QOI to DDS Converter
Convert QOI to DDS in your browser. QOI files usually come from game engines, emulators and tools that want lossless images without a PNG library; DDS is the better fit for game textures and mods. You get an uncompressed 32-bit RGBA DDS texture with a single mip level, or DXT1 or DXT5 block compression if you choose it. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
QOI expected · other image formats also work
How to use QOI to DDS
- 1
Add your QOI files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
Choose the DDS compression: none for an exact 32-bit texture, DXT1 or DXT5 for smaller GPU-ready files.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .dds files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for qoi to dds
Where the DDS goes next
DDS opens in game engines, Visual Studio, Paint.NET, GIMP, NVIDIA and Intel texture tools.
DDS next to QOI
The DDS is written uncompressed, so expect it to be several times larger than the QOI, which stores lossless, byte-aligned run, index, difference and literal codes.
Written without a lossy pass
The DDS is written uncompressed, so the pixels decoded from the QOI arrive unchanged.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
QOI vs DDS
What changes from QOI to DDS
Encoding: the QOI uses lossless, byte-aligned run, index, difference and literal codes; DDS uses block compression (BC1 to BC7, also called DXT) or uncompressed RGBA, and the download is an uncompressed 32-bit RGBA DDS texture with a single mip level, or DXT1 or DXT5 block compression if you choose it.
Bit depth: 8 bits per channel in the QOI; DDS allows 8 bits per channel for common texture formats, and the DDS written here has 8 bits per channel.
Colour: RGB or RGBA, tagged sRGB or linear in the QOI; DDS supports RGB(A); normal maps and packed masks store data rather than colour, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Transparency: the QOI stores it as a full 8-bit alpha channel; the DDS keeps it as alpha inside the compressed blocks (BC2, BC3, BC7) or a 1-bit cut-out (BC1).
Metadata: the QOI can carry none: a 14-byte header holds only size, channels and colour space; DDS can carry a 128-byte header (plus a DX10 header) describing the pixel format, nothing about the picture, but nothing is copied across.
About QOI
QOI is a modern lossless format that encodes 20-50 times faster than PNG with similar file sizes. It is popular in games and tools that value speed and simplicity.
A QOI file is a 14-byte header ('qoif', width, height, channels, colour space), a stream of chunks that each encode a run, an index into 64 recently seen colours, a small difference from the previous pixel or a literal value, and an 8-byte end marker.
QOI files usually come from game engines, emulators and tools that want lossless images without a PNG library.
About DDS
DDS is a GPU texture format used by DirectX games. It stores block-compressed textures (DXT/BC) and mipmaps that graphics cards decode directly.
A DDS file starts with 'DDS ' and a 124-byte header giving the size, mipmap count and pixel format: a FourCC such as DXT1 or DXT5, or 'DX10' followed by an extra header naming a DXGI format. The largest mipmap comes first.
When converting QOI to DDS makes sense
DDS is the better choice for game textures and mods, while QOI suits fast lossless storage in games and tools.
DDS strengths: Loads straight into GPU memory; Mipmaps included. Drawbacks to weigh: Not viewable outside game tools; Lossy block compression.
Limitations
- QOI is lossless, so the pixels you get out are exactly the ones that went in.
- The DDS has a single mip level, so generate mipmaps in your engine or texture tool if it needs them.
- Uncompressed DDS textures take 4 bytes per pixel; DXT1 is an eighth of that and DXT5 a quarter, at the cost of lossy 4×4 block compression.
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting QOI to DDS lose quality?
DDS is written uncompressed, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded.
Is transparency kept in the DDS?
Yes. QOI stores it as a full 8-bit alpha channel, and the DDS is written with an alpha channel, so transparent areas stay transparent.
Which apps open DDS files?
Game engines, Visual Studio, Paint.NET, GIMP, NVIDIA and Intel texture tools. It does not open in web browsers.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.