A .VSH file is usually meant to be a vertex shader file containing GPU-run code that transforms vertex positions with model/view/projection matrices and passes along attributes including UVs, normals, and colors for later shading, but because `.vsh` isn’t bound to one universal definition, certain engines may also use it for specialized text formats.
The fastest way to figure out what your .VSH file actually is starts with examining the context around it, especially opening it in a text editor to see if it includes GLSL cues like `attribute` or `gl_Position`, or HLSL cues such as `float4x4` and semantics like `SV_Position`, and then checking whether it resides in shader-related folders or sits beside partner files such as `.frag`, `.psh`, or `.ps`, as well as searching the project for code that explicitly loads or compiles it as a vertex shader.
If a text editor shows nonsense characters or blank boxes instead of code, the file is probably binary, such as a compiled shader blob or a protected asset used by an engine, so identifying it depends on checking the extension as a clue, examining the binary signature, reviewing surrounding files, and finding where the project loads it, with these steps typically revealing what the `.VSH` file represents.
The “.vsh” extension is used mainly for clarity, not because any authoritative standard requires it, and its “v” for vertex plus “sh” for shader helps people instantly identify that it holds vertex-shader code, especially when matched with something like .fsh for a fragment shader to show how files pair up in the graphics pipeline.
Another reason “.vsh” is used relates to how shaders must be processed separately because build systems and asset pipelines look for certain extensions to auto-compile shader files, and even though GLSL/HLSL are text, a dedicated extension ensures the correct processing stage applies; different communities standardized on suffixes like .vs/.ps, and “.vsh” emerged as a concise, clear naming convention that pairs neatly with its fragment counterparts.
If you loved this write-up and you would such as to get more info concerning VSH file support kindly go to our own website. Because naming is convention-driven, developers often apply different extension patterns depending on shader stage, engine lineage, or legacy toolchains, so two separate “.vsh” files can both be vertex shaders but use distinct languages or formats—GLSL, HLSL, or engine-modified variants—meaning “.vsh” helps identify and process shaders but doesn’t impose universal rules.
