Anti-glare solutions for pinball machines

The large piece of glass above the playfield can reflect a lot of the environment, which can be distracting depending on the lighting in your room. Bright overhead lights can create hotspots that blind you, making it harder to follow the ball.

Fortunately, several solutions exist to reduce glare, each with its own pros and cons. The effectiveness of these solutions depends on your gameroom. Whether it’s dark or well-lit, and whether lighting is direct or soft and indirect.

There are two main types of reflections: those caused by the backbox of the game itself and those from other objects in the room. This article explores two primary solutions: anti-reflective playfield glass and privacy filters.

DMD and LCD privacy filters

A major source of reflections on the back of the playfield comes from the bright DMD or LCD screens in the backbox. The translight can also reflect in the playfield glass, but finding a solution for this is more complex because of its size.

Years ago, people came up with the idea of a bent plastic that is installed at the top of the playfield glass. You can see an example here (aff. link).
I am not a fan of this. It works but it sticks out of the cabinet. At home it could be used, but for location play it's useless and will be broken or vandalised very soon.

A better alternative is installing laptop privacy filters over the LCD screen. These filters are slightly more expensive than the bent plastic, but they deliver superior results. If you own a modern pinball machine with an LCD screen—such as Stern or Spooky—opt for a 15.6-inch LCD privacy screen. Be sure to purchase a privacy filter, not a blue light filter. As you can see in the picture below, they are also available in pinball shops for regular dmds (aff. link).

Both types of privacy filter. Still new, with their dark protective filter on. Usually they come with cleaning pads and small pieces of double sided tape.

Privacy filters are also available for standard DMDs in pinball shops. These filters, usually packaged with cleaning pads and double-sided tape, attach directly to the DMD or LCD glass. The technology behind them involves a miniature grid that restricts the screen’s viewing angle, allowing light to pass only when viewed directly in front. From the side, the screen appears dark, reducing glare bouncing off the playfield glass.

DMD filter halfway installed.

To demonstrate the effect, I've taped a dmd filter halfway over this DrWho dmd. Note this is not how you should install it, it should go onto the glass itself. The protective foil is still on the filter, making it more dark than it will when it's installed correctly.
As you can see on the bottom part of the picture, the reflection on the playfield glass is gone in the part that's covered by a filter. The 5th doctor plastic is partly invisible, while the left side of the backpanel remains completely visible.

Installation on a Stern game is easy: open the backbox and unscrew the lcd with 2 screws on each side. Clean the lcd, stick the privacy filter on with the included double sided tape, and assemble again.

This is the before picture: no privacy filter installed, and a regular playfield glass.
Notice the large reflection of the startup screen.

Privacy filter and anti-reflective glass installed.
The reflection is almost totally gone, in a dark environment.

The pictures above with a dark playfield show the worst condition possible. Once the game has booted and the playfield is lit, no reflections are visible anymore. In a bright room they will also be less noticeable.

I really love these privacy filters and have them installed on all my machines. For less than $20 each, they're one of the best and cheapest solutions you can do to block reflections and make your game look better.
Some older WPC games have a black wooden backpanel, where reflections aren’t as problematic. However, games like Monster Bash and Cactus Canyon benefit from a privacy filter, as it enhances visibility of the artwork. The only downside is a slight darkening of the display, though this is hardly noticeable when applied across multiple games.

Backglass filters

Anti-reflective plexiglass panels are available for full translights, though they are expensive and offer limited benefits. A more cost-effective option is dimming the backbox illumination, a setting available on WPC and Stern Spike machines. Lowering this brightness significantly reduces glare, particularly when paired with an anti-reflective playfield glass.

Anti-reflective playfield glass

Reflections don’t just come from the DMD or LCD; other light sources in the room can also reflect off the playfield glass. Anti-reflective playfield glass helps minimize these distractions. 'Roman Glass' from Germany was one of the first and most well-known options. Today, most pinball manufacturers offer their own versions, such as Invisiglass. While this article doesn’t compare different brands, it’s important to note that higher price doesn’t always mean better quality.

I will not start comparing the different types and source of glass here. There are different graduations and types of quality. More expensive is not always better. The differences between the sources will be in:
- Reflection reduction: Some glass types minimize reflections more effectively than others.
- Glass tint: Some glass is crystal clear, while others have a slight green, purple, or blue tint.
- Anti-reflective technology and durability: Some glass has an internal anti-reflective layer, while others feature a coating on one or both sides which is more fragile.

Advantages:
- Dramatically reduces reflections.
- Enhances the appearance of the playfield, making colors look brighter and more vibrant.
- Creates an immersive experience—the playfield almost appears to be glass-free.
- Can be transferred between machines, preserving its value when selling a pinball machine.

Disadvantages:
- Expensive, averaging $150–$200.
- Fragile. Fingerprints show easily. improper cleaning methods can damage it.
- Effectiveness varies, depending on room lighting and game placement.

Below are some examples of the effect of anti-reflective glass.

Here you see both types of glass. Attack From Mars (regular glass) shows significant reflections from the ceiling, making the playfield appear flat.
Metallica (anti-reflective glass) eliminates glare completely, bringing out richer colors and depth..

Anti-reflective glass does not eliminate all reflections—bright overhead lights will still reflect to some degree. However, the reduction in glare and improvement in playfield visibility make this upgrade one of the best ways to enhance pinball gameplay.

Regular playfield glass.

Anti reflective glass installed. Both games are next to each other, pictures taken in identical conditions.
The difference is really amazing, it looks as if there is no glass installed! The colors are really bright, you have a better view during gameplay. It's difficult to explain, but this games looks more in 3D, with a regular glass installed everything it looks flatter.