Resolution

Resolution describes an image's dimensions. In display settings, there are several sizes to keep separate: the logical desktop used for windows and text, the pixels used to render or transmit it, and the panel's native pixel grid. A scaled desktop can have a different logical size from that native grid.

For example, a 1920 × 1080 logical desktop in a typical 2× HiDPI mode uses a 3840 × 2160 backing image. This explains the rendering relationship, but does not establish the final signal timing or panel resolution in every configuration. Apple’s high-resolution explanation

The macOS scaling explanation distinguishes desktop size, rendering pixels and physical output.

BetterDisplay's mode selectors identify logical sizes, HiDPI modes and native/default markers. More than one mode can have the same logical dimensions while differing in refresh rate or other properties, so width × height is only part of a mode's description.

See Display Mode for choosing and filtering modes.

Native resolution

Native resolution describes the panel's physical pixel grid. A scaled logical desktop can be smaller while the output still uses that grid. Editing a reported native size changes configuration information; it does not change how many physical pixels the panel contains.

Pixel density also depends on physical panel size. Two monitors with identical pixel dimensions can show differently sized text when their logical desktops use the same dimensions.