What resolution does FaceReady output? Is there 4K?
FaceReady outputs 720p by default, and 1080p when you turn HD on. There's no 4K, and that's a deliberate choice rather than a missing feature. Here's the short version.
720p out of the box, 1080p with HD on
The default is 720p because it looks great on a call and keeps things light on your machine. If you want the extra sharpness, open FaceReady's Settings, set Publish at to 1080p HD, then restart FaceReady for it to take effect.
Why there's no 4K
1080p is the practical ceiling for video calls, and it's not close. Zoom, Teams and Google Meet all send your video well below 1080p anyway — they compress hard to keep calls smooth on everyone's connection. So even if FaceReady pushed out a 4K frame, the call app would throw most of it away before anyone saw it.
What 4K would do is burn through your CPU and battery processing four times the pixels for a difference nobody on the call can actually see. We'd rather your laptop stayed cool and your fan stayed quiet. 1080p is the right place to stop.
Want it crisper? Turning HD on (1080p) is the lever to pull. If you're on a tight connection or an older Mac, the 720p default is the smoother ride and most people can't tell the difference on a call.
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