How to view a .DDS file online
No app, no account, no upload.
Open your .DDS
Drag a .DDS file straight from your game folder or 3D project onto the viewer, or choose it from your device.
View and inspect
Switch between mipmap levels and view each color channel on its own, including the alpha mask.
Export a PNG
Save the level and channel you're looking at as PNG, JPG or WEBP for editing anywhere.
What is a .DDS file?
Everything worth knowing about DirectDraw Surface (DirectX texture image).
A DDS file is a DirectDraw Surface texture made by Microsoft for DirectX. Games like Skyrim, Fallout, and Source-engine titles store textures as DDS. To view one, use free XnView MP or IrfanView. To edit it, use Paint.NET or GIMP. To convert DDS to PNG or JPG, open the file in one of those tools and save it in a different format.
Programs that open .DDS files
- Windows
- GIMP, IrfanView, Paint.NET, Adobe Photoshop + NVIDIA Texture Tools Exporter / Intel Texture Works, XnView MP
- macOS
- GIMP, XnView MP
- Linux
- GIMP, ImageMagick / texconv (CLI), XnView MP
- Web
- Online DDS viewers/converters
| Full name | DirectDraw Surface (DirectX texture image) |
|---|---|
| Developer | Microsoft (DirectX) |
| First released | DirectX 7 (1999); modern DX10 header extension added with DirectX 10 (2006) |
| Category | Images |
| MIME type | image/vnd-ms.dds |
| Signature | 44 44 53 20 ("DDS " - DirectDraw Surface magic (note the trailing space)) |
Related viewers
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Frequently asked questions
Is my .DDS file uploaded anywhere?
No. The decoder runs in JavaScript in the page. Your .DDS file is only available while this tab is open.
Why does my normal map look blue and purple?
That's normal. Normal maps store surface directions as colors. For BC5/ATI2 textures, which keep only X and Y, we rebuild the blue (Z) channel so the map looks the way your engine sees it.
What are mipmaps?
Pre-shrunk copies of the texture, each half the size of the previous one. GPUs pick the right level based on distance, which keeps far-away surfaces smooth and fast. Use the level selector or the thumbnails to inspect each one.
Why can't I open a BC7 or ASTC texture?
These codecs need a much larger decoder. We read their header and tell you what's inside; full decoding is coming soon.
Is the exported PNG lossless?
Yes. PNG export contains exactly the decoded pixels of the level and channel you're viewing. Block-compressed textures are lossy at the source, so the PNG matches what the GPU would show.
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