Rendering resolution issue on macOS

[ripe tide]

When play with borderless mode, though it shows a native resolution (3024x1964 for MacBook Pro 14) has applied, it's obviously so much worse than a native resolution should be.

I guess this issue has something to do with HiDPI or logic resolution for Retina display, which means a resolution of 1964x982 (exactly the half of native resolution) will be reported for most applications. I think Balatro is actually treating this logic resolution as real resolution to render on.

This issue won't happen on fullscreen mode.

[ripe tide]

About my Mac:
MacBook Pro 14 (M3, Late 2023)
Apple M3 Max
macOS Sonoma 14.3.1

[obtuse salmon]

can confirm, same issue on intel macbook pro 2018

(full disclosure: i run the mac on "default resolution" (1440x900), which is exactly the same as used in borderless mode [though not the one it claims to use, which is still 2880x1800] … dunno if that's what mika was referring to as "logic" vs. "real" resolution)

[mystic stratus]

Same issue here on my M3 Pro. Low resolution on borderless. Another issue with fullscreen is that if I select a high resolution the mouse cursor gets really small and takes more effort to move about the game screen

[ripe tide]

exactly that's just what I was referring to

[ripe tide]

The issue with fullscreen you mentioned is not supposed to be an issue. Fullscreen mode will change the resolution of the macOS system itself, just as which on Windows. Assuming your Mac is also MacBook Pro 14, the system will run at 1964x982 with a framebuffer of 3024x1964 by default, that means all the system's logics will run at 1964x982, but GPU actually renders it at 3024x1964 natively, which is what HiDPI refers to. When you launched the game with fullscreen mode, it will let the system runs dot-by-dot at the resolution as what you set in-game (assuming 3024x1964). Then, for the same effort you take, the distance cursor move on-screen will be the half of what it was.

This article may be useful to understand HiDPI mechanism on macOS:
https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay/wiki/MacOS-scaling,-HiDPI,-LoDPI-explanation

[knotty ridge]

Is there no way to make borderless render properly? I am experiencing the same issue myself, the game supposedly renders in '4k' but is actually 1080p which on a high dpi screen looks blurry

I was using the windows version on a mac using Whiskey and that version did render at the proper resolution (2x)

[ripe tide]

Proper borderless rendering is absolutely possible, but the developer needs time to fix

[knotty ridge]

ty, just wanted to know if there was anything to be done client side

[remote fjord]

I have a related, but slightly different issue on PC (which I guess is not PC specific now that I think about it) that seems to have the same root cause: https://discord.com/channels/1116389027176787968/1213308416672534600

[obtuse salmon]

i'ma add the following:

windowed mode resets to default window size every time i restart the game and doesn't save the window size i'd like to use.

slay the spire, as an example, chose a better way: it lets you choose a resolution for windowed mode and sizes the window adaequately. the setting is saved, thus the window has the same, chosen, size and resolution every time i start the game – sounds like an optimal solution to me, and i'd really like to see it implemented

(adjusting the window size with cursor/pulling would be a solution that's just as fine, i guess, as long as the resolution is adjusted automatically and the size saved after quitting the game)