LG Ultrafine 5K 27" - Fractional display scaling

[upstream8721]

I have been using an LG Ultrafine 5K with my Macbook Pro M1 at 2560 x 1440 (default) resolution. I have been experiencing some eye strain, so I changed the resolution to 2048 x 1152 in order to make text and UI elements appear larger. The size of the desktop at this new resolution is more comfortable, but everything appears "soft." I wouldn't describe it as blurry, but it's noticeably less sharp than when the monitor is used at 1440p (2x scaling) resolution.

I tried going back to 2560 x 1440 and adjusting the text size in accessibility settings, which helps in some apps like Finder and Mail, but it doesn't effect some other parts of the OS like the top bar or settings menus. I also set the menu bar size to large but the window decorations are still too small at 1440p.

I saw it mentioned in another thread that a 27" 4K monitor at 2x scaling (1920x1080) would be pixel perfect. Is that correct? I would gladly sacrifice the retina pixel density for improved sharpness.

 

[Fishrrman]

"I saw it mentioned in another thread that a 27" 4K monitor at 2x scaling (1920x1080) would be pixel perfect. Is that correct?"

Yes.

"I would gladly sacrifice the retina pixel density for improved sharpness."

The reason text is "sharper" is because it's running "in retina mode" (i.e. perfect scaling as would a 4k display running at "looks like 1080p" (2x scaling).

Personal experience:
5k scaled down 2x to "looks like 1440p" on a 27" display is too small for my old eyes.
(at least with text displayed at normal font sizes).

4k scaled to "looks like 1080p" is MUCH BETTER for me.
Very sharp and large enough to be read easily (I prefer "sitting back" from the display, about 30 inches).
But again, my eyes aren't what they used to be.

It's a very subjective thing.
What works for me WON'T work for others.

But if you find text "too small" on a 27" 5k display @1440p, I predict you'll find it more readable on a 27 4k display @1080p.
Realize, however, that some screen "real estate" will be lost in the transition.

What I'd like to see is a 32" display with 5k.
But nobody has ever made one, and I doubt one will ever appear.

 

[upstream8721]

Before getting a 27" 5K screen, I have been using 24" 1080p screens for a decade. I think I got used to sitting back from the monitor, because I normally sit 36" from the screen.

Right now I'm sitting 24" from the screen which from what I gather is considered "safe" or even recommended, but to me it feels abnormally close.

I wonder how MacOS deals with scaling different aspect ratios. For example, there is a new monitor with 3:2 aspect ratio from BenQ (model RD280U) that is 28.2" with 3840 x 2560 resolution. Is MacOS able do perfect 2x scaling for a 3:2 display so that this monitor would be viewable as 1920 x 1280 without fractional scaling?

 

[etc]

I saw it mentioned in another thread that a 27" 4K monitor at 2x scaling (1920x1080) would be pixel perfect. Is that correct? I would gladly sacrifice the retina pixel density for improved sharpness.

Yep, 4k/27" display will have lower PPI and pixel perfect at 1920x1080 "UI looks like" and UI elements will be larger, but you'll loose a useful area of course.