diff --git a/Assets/dll/dsda.wbx.zst b/Assets/dll/dsda.wbx.zst
index 906e2d75e5..50854fa449 100644
Binary files a/Assets/dll/dsda.wbx.zst and b/Assets/dll/dsda.wbx.zst differ
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Computers/Doom/DSDA.IVideoProvider.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Computers/Doom/DSDA.IVideoProvider.cs
index f8f3aec22e..11aa92ee1f 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Computers/Doom/DSDA.IVideoProvider.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Computers/Doom/DSDA.IVideoProvider.cs
@@ -15,11 +15,38 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Computers.Doom
 		public int VsyncDenominator { get; }
 		public int[] GetVideoBuffer() => _vidBuff;
 
-		private unsafe void UpdateVideo(int gamma = -1)
+		private void InitVideo()
+		{
+			var renderInfo = new LibDSDA.PackedRenderInfo()
+			{
+				SfxVolume = _settings.SfxVolume,
+				MusicVolume = _settings.MusicVolume,
+				Gamma = _settings.Gamma,
+				HeadsUpMode = (int) _settings.HeadsUpMode,
+				MapDetails = (int) _settings.MapDetails,
+				MapOverlay = (int) _settings.MapOverlay,
+				RenderVideo = 1,
+				RenderAudio = 1,
+				ShowMessages = Convert.ToInt32(_settings.ShowMessages),
+				ReportSecrets = Convert.ToInt32(_settings.ReportSecrets),
+				DsdaExHud = Convert.ToInt32(_settings.DsdaExHud),
+				DisplayCoordinates = Convert.ToInt32(_settings.DisplayCoordinates),
+				DisplayCommands = Convert.ToInt32(_settings.DisplayCommands),
+				MapTotals = Convert.ToInt32(_settings.MapTotals),
+				MapTime = Convert.ToInt32(_settings.MapTime),
+				MapCoordinates = Convert.ToInt32(_settings.MapCoordinates),
+				PlayerPointOfView = _settings.DisplayPlayer - 1,
+			};
+
+			_core.dsda_init_video(ref renderInfo);
+			_vidBuff = new int[BufferWidth * BufferHeight];
+		}
+
+		private unsafe void UpdateVideo(bool init = false)
 		{
 			using (_elf.EnterExit())
 			{
-				_core.dsda_get_video(gamma, out var vi);
+				_core.dsda_get_video(out var vi);
 
 				int[] _palBuffer = [ ];
 				var videoBuffer = (byte*)vi.VideoBuffer.ToPointer();
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Computers/Doom/DSDA.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Computers/Doom/DSDA.cs
index cbb34ec5bd..2f5d0c92f9 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Computers/Doom/DSDA.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Computers/Doom/DSDA.cs
@@ -216,10 +216,9 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Computers.Doom
 					_elf.Seal();
 				}
 
-				// we have to set gamma after the core is sealed to ensure states don't depend on its initial value
-				// but if we set it during frame advance, first frame won't have it set
-				// so we set gamma here and force a video update, and other UpdateVideo() calls are blank
-				UpdateVideo(_settings.Gamma);
+				// we have to set render info after the core is sealed to ensure
+				// states don't depend on its initial value
+				InitVideo();
 
 				// Registering memory domains
 				SetupMemoryDomains();
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Computers/Doom/LibDSDA.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Computers/Doom/LibDSDA.cs
index 7731113efc..31f27b39e6 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Computers/Doom/LibDSDA.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Computers/Doom/LibDSDA.cs
@@ -119,7 +119,10 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Computers.Doom
 		public abstract bool dsda_init(ref InitSettings settings, int argc, string[] argv);
 
 		[BizImport(CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
-		public abstract void dsda_get_video(int gamma, out VideoInfo info);
+		public abstract void dsda_init_video(ref PackedRenderInfo renderInfo);
+
+		[BizImport(CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
+		public abstract void dsda_get_video(out VideoInfo videoInfo);
 
 		[UnmanagedFunctionPointer(CallingConvention.Cdecl)]
 		public delegate int load_archive_cb(string filename, IntPtr buffer, int maxsize);
diff --git a/waterbox/dsda/BizhawkInterface.c b/waterbox/dsda/BizhawkInterface.c
index a7075aec5b..c90cec70eb 100644
--- a/waterbox/dsda/BizhawkInterface.c
+++ b/waterbox/dsda/BizhawkInterface.c
@@ -222,14 +222,8 @@ ECL_EXPORT void dsda_get_audio(int *n, void **buffer)
     *buffer = audioBuffer;
 }
 
-ECL_EXPORT void dsda_get_video(int gamma, struct VideoInfo* vi)
+ECL_EXPORT void dsda_get_video(struct VideoInfo* vi)
 {
-  if (gamma != -1)
-  {
-    dsda_UpdateIntConfig(dsda_config_usegamma, gamma, true);
-    headlessUpdateVideo();
-  }
-
   vi->buffer = (uint8_t *)headlessGetVideoBuffer();
   vi->width = headlessGetVideoWidth();
   vi->height = headlessGetVideoHeight();
@@ -250,9 +244,14 @@ ECL_EXPORT void dsda_get_video(int gamma, struct VideoInfo* vi)
   vi->paletteBuffer = _convertedPaletteBuffer;
 }
 
+ECL_EXPORT void dsda_init_video(struct PackedRenderInfo *renderInfo)
+{
+  render_updates(renderInfo);
+  headlessUpdateVideo();
+}
+
 ECL_EXPORT bool dsda_frame_advance(AutomapButtons buttons, struct PackedPlayerInput *player1Inputs, struct PackedPlayerInput *player2Inputs, struct PackedPlayerInput *player3Inputs, struct PackedPlayerInput *player4Inputs, struct PackedRenderInfo *renderInfo)
 {
-  // Live render changes
   if (renderInfo->RenderVideo)
     render_updates(renderInfo);