I realize it's a very Apple ecosystem thing to shore up gaps in macOS with 3rd party apps, but BetterDisplay can do this for you: https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay

(Run non-retina displays at 2X frame buffer for proper anti-aliasing)

This is awesome. I had just written off the reduced quality of my external displays and gotten used to it. I feel like I just put my contacts in after turning on HiDPI. Just wanted to say thanks!

Edit: Also want to mention that window sizes and various UI elements also snapped into their 'intended' locations. Two screens, both 1440p, one ultrawide for anyone reading. YMMV.

Interesting, I've never seen a big Github project with only a `README.md` before. It looks like they moved the open source part to a new branch[1], before halting the open development completely (I don't mind, just observing).

1. https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay/tree/opensource

Thanks for the advice! I tried downloading this app and set both displays to HiDPI and UI elements seemed to sharpen, but certain icons are still blurry. I didn't see any options related to setting the framebuffer, I assume this happens automatically. Will keep experimenting...

I have not looked very hard but I don't think this app fixes the fundamental issues: which is the removal of proper sub-pixel antialiasing for anything that isn't considered a retina class display by their standard.

This sort of app might get a better output by forcing the 2x rendering and then scaling it to the native display resolution but it cannot possibly be of the same quality as what we had before, unless they rewrote rendering or something like that.

As far as I know there are 2 "real solutions": you buy a display that is retina class in one of their historically supported resolutions or you accept to lose a bit of desktop space by running a "sub-retina" class display at x2. For example, a 27 inch "4k" (they are 3840x2160) display will get you a desktop space of 1920/1080 in HiDPI mode. That is sad because a 27-inch iMac from the early 2000 had more desktop space, an image not as sharp but it wasn't bad as long as they kept sub-pixel antialiasing.

As far as I'm concerned, it is that way because they went the lazy way around implementing HiDPI and being able to market it like they were so much better than Microsoft. But that only works if you solely buy their hardware because nobody followed them on the desktop specs (even though it's slowly coming lately it seems).

This issue in my opinion is a testament of how much anti-consumer and disdainful Apple is; because it couldn't possible have cost them a lot of engineering to be able to support both, it is clearly for their bottom line and that's it.

This is a must have app for macOS.

Only when using non highres monitors. I'm using 2 4K LG 27" monitors and they work just fine

> I realize it's a very Apple ecosystem thing to shore up gaps in macOS with 3rd party apps

...for now; until Apple disallows any kind of system extension or desktop UI enhancements.

What does "retina" mean exactly? From what I can tell it's a general Apple marketing term rather than something concrete. Are 4K monitors unsupported by macOS? I've been using one with my MacBook for a while and I haven't noticed blurriness.

AFAICT “Retina” is a marketing term used by Apple to refer to their first party displays with high pixel density. I use a QHD display with much lower pixel density and get blurry icons. Since writing the comment I realized I was using a very specific term in a general way, which is technically incorrect, but I thought that’s what the problem was.

From reading the comments in these threads and some additional resources, it does seem that the problem is not whether or not the display is “retina” per say, but that macOS is designed to run on high density displays and can have problems with low density ones. My mistake I guess.

I think the point that Apple should have better support for a wider range of displays still stands. It is not unreasonable to want your general purpose, professional-grade computer which costs thousands to work correctly with a variety of displays and resolutions, especially when lesser machines do it better.

At this point I’m just whinging bitterly though, the blurry icons are not the end of the world and buying new displays or a new computer just to fix them would be silly.

I agree, I think 4K should be enough of an investment to appease the Apple gods!

Jobs explained it when he first debuted it. It's called that because the pixels are small/dense enough that you can basically not distinguish pixels anymore.

So on phones it has usually been about 300dpi. On laptops and desktops it's been something over 220dpi.

Third parties can easily just use the same resolutions Apple uses for their monitors and they would work exactly the same

Yep. I have a 4K monitor with decent specs that you can get on Amazon for about $250 today. There’s not a hardware lock-in on monitors.