Factorio Forums

Hello, it would be nice if it was possible to change resolution (lower, actually) in full-screen mode. In some use-cases (like in mine), i have a big display and sitting fairly far from it, so some text is getting barely readable without forcing eyes.

Of course proper solution would be a GUI scaling, but for a time being, i think implementing resolution selection should be an easier alternative, which should not be harmful for future implementation of GUI/text scaling anyway, but allow to play on setups such as mine without lowering whole desktop screen resolution first; sooner.

Thanks.

TL;DR

Add an option to select the resolution to render the game.

What ?

The resolution that the game renders in is automatically selected depending on native resolution of the display.
I propose adding a drop down resolution setting which defaults to "Auto" which is will behave as it does now.
Additionally add a list of smaller resolutions which can lock rendering to a desired size.

Why ?

Laptops with 4k screens can run hot and loud. Currently I have to change the resolution in windows to quiet the fan and save some power.
4k is much less noticeable in games and I usually cut the resolution down on all games.

I would like to push this topic again (two years from now).

The problem is:
I have a Macbook (problem enough for gaming?), when travelling over the week. My gaming rig is at home, but I want to continue playing Factorio, so I have to use it.

This 13" MacBook features a retina display, but gaming at that resolution is kind of impossible (Intel Graphics), so I always have to adjust the scaling on my desktop before playing. ALT+TABBING into the browser is a nightmare, because the browser engine identifies the resolution as "1024x640".

So -> why not setting up a simple resolution dropdown field in graphics, where I can choose a factorio resolution, that fits my needs?
Should be simple and (seriously) every other game features this.

GUI scaling is implemented in the game, as is zoom in/out for everything else. Also, at least in linux, factorio is able to dynamically adapt to screen resolution changes, i.e., if I take a full screen game and drag-drop it onto another differently-sized monitor it does the right thing. Does mac not support GPU-scaled virtual resolutions?

I do not have a second monitor - I'm on a MacBook (it's a laptop - portable Mac) so I cannot drop my game window on any other display with a lower resolution. GUI Scaling works fine, but I cannot set a specific ingame resolution fixed for every time I start the game.

Now I got your point from last post - resolution is dynamically changed, but to play factorio with 60FPS, I need to lower the desktop resolution to achieve these. Factorio should be configurable, so I can force a resolution on which the game should run.

Hi.

This topic should've been posted in "Development Proposals", but since I cannot post there, so It landed here.

I got a 4K monitor. On low load from factorio my GPU is doing fine, but on highest settings and maximum zoom out it getting laggy. I have 3 options: lowering details (game don't always keeps framerate), lower resolution (alt+tab making me furious) or play in window (nah). There could be another one - downscale resolution - simple, comfortable and one compromise could save me all other ones.

And It's doable since I've observed that when you start game from small window and while loading maximize It, engine - while doing It - ignores size of the window and until loading is done the game is downscaled

It seems you want to upscale (downscale is a different operation) lower-than-desktop resolution viewport to full screen. And, yeah, it should be in game settings, because rendering resolution is one of that convenient performance adjustment settings which almost always give much required frame rate boost.

I'm pretty sure that is called downscaling .

Example of upscaling is NVIDIA's Dynamic Super Resolution.

So you want to stay in your native resolution, but have the game initially render using a lower resolution and then scale the graphics up to fit your screen if I'm understanding correctly? It's not a solution I'm aware of being used anywhere else, but it's very doable. Don't know if Wube will consider it worth the development effort when there are in fact multiple other options available.

Also, Development Proposals is specifically for developers to post in when they're looking to get feedback on something they're contemplating doing. This is the correct spot for us as players to post ideas for them to consider.

It's very good solution. If It wouldn't, devs of most modern games wouldn't bother implementing It.

Examples?

- Arma 3 (sampling option [50% - 200%])
- modern Tomb Raider trilogy (only in Borderless Window via resolution change - It actualy changes rendering resolution not screen resolution)
- DOOM (Graphics > Advanced > resolution scaling [slide])
- modern Wolfenstein series (same as DOOM)
- GTA V (Graphics - advanced > Frame scaling mode [proportion to choose])

In all cases slight downscaling reliefs GPU so much, that You can turn on V-sync without hesitation. Obviously You're giving up some image quality, but in case of Factorio who really cares.

Also, Development Proposals is specifically for developers to post in when they're looking to get feedback on something they're contemplating doing. This is the correct spot for us as players to post ideas for them to consider.

Yep, I've already noticed

Factorio's graphics based on textures exclusively, without any vertex geometry so DSR is useless. Upscaling on the other hand can be implemented to relief graphics hardware from exhausting memory bandwidth while trying to draw all that high resolution textures across a metric ton of pixels.

We all have the idea @weaknespase

Your graphics driver/software should be able this on its own :
Tell it to use a specific resolution for the factorio binary (with appropriate stretching options).

But I'd recommend that you instead lower the OS' resolution to a reasonable pixel density,
for my part I've lowered my laptop's 2160x1440 to a much more reasonable 1440x900...
(This also has the bonus of seamless program switching.)

But I'd recommend that you instead lower the OS' resolution to a reasonable pixel density,
for my part I've lowered my laptop's 2160x1440 to a much more reasonable 1440x900...
(This also has the bonus of seamless program switching.)

I have a 4K monitor, because I've wanted one to have a 4K resolution (am I crazy?). To fit more windows on one monitor, for better look and feel. I don't want to lose hell lot of sharpness on my windows because of (litteraly) one game (or manually change resolution before/after game)...

Where did I say anything about "manually change resolution before/after game" ?

You're lucky if that's the only program you have that has an issue with high pixel density...

Where did I say anything about "manually change resolution before/after game" ?

(or manually change resolution before/after game)

Keyword OR. Purely hypothetical . Never said You said It.

You're lucky if that's the only program you have that has an issue with high pixel density...

Yes and no. Older programs without UI scaling are pain in the ass, but modern ones works just OK. In the other hand I have second HD monitor with lower DPI, so It's kinda workaround (unfortunately also smaller )

Hello! I came across a problem because I wanted to play factorio
on a hybrid which has a 4K screen (and has a relatively weak graphics card) and if, after changing the resolution in the system to fullHD factorio, it works fabulously in 4K frames. I am surprised that in such a game you can not change the resolution.

Most games have the option to choose what resolution they render at, which can then be stretched/scaled to fit the current window.

This would help me a lot, as my laptop has a 4k screen without the hardware (or cooling) to support factorio at that resolution. I'd like to play the game in 1080p, but with a 4k window so everything is scaled by 2x. That way my computer doesn't sound like a jet about to take off.