[MOD] VREM2: VR Enhancer Mod (ReShade Addon)

[lefuneste]

VREM is a ReShade addon designed to enhance the VR experience in IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles (though most features are also compatible with 2D gameplay).

Important: This mod may be prohibited on many multiplayer servers, as the ReShade library itself can potentially be used for cheating. Use with caution in online environments.

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Key Features

1. Sight Enhancements

    Customizable Sight: Adjust the intensity and opacity of the gun sight via the ReShade GUI.
    Eye Selection: Choose to display the sight for the left eye, right eye, or both.

2. Miscellaneous Visual Improvements

    Airframe Masking for Sun Effects: Prevents sun halos and light rays from bleeding through the cockpit airframe for a more realistic look.
    Night Map Mode: Darkens the in-game map to prevent glare during night sorties.
        Hotkey: CTRL + U to toggle; darkening intensity is adjustable in the GUI.
   

3. Pilot notes

    Displays reference notes directly in front of the player (VR and 2D), solving the issue of low-resolution cockpit photos.
        Hotkey: K to toggle.
        Note: If the correct texture isn't found, cycle through available textures using SHIFT + K. Scale and position are adjustable.

3. Labels & Icons

•  Smart Masking: Labels for airfields and mission targets are now correctly masked by the airframe, preventing them from "floating" over your cockpit.
•  Immersive Colors: Force all labels and text to a uniform gray to reduce the immersion-breaking "cheat" look of bright icons.
•  Option to remove the directional triangles at the edge of the screen that point toward nearby aircraft.

4. Integrated Stopwatch

     A dedicated stopwatch to assist with navigation when cockpit clocks are hard to read or unusable.

    Hotkey: J to toggle visibility.
    Controls: SHIFT + K to Start/Pause; CTRL + K to Reset.
    Position and scale can be customized in the GUI.

 

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Advanced Rendering Features

Reshade techniques (effects) in Rendering Chain

Standard ReShade effects are usually applied to the final image, which often breaks the UI (maps, speed bars, etc.) or causes issues with OpenComposite. VREM2 allows you to select specific techniques to be rendered before the UI is drawn, ensuring a clean interface.

Dedicated VREM Shaders

VREM2 includes modified versions of popular shaders, optimized to affect only specific parts of the scene (Cockpit vs. External) or environmental elements (Sky, Sea…):

• Technicolor2, Color Matrix, Fake HDR, & LumaSharpen (by CeeJay.dk and Prod80)  : Now feature "Cockpit only" or "External only" rendering modes.
• Deband (by haasn): Can be selectively applied to the sky, the sea, or both to eliminate color banding.
• SmartFXAA (done via Claude AI): A tuned version of FXAA that avoids blurring cockpit textures or losing distant planes against sky or ground. Includes a Debug Mode to visualize exactly where the anti-aliasing is being applied.

See posts below for more informations.

Acknowledgments

This software is using part of code or algorithms provided by

• Crosire https://github.com/crosire/reshade
• FransBouma https://github.com/FransBouma/ShaderToggler
• ShortFuse https://github.com/clshortfuse/renodx

 

I would not have been able to deliver it without their help !

 

History

 

1.0 : 2026/03/31 :  first release

1.1 : 2026/04/14 : improvement of pilot note selection for display and maybe performance

1.2 : 2026/04/16 : sun halo masking and night mode for map working

 

Installation / uninstallation :

See post below

Edited 15 hours ago by lefuneste

[lefuneste]

🛠️ Installation

[!IMPORTANT] Neither ReShade nor VREM will modify or overwrite any original files of your IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles installation.

1. ReShade Setup

1. Download: Get ReShade from reshade.me.

   • ⚠️ Crucial: You must download the version with Add-on support.

2. Launch: Run the ReShade_Setup_*_Addon.exe.

3. Select Game: Point the installer to IL-2.exe (found in your IL-2/bin/game/ folder).

4. Rendering API: Select DirectX 10/11/12.

   • ❌ Do not select OpenXR.

5. Effects: You can untick SweetFX by CeeJay.dk unless you specifically need it.

6. Add-ons: Do not select any additional add-ons during this stage.

 

2. VREM Setup

1. Download: Get reshade_VREM_IL2GB.zip in the latest version from the VREM Releases.

2. Install Options:

   • Option A (Recommended): Use OvGME. Simply place the zip package into your OvGME MOD folder and enable it.

   • Option B (Manual):

     • Unzip reshade_VREM_IL2GB.zip.

     • Copy the bin folder from the archive into your main IL-2 installation folder.

