Version: 2019.4
Visual effects
Particle systems

Post-processing and full-screen effects

Unity provides a number of post-processing effects and full-screen effects that can greatly improve the appearance of your application with little set-up time. You can use these effects to simulate physical cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
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and film properties, or to create stylised visuals.

This page contains the following information:

The images below demonstrate a SceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
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with and without post-processing.

Scene with no post-processing
Scene with no post-processing
Scene with post-processing
Scene with post-processing

Render pipeline compatibility

Which post-processing effects are available and how you apply them depend on which render pipeline you are using. A post-processing solution from one render pipeline is not compatible with other render pipelines.

This table contains information about which of Unity’s post-processing solutions are compatible with each of Unity’s render pipelines.

Render pipeline Post-processing support
Built-in Render Pipeline The Built-in Render Pipeline does not include a post-processing solution by default. To use post-processing effects with the Built-in Render Pipeline, download the Post-Processing Version 2 package. For information on using post-processing effects in the Built-in Render Pipeline, see the Post-Processing Version 2 documentation.
Universal Render Pipeline (URP) URP includes its own post-processing solution, which Unity installs when you create a Project using a URP Template. For information on using post-processing effects in URP, see the URP post-processing documentation.
High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP) HDRP includes its own post-processing solution, which Unity installs when you create a Project using an HDRP Template. For information on using post-processing effects in HDRP, see the HDRP post-processing documentation.

Note: Post processing stack version 1 is now deprecated and should not be used.

Effect availability and location

This table contains information on which post-processing effects and full-screen effects are available in Unity’s different post-processing solutions, how to find those effects, and what other effects you can use to achieve a similar result.

In previous versions of Unity, you applied all post-processing effects and full-screen effects in the same way; by adding components to a Camera. In more recent versions of Unity, you can apply these effects in different ways.

Note that Unity implements effects differently depending on the package you are using. This means that effects vary in terms of performance, appearance, and configuration between packages.

Effect Name Description Available in URP integrated solution? Available in HDRP integrated solution? Available in PPv2 package?
Ambient Occlusion The Ambient Occlusion effect darkens the areas in your scene that are not exposed to ambient lighting. Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Ambient Occlusion

You can also apply Ambient Occlusion as part of your baked lighting. For more information, see Baked Ambient Occlusion
Yes

Choose from SSAO using a Volume Override, or Ray-Traced Ambient Occlusion

You can also apply per-Material Ambient Occlusion

You can also apply Ambient Occlusion as part of your baked lighting. For more information, see Baked Ambient Occlusion
Yes

See Post Processing: Ambient Occlusion
You can also apply Ambient Occlusion as part of your baked lighting. For more information, see Baked Ambient Occlusion
Anti-aliasing The Anti-aliasing effect softens the appearance of edges in your scene.
Depending on your render pipeline, you can use MSAA (hardware anti-aliasing), or FXAA, SMAA, or TAA (anti-aliasing post-processing effects)
Yes

FXAA and SMAA can be enabled in the Camera component

You can also configure MSAA (hardware anti-aliasing) in Quality Settings
Yes

FXAA, SMAA, and TAA are implemented in Project Settings > Frame Settings > HDRP Default Settings; see Anti-aliasing in the High Definition Render Pipeline

You can also configure MSAA (hardware anti-aliasing) in the HDRP Asset - see Anti-aliasing in the High Definition Render Pipeline.
Yes

For FXAA, SMAA, and TAA, see Post Processing: Anti-aliasing

You can also configure MSAA (hardware anti-aliasing) in Quality Settings
Auto Exposure The Auto Exposure effect dynamically adjusts the exposure of an image to match its mid-tone. No Yes

In High Definition Render Pipeline: Exposure Volume Override, when Mode is set to Automatic
Yes

See Post Processing:Auto Exposure
Bloom The Bloom effect makes bright areas in your image glow.Note that Bloom works differently in each package, and requires different settings; read the documentation for a given package for more information. Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Bloom
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Bloom
Yes

See Post Processing: Bloom
Channel Mixer The Channel mixer lets you adjust the balance of each input color. Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Channel Mixer
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Channel Mixer
Yes

See Channel Mixer in Post Processing: Color Grading
Chromatic Aberration The Chromatic Aberration effect disperses colors along the boundaries between dark and light areas of the image. Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Chromatic Aberration
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Chromatic Aberration
Yes

See Post Processing: Chromatic Aberration
Color Adjustments The Color Adjustments effect lets you change the overall tone, brightness, and contrast of the final rendered image. Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Color Adjustments
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Color Adjustments
Yes

See Tone in Post Processing: Color Grading
Color Curves The Color Curves effect lets you adjust specific ranges in hue, saturation, or luminosity. Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Color Curves
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Color Curves
Yes

See Grading Curves in Post Processing: Color Grading
Fog The Fog effect simulates the look of fog or mist in outdoor environments. No Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Fog Volume Override (note that this is not implemented as a full-screen effect or post-processing effect)
Yes

See Post Processing: Deferred Fog
Depth of Field The Depth of Field effect blurs the background of your image while the objects in the foreground stay in focus. Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Depth of Field
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Depth of Field
Yes

See Post Processing: Depth of Field
Grain The Grain effect overlays film noise onto your image. Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Film Grain
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Film Grain
Yes

See Post Processing: Grain
Lens Distortion The Lens Distortion effect simulates distortion caused by the shape of a real-world camera lens. Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Lens Distortion
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Lens Distortion
Yes

See Post Processing: Lens Distortion
Lift, Gamma, Gain The Lift, Gamma, Gain effect allows you to perform three-way color grading. Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Lift, Gamma, Gain
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Lift, Gamma, Gain
Yes

See Trackballs in Post Processing: Color Grading
Motion Blur The Motion Blur effect blurs the image in the direction of the camera’s movement Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Motion Blur
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Motion Blur
Yes

See Post Processing: Motion Blur
Panini Projection The Panini Projection effect corrects distortion at the edge of an image caused by a wide field of view. Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Panini Projection
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Panini Projection
No
Screen Space Reflection The Screen Space Reflection effect creates subtle reflections that simulate wet floor surfaces or puddles. No Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Screen Space Reflection
Yes

See Post Processing: Screen Space Reflection
Shadows Midtones Highlights The Shadows Midtones Highlights effect separately controls the tint and brightness of the shadows, midtones, and highlights in your image Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Shadows, Midtones, Highlights
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Shadows Midtones Highlights
No
Split Toning The Split Toning effect maps two different tones in your image to two specific colors. Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Split Toning
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Split Toning
No
Tonemapping The Tonemapping effect remaps the values of an image to high dynamic range (HDR) colors Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Tonemapping
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: Tonemapping
Yes

See Tonemapping in Post Processing: Color Grading
Vignette The Vignette effect darkens the edges of an image Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: Vignette
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline:Vignette
Yes

See Post Processing: Vignette
White Balance The White Balance effect preserves the white areas in your image and balances other tones around the white areas Yes

See Universal Render Pipeline: White Balance
Yes

See High Definition Render Pipeline: White Balance
Yes

See White balance in Post Processing: Color Grading
Visual effects
Particle systems