diff --git a/Brewfile b/Brewfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b37b701
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Brewfile
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# Runtime tools for RetroArch .slang shaders. Slang itself is installed by
+# scripts/setup-dependencies.sh from the official shader-slang release.
+brew "glslang"
+brew "spirv-cross"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 871f5b9..cdbac7e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,20 +20,41 @@ Useful for applying shaders like [my EINK shader](https://github.com/crutchcorn/
 # Pre-reqs
 
 - [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/)
-- Silicon Mac (M1+) with macOS 26+
+- Apple Silicon Mac (M1+) with macOS 26 or later, including macOS 27
 
 # Installation
 
-First, install the pre-req packages:
+From a copy of this repository, install or update the shader compilers:
 
 ```shell
-brew install spirv-cross glslang
+./scripts/setup-dependencies.sh
 ```
 
-Then, [install `slangc`](https://github.com/shader-slang/slang/releases/latest) to `~/slang/bin/slangc`
+This installs and upgrades the `glslang` and `spirv-cross` packages in [Brewfile](./Brewfile), then downloads [Slang 2026.18](https://github.com/shader-slang/slang/releases/tag/v2026.18) and checks its SHA-256 checksum. Slang is installed into `~/Library/Application Support/ScreenSlanger/Tools/slang/2026.18`, with a `current` symlink that ScreenSlanger discovers automatically. The full Slang distribution is needed, including its libraries. Existing installations under `~/slang` are preserved.
 
 Finally, [install ScreenSlanger from the DMG in our "Releases" tab.](https://github.com/crutchcorn/ScreenSlanger/releases/latest)
 
+Run the setup script again after pulling project updates. Homebrew packages follow their current stable releases; the Slang version and checksums are pinned in the script so a compiler update can be reviewed and tested together with the app. The macOS 27 dependency baseline is:
+
+| Dependency | Version | Purpose |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| [Slang](https://github.com/shader-slang/slang/releases/tag/v2026.18) | 2026.18 | Native Slang effects |
+| [glslang](https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/glslang) | 16.6.0 | RetroArch GLSL to SPIR-V |
+| [SPIRV-Cross](https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/spirv-cross) | 1.4.357.0 | SPIR-V to Metal |
+
+To inspect installed versions:
+
+```shell
+brew list --versions glslang spirv-cross
+"$HOME/Library/Application Support/ScreenSlanger/Tools/slang/current/bin/slangc" -version
+```
+
+For a custom installation, `SLANG_PATH`, `GLSLANG_PATH`, and `SPIRV_CROSS_PATH` may point to the respective executables in the app's environment. `brew install slang` installs the unrelated S-Lang library, not the shader compiler.
+
+# Building from source
+
+Use Xcode 27 with its macOS 27 SDK. Open `ScreenSlanger.xcodeproj`, select the **ScreenSlanger** scheme and **My Mac** destination, then build and run. The app retains macOS 26 as its minimum deployment version. There are no Swift package dependencies to resolve; the shader compilers above are runtime dependencies.
+
 # Usage
 
