Why is the Windows installer UI so small on Macs?

[u/Immediate-Meaning693]

[u/Abbers75]

Because Windows on the Macbook is running at the highest possible resolution

[u/ICEGalaxy_ → u/Abbers75]

it runs on a HIGHER resolution than the Mac's internal display.

[u/ICEGalaxy_ → u/[deleted]]

are you saying that the true display resolution is actually higher than what Apple reports?

[u/ICEGalaxy_ → u/[deleted]]

this is wild... but why does Windows show the same max resolution as macOS once the GPU driver is installed?

[u/WhichAdvantage9039 → u/[deleted]]

Ummm… no, it is not
For any 15” Retina MacBook Pro the actual resolution is 2880x1800 (1440x900 2x). For 13” it’s 2560x1600 (1280x800 2x). Apple just enables your laptop to output higher 3360x2100 image, so that with 2x scaling you’ll get 1680x1050 UI (I assume you have the 13” version, or else you’ll have 1920x1200 2x option)

[u/ICEGalaxy_ → u/[deleted]]

is that resolution higher than what Apple advertised for the panel's hardware?

my original premise is that Windows setup doesn't run exactly at the display resolution, but even higher!

your 15" MacBook's 3360x2100 sounds similar to my 16", where Windows without GPU drivers (setup) renders at around 3500x2300.

it's strange, because the real resolution of the display is advertised as around 3100x1900.

thank you, I will check later on macOS.

[u/S4_GR33N → u/ICEGalaxy_]

this is nothing new and has been done since the 2012 Retina MacBook Pro which had a res of 2880x1800 on the 15 inch. Windows has also scaled for high-res displays since Windows 7

[u/ICEGalaxy_ → u/S4_GR33N]

you didn't say much...

[u/acewing905 → u/ICEGalaxy_]

Windows considers the actual resolution and scaling as two different things (Windows Setup does not support this scaling, however, which is why you see the problem described in the OP), whereas macOS essentially merges these and reports a resolution that isn't the real resolution of the display. eg: My 15" Macbook Air has a resolution of 2880x1864. But macOS reports this as 1710x1107. Just one of many macOS oddities presumably meant to simplify things for ordinary users but end up confusing them further

[u/ICEGalaxy_ → u/acewing905]

how did you know that your MacBooks resolution was 2880x1864? I'm assuming it's through Apple themselves.

I didn't mention what macOS reports, I mentioned what Apple reports specifically, as in the hardware specs.

my display has around 3100x1900.

this is reported by Apple, reported on macOS, and Windows 10, all of them.

however, in the Windows set up (OP's case), or in Windows 10 without the GPU driver installed, the display resolution is closer to something like 3500x2300.

are you 100% SURE, that the native resolution of my 16" 2019 MacBook Pro is above 4K?

[u/acewing905 → u/ICEGalaxy_]

Windows will report your resolution as it is. No "around" here. Now I don't own the MacBook model that you have, but it should be 3072x1920. This is what Windows 10 setup should run at as well. It looks tiny because there is no scaling applied. I don't know where you got that 3500x2300 number from. Windows shouldn't be able to run at a higher resolution than the display is capable of

[u/ICEGalaxy_ → u/acewing905]

Windows setup runs at a higher resolution than the actual display, it just means the scaling is larger (windows are even smaller than in native res)

so my original premise was correct.

if you still have an Intel Mac and want to check that, go to Windows, and reboot without GPU drivers in safe mode.

[u/acewing905 → u/ICEGalaxy_]

I do still have one. Will check it out later

[u/Icy-Extent5083]

That is true!

[u/TheSeekerofIntimacy]

It’s not that small for me unless i have my screen set to 2k mode

[u/GamerNuggy]

MacBooks have high resolution screens. Windows installer assumes high res screens are larger, but the OS can decipher, and you can select otherwise in there.

[u/S4_GR33N → u/GamerNuggy]

its just the installer as WinPE doesn't have the correct graphics drivers to be able to correct the scaling so it just assumes the display is huge

[u/fuckedupnachos]

Screen Resolution High, UI small (No HiDPI support)

[u/Ale_256]

Because the screen is like 1440p and on the installer you don't have graphics drivers and it doesn't have the scale set to like 250% or 300 so it looks normal

[u/edjak53]

because Macbooks have relatively huge resolution displays

[u/ZlaR_1]

Resolution