     • This will correctly place the following files:

       • bin\game\reshade-shaders\Shaders\VREM\

       • bin\game\VREM_shaderreplace\

       • bin\game\VREM_launcher.addon64

 

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🛠️Configuration/first launch

• Launch IL2
• You will have a message "Reshade ... / Visit Reshade... / press HOME ..."
• Press home, do tutorial or skip it
• Go to "add-ons" tab, untick "Generic Depth"
• Only if you are using SteamVR maintain ticked "Effect Runtime Sync", otherwise untick it.
• Ensure IL2 GB VREM is ticked.
• close and relaunch the game, then you will be good to go

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🗑️ Uninstallation

Removing ReShade

Run the ReShade_Setup_*_Addon.exe again, select IL-2.exe, and choose the Uninstall option.

Removing VREM

• OvGME: Simply disable the mod in the application.

• Manual: Delete the following items from your IL-2/bin/game/ directory:

  • The folder reshade-shaders\Shaders\VREM\

  • The folder VREM_shaderreplace\

  • The file VREM_launcher.addon64

 

Edited March 30 by lefuneste

[lefuneste]

Configuration

VREM settings 

You need at first to press the “home” key to open reshade windows, then go to the “home” tab.

Mod settings are defined using the technique “VREM_settings” that is enabled by default.

 

 

All settings are in the window below the technique list.

Options are available by sections (example "1.sight"). Each section has a tick section as the first line.
If the tick is not selected, the settings of the section are not active.

Ticking the “enable” will often need a relaunch of the game to be available, as it is triggering activation of shaders. You need at least to push on the “reload” button at the bottom of reshade windows.

 

All settings are automatically saved.

I think settings are simple to understand, so no more comment here.
Here is a small video showing usage of photo and stopwatch :

 

 

Technique in game rendering

 

Standard ReShade effects are usually applied to the final image, which often breaks the UI (maps, speed bars, etc.) when you are using effect based on cockpit masks, or causes issues with OpenComposite.

 

Here is a stupid example in which I setup a red fitler on cockpit.
Without injection: issue with map

 

With Injection:no issue

 

To enable injection, you need to tick the option VREM "Enable technique in game rendering" in section '6. Techniques'
Once the option is enabled, you need to go the the screen 'add-ons'

 

 

You will see then the list of technique available. You can now choose the one you want to have injected in game rendering. It will be saved for further game session. You may have to reboot to see the technique.

 

 

How to setup technique settings ?

 

⚠️ Crucial: if you are in 2D or using SteamVR, the technique is applyed 2 time by default : one by VREM in game rendering and one by reshade at the end of the rendering. You need to ensure the tick "disable technique in injection..." is active. At the opposite, if you are using OpenXR via OpenComposite, you need to untick it if you want to see result in your VR helmet. 

 

• Go to "addon" tab and then tick the technique you want to have 
• Go back to the "home" tab, then tick the technique you want to setup.
• Change the settings until you are pleased.
• You can use the mirror view to set technique, but you may need to do it with the helmet on (example color change). Then you will have to play between 2D and VR view, putting the mouse cursor in the good place in 2D and moving it with the mouse when beeing back in VR. that's a bit tricky but there is no way to have Reshade GUI in VR...:-(
• One everyting is OK, just untick the technique in the "home" tab. Now only the VREM injection will be active, with the settings you setup.
• Settings are automatically saved by reshade.

 

VREM dedicated techniques

• VREM_Technicolor2, VREM_Color Matrix, VREM_Fake HDR, & VREM_LumaSharpen have the original fields + one dedicated  "target region" field (first line of the technique settings). This will allow you to choose if you want the technique rendered only on cockpit, external or full image. The P39 cockpit picture above is showing "Technicolor" technique rendered on cockpit only.
• Same principle for VREM_deband except you can choose between sky, water or both. There are some debug option showing you what the shader will modify.
• VREM_smartFXAA is a dedicated version of FXAA (low fps impact AA) with option to remove its main drawbacks.
  If you tick the option 'depth edge detection' cockpit area will be aliased only on edge detected by depth changes. Textures will remain unblurred.
  External planes border will not be blurred whatever.
  
  There is a "debug" tick that will show you settings impact :
  Blue edges are done with AA based on Luma, Red edges are showing AA done on edges area only. 2 different settings are available for luma and depth. In this view the map and GUI is processed because I set the technique in "home" tab.

Edited March 30 by lefuneste

[lefuneste]

placeholder for FAQ

Edited March 29 by lefuneste

[VISHNU]

I'm so afraid of messing with my VR setup.... It's taken me literally a couple of years of tinkering with my OS, Nvidia, Open Composite, Quest settings to get where I am, but I so tempted to try this mod.

[lefuneste]

16 minutes ago, VISHNU said:

I'm so afraid of messing with my VR setup.... It's taken me literally a couple of years of tinkering with my OS, Nvidia, Open Composite, Quest settings to get where I am, but I so tempted to try this mod.