 Simply open the `.app` and it should automatically prompt you for the `.slang` or `.slangp` files you want to apply and for which screens you want to enable them on.
diff --git a/ScreenSlanger/slang_compiler.swift b/ScreenSlanger/slang_compiler.swift
index fc52836..876e238 100644
--- a/ScreenSlanger/slang_compiler.swift
+++ b/ScreenSlanger/slang_compiler.swift
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ enum SlangCompilerError: Error, LocalizedError {
     var errorDescription: String? {
         switch self {
         case .slangcNotFound:
-            return "slangc compiler not found. Please install Slang or set SLANG_PATH environment variable."
+            return "slangc compiler not found. Run scripts/setup-dependencies.sh or set SLANG_PATH to the compiler executable."
         case .compilationFailed(let message):
             return "Slang compilation failed: \(message)"
         case .invalidOutput:
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ class SlangCompiler {
     private static let slangcSearchPaths = [
         // Environment variable override
         ProcessInfo.processInfo.environment["SLANG_PATH"],
+        // Version managed by scripts/setup-dependencies.sh (also works when launched from Finder).
+        FileManager.default.homeDirectoryForCurrentUser
+            .appendingPathComponent("Library/Application Support/ScreenSlanger/Tools/slang/current/bin/slangc").path,
         // Homebrew installation
         "/opt/homebrew/bin/slangc",
         "/usr/local/bin/slangc",
diff --git a/scripts/setup-dependencies.sh b/scripts/setup-dependencies.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..3d4c38b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/setup-dependencies.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [[ "$(uname -s)" != "Darwin" ]]; then
+    echo "ScreenSlanger's dependencies must be installed on macOS." >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+project_dir="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
+slang_version="2026.18"
+# Checksums published with the official v2026.18 GitHub release assets.
+# https://github.com/shader-slang/slang/releases/tag/v2026.18
+case "$(uname -m)" in
+    arm64)
+        slang_arch="aarch64"
+        slang_sha256="59833c5cfa12aad72c6fbad9cfcc06be8781ecd58c5983e6c79425e819e16bb2"
+        ;;
+    x86_64)
+        slang_arch="x86_64"
+        slang_sha256="8d27b7020b102beecaa769c1ff7342dd2534c14cfae505a36e1b71d595208739"
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo "Unsupported Mac architecture: $(uname -m)" >&2
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+
+brew_command="$(command -v brew || true)"
+if [[ -z "$brew_command" ]]; then
+    echo "Install Homebrew from https://brew.sh, then run this script again." >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Upgrade only this project's formulae and their required dependencies.
+# Do not clean up other installed packages.
+HOMEBREW_NO_INSTALL_CLEANUP=1 "$brew_command" bundle install --upgrade --file="$project_dir/Brewfile"
+
+slang_root="$HOME/Library/Application Support/ScreenSlanger/Tools/slang"
+slang_directory="$slang_root/$slang_version"
+mkdir -p "$slang_root"
+
+if [[ -e "$slang_root/current" && ! -L "$slang_root/current" ]]; then
+    echo "$slang_root/current exists and is not a symlink; leaving it unchanged." >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ ! -e "$slang_directory" ]]; then
+    staging_directory="$(mktemp -d "$slang_root/.install.XXXXXX")"
+    trap 'rm -rf "$staging_directory"' EXIT
+    archive_url="https://github.com/shader-slang/slang/releases/download/v$slang_version/slang-$slang_version-macos-$slang_arch.tar.gz"
+    curl --fail --location --retry 3 "$archive_url" --output "$staging_directory/slang.tar.gz"
+    (
+        cd "$staging_directory"
+        printf '%s  slang.tar.gz\n' "$slang_sha256" | shasum -a 256 --check -
+    )
+    mkdir "$staging_directory/unpacked"
+    tar -xzf "$staging_directory/slang.tar.gz" -C "$staging_directory/unpacked"
+    installed_version="$("$staging_directory/unpacked/bin/slangc" -version 2>&1)"
+    if [[ "$installed_version" != "$slang_version" ]]; then
+        echo "Expected Slang $slang_version, got $installed_version; installation stopped." >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    mv "$staging_directory/unpacked" "$slang_directory"
+fi
+
+installed_version="$("$slang_directory/bin/slangc" -version 2>&1)"
+if [[ "$installed_version" != "$slang_version" ]]; then
+    echo "Unexpected Slang version in $slang_directory: $installed_version" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+ln -sfn "$slang_version" "$slang_root/current"
+
+printf '\nInstalled ScreenSlanger dependencies:\n'
+"$brew_command" list --versions glslang spirv-cross
+printf 'slang %s (%s)\n' "$installed_version" "$slang_root/current/bin/slangc"