The VMware Knowledge Base provides support solutions, error messages and troubleshooting guides
Search the VMware Knowledge Base (KB)
View by Article ID
Retina display support in VMware Fusion 5 (2034670)
Purpose
This article provides information about the Retina display support introduced in VMware Fusion 5.
Resolution
VMware Fusion 5.x includes Retina display support. To make use of this new feature, you require:
Retina display equipped Mac hardware.
Windows 7 or Windows 8 as a guest.
The VMware Fusion user interface and art has been updated to take advantage of the crispness of the Retina display. By default, VMware Fusion 5 scales (pixel-doubles) a Windows virtual machine to ensure maximum compatibility.
Retina display support is not enabled by default. Users can switch to enable full Retina display under Settings > Display > Use full resolution for Retina display.
Optimizing Windows when running on a Retina display
When using full resolution, Windows icons and text appear very small. This can be adjusted under the Control Panel in Windows 7 and 8. For maximum crispness on the Retina display, the ClearType settings can also be tuned in the Control Panel. For more information, see the Microsoft article Getting the best display on your monitor.
Limitations of Retina display support
Entering Unity mode when running on a Retina display with Use full resolution for Retina display selected results in larger than expected text. VMware recommends using Single-window and Full screen modes when using full Retina display resolution.
Mac OS X running in a virtual machine is limited to an approximate resolution of 2560 x 1600, and treats the display as a standard DPI device. This makes the text and icons to appear small in the OS X interface.
Request a Product Feature
To request a new product feature or to provide feedback on a VMware product, please visit the Request a Product Feature page.
