Simply saving the file isn't enough. The dialog box that pops up is where games are made or broken. Here is the technical breakdown of what you are actually choosing.
Before exporting to DDS, ensure your image is set to Image > Precision > 8-bit integer and the color profile is sRGB. Game engines are notoriously picky about gamma correction, and handing them a linear DDS file often results in double-gamma correction (making your darks look like grays).
DXT1 is terrible at storing normal vector data. It creates blocky artifacts that look like ugly squares on your 3D model's surface. gimp plugins dds
Once installed, you will see "DDS" appear in your dialog.
Until then, gimp-dds remains the only practical solution. Simply saving the file isn't enough
DDS files are usually expected by game engines to be in space (non-linear). If you have been working in "Linear RGB" in GIMP, your DDS export might look "washed out" or overly bright in the game engine.
DDS files utilize the algorithm, which GPUs can decompress directly in hardware, significantly improving game performance. Commonly used compression types in the GIMP plugin include: BC1 / DXT1: For images without transparency (RGB). Before exporting to DDS, ensure your image is
You can work with layers as usual. For complex textures like game boat skins or character models, you may need to flatten layers or add layer masks before final export. Exporting: Navigate to File > Export As .