BetterDisplay
Unlocks resolutions macOS hides, adds HiDPI modes, and creates virtual displays.
What it does
BetterDisplay takes over what macOS’s Displays panel deliberately simplifies:
- Custom and HiDPI resolutions on monitors macOS refuses to offer them for — the fix for a 1440p or ultrawide panel stuck with blurry scaling.
- Virtual and dummy displays, which give a headless Mac a desktop to render, or provide a fixed-size screen to record or stream.
- Brightness and contrast over DDC for external monitors, controlled by the normal keys.
- Picture-in-picture mirroring of one display into a window on another.
- XDR and HDR handling on panels that support it.
Notes
Paid with a free tier; most of the resolution work is in the free feature set. Some features need a helper with elevated privileges. Overriding EDID data is powerful and occasionally confuses macOS after a reboot — the app can revert everything.
Alternative to
| Alternative | Type | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| SwitchResX | Paid | The long-standing resolution and EDID tool |
| MonitorControl | Open source | DDC brightness and volume only |
| Lunar | Freemium | Focused on brightness automation and adaptive dimming |
| displayplacer | Open source | CLI, for scripting display arrangement and modes |
Install
brew install --cask betterdisplay