I did some testing… here’s the exact issue to make it clear.
In my "RetroArch\shaders\Mega_Bezel_Packs\Duimon-Mega-Bezel\Presets\Standard\MAME\MAME-[STD]-[Guest][CABINET].slangp"
preset, I have the line…
#reference "../../../res/layers/MAME/CAB_$CORE-ASPECT-ORIENT$.params"
…it fails to load on the nightly but loads in 1.20.0.
If I add an “auto-settings-cab.params” file to the folder… containing just the line…
CAB_$CORE-ASPECT-ORIENT$.params
…and reference that file instead, it loads, and the wildcard works.
My concern is that it is an unintended side effect, and that the behavior will revert to normal before a stable release.
If it’s intentional, for some reason, then I can do the work to get things functional again.
BTW, @HyperspaceMadness already uses a similar method in his presets, so my workaround doesn’t solve the $CORE$ wildcard issue.