DDS (DirectDraw Surface)
Also known as: DirectDraw Surface, .dds file, DDS texture
DDS (DirectDraw Surface) is a Microsoft image format built for game and 3D textures. It can store GPU-ready compressed textures with mipmaps, so graphics hardware loads them directly without re-encoding.
- Microsoft format for GPU textures
- Supports block compression and mipmaps
- Common in games and 3D engines
Why games use DDS
DDS stores textures in formats the GPU reads natively, including block compression (BC1–BC7, formerly DXT). This means a texture stays compressed in video memory instead of being unpacked, saving space and load time.
A DDS file can also bundle precomputed mipmaps — smaller versions used at distance — and cube maps, which is why it is common in game engines and modding.
Opening DDS files
Standard image viewers usually cannot open DDS. Game-asset tools, the DirectX texture tools, and plugins for Photoshop or GIMP handle it; for viewing, convert to PNG.