DDS (DirectDraw Surface) is Microsoft's texture format for games and 3D apps, storing compressed images with mipmaps that GPUs read directly.
DDS opens in game engines, GIMP (with a plugin), Photoshop (with the NVIDIA plugin) and texture tools; convert to PNG to view normally.
Share, post and embed pictures across sites and apps.
Work with the format in editors like Photoshop and GIMP.
Keep memories and assets in a widely-readable form.
| ✔ Strengths | ✖ Limitations |
|---|---|
| Purpose-built for its niche | No transparency support |
| Limited support — may need converting |
Convert, compress and edit — free, in your browser.
Remove the background from DDS images, upscale to 4K, or generate new visuals with SharkFoto AI.
DDS (DirectDraw Surface) is Microsoft's texture format for games and 3D apps, storing compressed images with mipmaps that GPUs read directly.
DDS opens in game engines, GIMP (with a plugin), Photoshop (with the NVIDIA plugin) and texture tools; convert to PNG to view normally.
DDS is optimised for its specific use rather than strictly lossless storage.
Use SharkFoto's free tools — upload your DDS file and convert it to a more convenient format in seconds. It's free, processed securely and never stored.
No — DDS doesn't store transparency; convert to PNG or WEBP if you need it.