As written above it won't change any of your game files. If it is not working or not pleasing you, just remove reshade and the mod. Take care of not choosing OpenXR option when installing reshade, otherwise you may have to remove it from OpenXR layer, but this is straighforward.

Edited March 29 by lefuneste

[Patricks]

Nothing to add...

Edited Tuesday at 03:18 PM by Patricks

[lefuneste]

58 minutes ago, Patricks said:

Just an FYI as I have not done extensive testing, but I just installed it into the latest Korea beta, only turned on the sun glare option, and it caused no issues. I did notice when the Add-ons tab is selected you get this bouncing in the ReShade Home screen.. does not seem to effect anything. Will play with it more tomorrow, and try it in IL-2 GB..

You where lucky to have no crash. In best case it won't  change anything, but don't expect more. This is not the same engine...I just updated the installation doc to tell to disable the depth addon that is part of reshade.

Edited March 30 by lefuneste

[Patricks]

12 hours ago, lefuneste said:

You where lucky to have no crash. In best case it won't  change anything, but don't expect more. This is not the same engine...I just updated the installation doc to tell to disable the depth addon that is part of reshade.

Yes, while it didn't cause an issue it didn't seem to do anything. Was just playing around, no harm done. Will mess about with IL-2 GB today..

Edited March 31 by Patricks

[lefuneste]

On 3/31/2026 at 9:33 AM, Patricks said:

Yes, while it didn't cause an issue it didn't seem to do anything. Was just playing around, no harm done. Will mess about with IL-2 GB today..

Hello, did you manage to test VREM on il2 GB ?

[Patricks]

On 4/2/2026 at 7:34 AM, lefuneste said:

Hello, did you manage to test VREM on il2 GB ?

I did, seemed to work fine (no ill effects), no issues but as I really only do Haze reduction (in DCS) I didn't change/test enough to notice changes in IL-2 GB. Need more testing. 

Edit: Had to remove it for IL-2 multiplayer.... 

Edited Wednesday at 02:32 PM by Patricks

[lefuneste]

new version 1.1 : 2026/04/14 : improvement of pilot note selection for display and maybe performance.

Sun halo is not masked and night mode seems not working on both 1.1 and 1.0, I'll have a look.

Edited Tuesday at 06:45 AM by lefuneste

[pepper9881]

When I launch it through OpenComposite/OXR, I always get an error window from OpenComposite:  Missing Interface      IVROverlay_208. 

• "Generic Depth" unticked
• "Effect Runtime Sync" unticked
• "disable technique in injection..." unticked 

When using SteamVR everything works fine.

[lefuneste]

3 hours ago, pepper9881 said:

When I launch it through OpenComposite/OXR, I always get an error window from OpenComposite:  Missing Interface      IVROverlay_208. 

• "Generic Depth" unticked
• "Effect Runtime Sync" unticked
• "disable technique in injection..." unticked 

When using SteamVR everything works fine.

Which reshade version are you using ? I had this issue with old version. I’m using opencomposite without problem.

[pepper9881]

16 часов назад, lefuneste сказал:

Which reshade version are you using ? 

6.7.3 with full add-on 

[lefuneste]

Can you just try reshade without the addon ?

Did you install reshade with openXR support ?

Edited Wednesday at 05:29 PM by lefuneste

[pepper9881]

4 часа назад, lefuneste сказал:

Can you just try reshade without the addon ?

The same error. It occurs in the first seconds after starting the game - at the moment of switching to VR

launch via OpenComposite and VD + VDXR

4 часа назад, lefuneste сказал:

Did you install reshade with openXR support ?

without, as in the instructions.
but then I tried this option
and even tried to disable all OpenXR layers that were available. No effect

[lefuneste]

What are VD and VDXR ?

[Koziolek]

3 hours ago, lefuneste said:

What are VD and VDXR ?

Virtual Desktop 

You can run it with Steam VR or Open XR ( VDXR)

Edited yesterday at 09:20 AM by Koziolek

[lefuneste]

20 hours ago, pepper9881 said:

The same error. It occurs in the first seconds after starting the game - at the moment of switching to VR

launch via OpenComposite and VD + VDXR

without, as in the instructions.
but then I tried this option
and even tried to disable all OpenXR layers that were available. No effect

Can you try this unofficial reshade version in whohc I removed VR support: https://www.mediafire.com/file/9ko8c8gx5pyzu3u/ReShade_Setup.exe/file

If it is working without issue with opencomposite, you can try my mod on top of it.

But I'd like you to send me the reshade.log when you have the error  IVROverlay_208, so I'll try to ask a fix in reshade. They did it for the message I had initially with Varjo OpenXR and opencomposite...

 

Otherwise, I updated github with the v1.2 : 2026/04/16 : sun halo masking and night mode for map working

Edited 14 hours ago by lefuneste