Unity Texture Compression Comparison

Compare texture compression formats side by side. Select 1 to 4 formats to see VRAM costs, platform support, and quality ratings.

Texture compression reduces VRAM usage and loading times by encoding texture data in a GPU-friendly format. Different platforms support different formats: ASTC for modern mobile, ETC2 for broad Android support, BC7 for PC and console. Choosing the right format balances quality, file size, and device compatibility.

Select texture asset

Inspector

Texture Import Settings

Format

Mobile (ASTC)Modern iOS and Android

Mobile (ETC)Broad Android, legacy iOS

PC / ConsoleDesktop and console GPUs

LegacyOlder devices only

Quality Preview (Simulated)

Approximate visualisation of block compression artefacts. Real results depend on texture content and encoder settings. Larger block sizes and lower bit rates produce more visible blocking and colour banding.

Original

ASTC 4×4

8 bpp, 4x4 blocks

ETC2 RGB

4 bpp, 4x4 blocks

Want to test with real compression? Download our Compression Test Card and run it through your encoder to compare actual results.

Format Comparison

Property	ASTC 4×4	ETC2 RGB
Bits per pixel	8 bpp	4 bpp
VRAM (1024 × 1024)	1.00 MB	512.0 KB
VRAM (2048 × 2048)	4.00 MB	2.00 MB
Quality	Excellent	Good
Platforms	iOSAndroid	AndroidiOS
Alpha support	Yes	No
Crunch compatible	No	Yes
Recommended use	Hero textures, UI elements, normal maps	Opaque mobile textures with broad device support
Notes	Highest quality ASTC. Recommended default for modern mobile.	Good quality. Broadest mobile support after ASTC.

VRAM Size Calculator

Resolution:

ASTC 4×4

1.00 MB

ETC2 RGB

512.0 KB

Quick Decision Guide

Not sure which format to use? Start with your target platform.

What platform are you targeting?

Mobile (iOS + Android)

ASTC 6x6 for most textures; ASTC 4x4 for critical assets like characters and UI.

Mobile (Android only, broad support)

ETC2 for OpenGL ES 3.0+ devices. Fall back to ETC1 only if you need very old device support.

PC / Console

BC7 for best quality. Use BC1 (opaque) or BC3 (alpha) for older hardware or when file size matters.

WebGL

BC1/BC3 as primary with ASTC fallback for mobile browsers.

Cross-platform

ASTC as primary with ETC2 fallback for older Android. BC7 or BC3 for PC/Console builds.

Related Tools

Frame Budget Calculator

CPU/GPU budget breakdown by platform and target frame rate.

Screen Reference

Every device resolution and aspect ratio you need for UI scaling.

Platform Capabilities

Which platforms support haptics, HDR, ray tracing, VRR, and more. Filterable matrix.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use ASTC or ETC2 for Android?

ASTC if your minimum spec supports it (Android 5.0+ on most modern GPUs). ASTC has better quality at the same VRAM cost and supports flexible block sizes. Fall back to ETC2 only if you must support older devices.

What is the best texture compression for iOS?

ASTC. Every iPhone since the iPhone 6 supports ASTC, so there is no reason to use older formats like PVRTC unless you support genuinely ancient hardware.

Why does my compressed texture look blocky?

Either the compression block size is too large (try ASTC 4x4 or 6x6 instead of 8x8), or the source texture has high-frequency detail that block compression struggles with. Smooth gradients also reveal banding; consider dithering the source or using a higher-quality format.

Does texture compression slow down rendering?

No, the opposite. Compressed textures decompress on the GPU at sample time and reduce VRAM bandwidth, which usually speeds things up on memory-bound platforms. The cost is a slightly longer initial load time during decompression to GPU memory.

Last updated: 2 May 2026