Rotations are too smooth

Graphics
1

I am in the process of porting a game from Love2D over to Monogame and I am trying to recreate the same pixelated effect that was achieved using Love2D’s nearest filtering mode. I am currently upscaling using a Transform Matrix and using the PointClamp Sampler State. If you look at the guns in the attached image, you can see the Love2D version has the jagged look I am trying to achieve, while Monogame is smooth.

Just in case, I have also attached some code below so you can get an idea of what I am doing.

Rotation Example
Rotation Example2951×1196 91 KB 

        public void SetScreenResolution()
        {
            float tempXScale = (screenResolutionX / baseResolutionX);
            float tempYScale = (screenResolutionY / baseResolutionY);

            matrix = Matrix.CreateScale(tempXScale, tempYScale, 1);
            
        }

       protected override void Draw(GameTime gameTime)
        {


            GraphicsDevice.Clear(Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Color.White);
            // Draw background
            _spriteBatch.Begin(blendState: BlendState.AlphaBlend, sortMode: SpriteSortMode.FrontToBack, samplerState: SamplerState.PointClamp, transformMatrix: matrix);
            gameManager.DrawBackground(_spriteBatch);
            _spriteBatch.End();

            // Splatter
            _spriteBatch.Begin(blendState: multiplyBlendState, sortMode: SpriteSortMode.FrontToBack, samplerState: SamplerState.PointClamp, transformMatrix: matrix);
            gameManager.DrawSplatter(_spriteBatch);
            _spriteBatch.End();


            // Main Draw Loop
            _spriteBatch.Begin(blendState: BlendState.AlphaBlend  , sortMode: SpriteSortMode.FrontToBack, samplerState: SamplerState.PointClamp, transformMatrix: matrix);
            gameManager.Draw(_spriteBatch);
            _spriteBatch.End();

            base.Draw(gameTime);
        }
2

The problem is that you’re rendering to the full screen resolution, not to the actual “base resolution” you want.

To get the effect you want, you need to render to a RenderTarget2D of the desired resolution, then as a final pass, draw that texture scaled up to the screen.

In the Anodyne fan remake, we had screen textures of size 160x180, draw everything to that, and then draw that scaled up to the screen:

3

That makes sense, thank you!