms when the metadata is present and can build a ready-to-copy attribution block. Always check the license of the presets you use. Spiroshader's own included presets are released under CC0 1.0 or 0BSD, at your option.

Start simple. Go as deep as you want.

Start it and leave it running fullscreen. Or build a curated visual library, show off your HDR display, turn a webcam into an installation, light up a party, brand a stream, or drive a second screen across the room.


WARNING - Photosensitive seizure warning: This visualizer produces strong contrast, rapid flashes, and flickering patterns synchronized to audio. A very small percentage of people may experience seizures, blackouts, or other symptoms when exposed to such visual stimuli, even with no prior history of epilepsy. Stop immediately and consult a doctor if you experience dizziness, altered vision, eye or muscle twitches, loss of awareness, disorientation, or any involuntary movement or convulsion. Use in a well-lit room and sit a comfortable distance from the screen.


Spiroshader is a trademark of WiderUp LLC. MilkDrop and Shadertoy are marks or names of their respective owners and are used only to describe compatible content formats. Spiroshader is an independent product and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by those owners.

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

Pre-generated: AI-assisted development was used for portions of WiderUp's
included preset/code content. Generative image tools were also used for
splash/backdrop artwork and parts of the user-interface icon set, based on
WiderUp's prompts and followed by human review/editing. Shipped outputs were
reviewed, tested and integrated by WiderUp. The product does not rely on an
AI service while it is running.

Live-generated: None. Spiroshader does not generate content with AI at
runtime and contains no runtime AI model or generative-AI service.

System Requirements

Windows
macOS
SteamOS + Linux
    Minimum:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: Windows 11
    • Processor: Any 64-bit x86
    • Memory: 4 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Vulkan 1.0 or Direct3D 12 capable GPU; OpenGL 3.3 fallback
    • DirectX: Version 12
    • Storage: 150 MB available space
    • Sound Card: Any output device (system audio is captured by loopback)
    Recommended:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: WIndows 11
    • Processor: 4 cores or more
    • Memory: 8 GB RAM
    • Graphics: Discrete GPU, 4 GB+ VRAM; HDR display for HDR output
    • DirectX: Version 12
    • Storage: 150 MB available space
    • Sound Card: Any output device (system audio is captured by loopback)
    Minimum:
    • OS: macOS 13 Ventura
    • Processor: Apple silicon or Intel
    • Memory: 4096 MB RAM
    • Graphics: Metal (all supported Macs); OpenGL fallback
    • Sound Card: Any output device (system audio is captured by loopback)
    Recommended:
    • OS: Current macOS
    • Processor: Apple silicon
    • Memory: 8192 MB RAM
    • Graphics: HDR display (XDR / HDR-capable external) for HDR output
    • Sound Card: Any output device (system audio is captured by loopback)
    Minimum:
    • OS: 64-bit distribution with glibc 2.31 or newer (Ubuntu 20.04, Debian 11 or later)
    • Processor: x86-64 or arm64
    • Memory: 4096 MB RAM
    • Graphics: Vulkan 1.0 capable GPU and driver (Mesa or vendor); OpenGL 3.3 fallback
    • Storage: 150 MB available space
    • Sound Card: PipeWire or PulseAudio for system-output capture
    Recommended:
    • OS: Current LTS release
    • Processor: 4 cores or more
    • Memory: 8192 MB RAM
    • Graphics: Discrete GPU, 4 GB+ VRAM; HDR needs Vulkan
    • Storage: 150 MB available space
    • Sound Card: PipeWire
Review Filters