#Mac desktop screen resolution update#
#Mac desktop screen resolution pro#
#Mac desktop screen resolution mac#

The images are also presented larger to make the issues more pronounced, but these problems can definitely be seen with the naked eye, once you know what to look for. The 4K display represents a common high-end display, with a pixel density of around 163PPI. The comparisons below are made by simulating a Studio Display on the left and a 4K UHD (3840Г—2160 pixel) 27-inch display on the right, with macOS display scaling set so text and elements are the same size. With those issues in mind, itвЂ™s far, far better to run macOS at the pixel density it was designed for. Display scaling also undoes dithering, which can mean gradients arenвЂ™t as smooth. However, display scaling comes with some significant caveats, including a blurrier picture, shimmering when scrolling, moirГ© patterns, worse GPU performance, and worse battery life if youвЂ™re using a laptop. This allows Macs to work with a wide range of displays with different pixel densities. Display scaling is a system preferences setting that renders your MacвЂ™s screen to a virtual buffer that is larger or smaller than your display, and then scales the final result to fit. These choices dictate how physically large text and interface elements appear on the respective devices.Д®verything above assumes macOS is being run without display scaling. This trades a little legibility for screen real estate, while also catering for the closer viewing distance (the closer you get to a display, the larger things look).

#Mac desktop screen resolution pro#

Stray too far from 218PPI and macOS becomes unusable.ДЄppleвЂ™s laptops have slightly higher pixel density, at 227PPI and 254PPI for the MacBook Air and 16-inch MacBook Pro respectively. If a displayвЂ™s PPI is lower, text and the macOS user interface will be larger. If a displayвЂ™s PPI is higher, text and the macOS user interface will be smaller.

MacOS has been designed to be legible and usable with a pixel density of about 218PPI (pixels per inch) for вЂњRetinaвЂќ class desktop displays.

#Mac desktop screen resolution mac#

With that in mind, what are the criteria for a good external Mac display in 2022? Pixel density #

The Studio Display hits an incredibly important target, and it can now be the default choice for discerning Mac designers and developers. ItвЂ™s definitely true the Studio Display could have included local dimming, HDR, 120Hz refresh rate and other niceties, but I think that would have been the wrong choice if it meant a higher price. The Studio Display is precisely what I and many others have been asking Apple for - an iMac without the computer. Spec wise, itвЂ™s incredibly similar to LGвЂ™s 5K UltraFine, and the display of the now discontinued 27-inch iMac, even though itвЂ™s not using the same panel. Thankfully, AppleвЂ™s new Studio Display now provides a great option. ItвЂ™s unclear to me if the product still exists as a going concern. Not only that, but the LG 5K UltraFine has been going in and out of stock globally. This effectively left the market with a single option - the LG 5K UltraFine.

#Mac desktop screen resolution update#

The Pro Display XDR surpasses the specs many Mac users need, which unfortunately also puts it out of reach for many financially.Дў019 also saw an update to LGвЂ™s 4K UltraFine display, increasing its size from 21.5-inch to 23.7-inch, keeping the resolution the same and lowering its pixel density. In 2019, Apple announced their return to the display market, with an incredible product carrying an incredible price tag. LG, Dell, Samsung, and other display makers have either never catered for the specs many Mac designers and developers want, or theyвЂ™ve reluctantly produced products that have been short-lived or compromised. Since writing about Mac external displays in 2016, not much has changed. Mac external displays for designers and developers, part 2