The resolution of the Parsec stream is always the same as resolution of the host's display that is being captured. Parsec does not downscale the resolution for the connected clients, and any settings in Parsec will only adjust the host display's actual resolution. If you want to check the current resolution of the stream, you can look at the Parsec overlay in the client computer.
Changing resolution on Windows hosts
Changing the resolution as an owner
As the owner, change the resolution from the Parsec overlay during a session, or preset it in the Parsec host settings for when you join.
- Open the Parsec overlay, or open host settings in the Parsec app.
- Select Resolution.
- Choose one of:
- 'Keep Host Resolution' — maintains the host display's current resolution
- 'Use Client Resolution' (default) — attempts to use the client display's resolution
- A specific resolution, such as 1280x720 or 1920x1080
If you're using the Parsec resolution setting, here are some other things of note about it:
- If your host display does not support the resolution that you're setting on Parsec, Parsec will try to switch to the closest resolution available, or will simply fail silently depending on what else is available. You can check the Windows Display Settings on the host computer for the available resolutions on that system
- If you're also changing the FPS (frames per second/refresh rate) host setting in Parsec to something other than 60, keep in mind in cases where the resolution and refresh rate combination isn't supported by your system, Parsec will also fail to set it
- If Parsec changes your display resolution, it'll revert back to the original resolution when all clients disconnect from the host (except in cases where the Parsec app is gone unexpectedly or the computer shuts down unexpectedly)
- To set a resolution not shown in the list of the Parsec setting, you can alternatively set your Parsec setting to 'Keep Host Resolution', and set the resolution you want using your Windows Display Settings
- To set a custom resolution not shown in your Windows Display Settings, you can use the AMD/NVIDIA control panel for regular displays. For Parsec's Virtual Displays, check our virtual display advanced configuration section
Manually changing the resolution for your friends
If a friend is joining, the host settings in Parsec will not take effect and they won't be able to adjust the resolution from the overlay. You will want to change it on the host's computer directly in the Windows Display Settings.
Changing resolution on macOS hosts
macOS' display resolution can only be changed with the macOS settings or a third party application. macOS does not offer a lot of choice when it comes to display settings, but you may find it necessary to reduce your resolution from the high "Retina" resolution of Apple's displays to a lower standard resolution, so that the Parsec stream can run smoothly.