Pixel Art Upscaler
Enlarge sprites, icons and pixel art without blur. Choose exact nearest-neighbor blocks, sharp Scale2x/Scale3x edge rules or smooth xBR curves, compare the methods side by side, and download a transparent PNG or a ZIP for a whole batch.
Last updated:
Compare methods
Same sprite at 4×. Click one to use it.
How to use the Pixel Art Upscaler
- Add sprites: drop, paste or choose one or more PNG, GIF, WebP or BMP files. A 16 × 16 mushroom sprite is loaded as an example.
- Pick an algorithm: Nearest neighbor for exact pixels, Scale2x/Scale3x for sharp smoothing, or xBR for rounder curves. The Compare methods row shows all three.
- Choose the scale factor; the output size and color count appear above the result.
- Check the edges on different backgrounds to make sure transparency looks right.
- Download PNG, copy the image, or press Download all (ZIP) when you added several files.
How the algorithms work
Every pixel art scaler looks at a pixel E and its neighbors, then decides what each of the new sub-pixels should be:
| Neighborhood | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| A | B | C | |
| D | E | F | |
| G | H | I | |
- Nearest neighbor copies E into all N × N output pixels. Nothing is invented, so it is the right choice when the art must stay exactly as drawn, for example for game engines that render with integer scaling.
- Scale2x (EPX) splits E into four. The top-left one becomes D if D = B, B ≠ F and D ≠ H; the other three corners follow the same rule rotated. Diagonal staircases become smooth 45° lines, and only existing colors are used. Scale3x applies the same idea to a 3 × 3 block.
- xBR (by Hyllian) measures color differences in a YUV-weighted space across a 5 × 5 neighborhood (corners excluded) to decide whether an edge passes through each corner of E and how steep it is. It then blends 25%, 50% or 75% of the edge color into the affected sub-pixels, giving smooth, anti-aliased curves.
Which method for which art
| Art style | Best method | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Game assets for an engine, retro look | Nearest neighbor | Exact pixels, no new colors, perfectly predictable |
| Icons and sprites with diagonal outlines | Scale2x / Scale3x | Smooths 45° steps but stays sharp and keeps the palette |
| Characters with round shapes, logos, fan art | xBR | Turns jagged curves into smooth lines |
| Limited-palette art for printing on merch | xBR with Blend edges off | Smooth shapes with only the original colors |
| Dithered art and checker patterns | Nearest neighbor | Edge rules can misread dithering as edges |
Tips
- Start from the original size. If your sprite was already enlarged (each pixel is a 4 × 4 block), shrink it back first with nearest neighbor, then upscale; edge algorithms only work on true 1:1 pixel art.
- Use PNG. JPG compression adds noise between pixels, which edge-detecting scalers see as detail. Export sprites as PNG or GIF.
- Check on several backgrounds to make sure no stray semi-transparent pixels are left around the edges.
Frequently asked questions
Why does pixel art look blurry when I resize it?
Most image editors and browsers resize with bilinear or bicubic interpolation, which averages neighboring pixels and creates soft, blurry in-between colors. Pixel art needs nearest-neighbor scaling, which simply repeats each pixel as a square block, or a dedicated pixel art algorithm that understands edges.
What is the difference between nearest neighbor, Scale2x and xBR?
Nearest neighbor turns each pixel into an N × N block and keeps the art exactly as drawn. Scale2x (also called EPX or AdvMAME2x) looks at the four neighbors of each pixel and fills corners along diagonal edges, which removes staircase steps without adding colors. xBR compares a wider neighborhood with color distances and blends along the detected edge direction, giving smooth curves and anti-aliased diagonals.
Which scale factor should I use?
Use integer factors so every original pixel maps to the same number of output pixels. For a game or website, pick the factor that matches the display size, for example 4× to turn a 32 × 32 sprite into 128 × 128. Scale2x and xBR work in steps of 2× (Scale3x in 3×), so 4× and 8× are produced by applying them repeatedly.
Does the upscaler keep transparency?
Yes. Transparent pixels stay transparent and the PNG output keeps its alpha channel. Nearest neighbor and Scale2x/3x only copy existing pixels. xBR blends along edges, and with Blend edges on it mixes colors with premultiplied alpha, so edges next to transparency do not get dark fringes. Turn Blend edges off for hard edges with no new colors.
Is xBR the same as hqx?
No, but they are related. Both are edge-detecting pixel art scalers made for emulators. hqx uses a large lookup table of neighbor patterns, while xBR uses color-distance rules to find edges, and it is usually a little smoother on curves. This tool implements xBR, Scale2x/Scale3x and nearest neighbor.
Can I upscale photos with this tool?
This tool is designed for sprites and pixel art, up to 1,024 pixels per side. For photos and screenshots, use the Image Upscaler, which uses Lanczos or bicubic resampling and sharpening that suit continuous-tone images.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.