Google Chrome Display Resolution vs IE11

[EthanDavis]

Hi all,

Please see file attached (screenshot) showing IE11 vs Chrome. IE11 is not affected and displays high DPI; however Chrome is low DPI.

Please notice, the left (IE11) is sharp because high dpi (1080p resolution) is used to display more of the webpage while Chrome only displays less of the webpage in a lower pixel density, making Chrome webpages look large (blown up) and blurry (low res).

Note: Google Chrome is at 100% zoom. Zooming out does allow me to see more (as much as I can see in IE11) but is still not as sharp, since the DPI (pixels per square inch) has not actually changed. I am having this problem in both 64 bit Chrome Dev and 64 bit Chrome Canary (have not tried 32 bit versions since I am running a 64 bit computer).

Well, I should note that when I first installed Chrome (regular version) I was able to fix the problem by going into Properties > Compatibility > and checking "Disable Display Scaling on High DPI Devices". That made web pages display much smaller and sharper. However, checking this no longer corrects the problem in my 64 bit Chrome Dev and 64 bit Chrome Canary, which are displaying way too large and blurry to have any sort of productivity...

I am running Windows 8.1, a brand new Surface Pro 2 with 1080p screen.

 

[dman27]

I believe there is a Hi rest fix for Google chrome that involves importing or changing a registry key. Search Google for Chrome hi rest fix.

 

[malberttoo]

I did that registry hack, but it's not perfect. It does make Chrome look better somewhat overall, but many things don't render properly. Their own Gmail is one of them.

 

[Kif]

I read up on this when I first got my SP3. I guess Google uses some old protocol that doesn't render right on high DPI screens. I'm kicking Chrome to the curb for now but if you really need a Chrome fix try canary. (Warning it's alpha software but it works well)

http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/canary.html

 

[benjitek]

...if you really need a Chrome fix try canary...

You don't need to go Canary to get the high DPI stuff, it's also in the Developers Beta version, which is somewhere in between 'beta' and 'canary'. Personally, I'd recommend staying away from Canary unless you're installing it on a test PC, not one you use primarily.

 

[Kif]

You don't need to go Canary to get the high DPI stuff, it's also in the Developers Beta version, which is somewhere in between 'beta' and 'canary'. Personally, I'd recommend staying away from Canary unless you're installing it on a test PC, not one you use primarily.

Good tip! Unless you like to live dangerously.

 

[EthanDavis]

Hi, thanks for your comments. I want to give some more information.

First, here is a comprehensive guide to enabling high DPI. It considers every solution I've ever seen for the issue: http://www.ubergizmo.com/how-to/how-to-google-chrome-hidpi-support-windows/

But actually, this is more pertinent information. The issue is already "FIXED" with Chrome Canary and Chrome Developer's Beta (Chrome "Dev"). I have installed both of these, in their 64 bit versions, and am running them. I say "fixed" because it's not actually fixed. Let me describe the issue:

It is true that the title bar and address bar don't look pixellated. These allegedly display clearer than they used to. However, they still display gigantic. You can see in my screenshot. (FYI, my screenshot was taken with the latest "Dev" 64-bit version). As for web pages, they are just as bad as before. Just like the Chrome interface, web content is also large compared to IE11. Look at how much less you can view in Chrome vs. IE11. Web pages are huge!

I can zoom out, say to 67% so that webpages display at approx. the same size as IE11, but then they look blurry due to the zooming. Also, this doesn't fix the issue of gigantic tabs and address bar and title bar, which extend about twice as far down as they do compared to IE11.

Please, someone install 64 bit Chrome Canary and tell me if you have the same phenomenon when you compare it to IE11.

 

[EthanDavis]

P.S. -- I have the registry hack enabled. Strangely, opening up Google Chrome Dev (brand new 64 bit version) always changes the value in HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Google>Chrome>Profile>high-dpi-support from 1 to 2. Not sure if that is significant, but it happens every time I open Chrome Dev...

Also, I think I might have mentioned, but going into Properties>Compatibility>"Disable Display Scaling on High DPI Devices" used to work in the regular 32 bit build of Chrome (meaning everything would become tiny and sharp like in IE11). But it doesn't work in my 64 bit versions of Canary and Dev. Does it for you?

Please let me know if the same thing happens to you on 64 bit Chrome Canary. Try changing those settings and see if, like me, nothing changes. (Just open a webpage side-by-side with IE11 and see if Chrome's webpages are huge compared to IE11!)

 

[null4end]

I actually kicked Chrome to the curb and started using Firefox for my secondary browser. Firefox looks really good on the SP3 and my my external monitor.

 

[ctitanic]

Let me ask a question? is the poor scaling work in Google's Chrome a Microsoft's issue? The question in the Survey is not clear. Do I have display resolution issues? No. is Chrome scaling correctly? No.

 

[gmtmaster79]

I actually kicked Chrome to the curb and started using Firefox for my secondary browser. Firefox looks really good on the SP3 and my my external monitor.

Same here, after trying Chrome for awhile, then the Chrome Canary version, I have switched to Firefox as well. The sync function for Firefox works really well!

 

[EthanDavis]

More screenshots of the issue:

Even Google looks better in IE11!