Why is my RenderTarget2D used in a material blurry?

Default size 256x256 is too low for a quad you view up close. Increase to 1024 or 2048. Set Filter mode to Bilinear or Trilinear; Point looks pixelated.

RTF_RGBA8 for sRGB content, RTF_RGBA16f for HDR. RTF_R32f for single-channel data (depth, masks). Format affects memory and bandwidth.

Should I disable streaming?

RTs that fluctuate per frame should not stream. Disable Texture Group streaming for the RT to keep it resident at full resolution.

Fix: Unreal RenderTarget2D Material Looks Blurry

Quick answer: RT size = visible-quad pixels target. Filter = Bilinear. Mip Gen Settings = NoMipmaps. Texture Group = UI or 2D Pixels.

In-game security camera renders to a 256×256 RT, displayed on a 512×512 quad. Output looks fuzzy because RT was authored too small for display size.

The Fix

RenderTarget asset:
  Size X / Size Y:           1024 / 1024
  Render Target Format:      RTF_RGBA8
  Filter:                    Bilinear
  Mip Gen Settings:          NoMipmaps
  Texture Group:              UI

SceneCaptureComponent2D:
  Capture Source:             FinalColor (LDR) in RGB
  Texture Target:             yourRT

Match RT size to the maximum on-screen pixels of the surface displaying it. Bilinear softens magnification but no worse than cinematic camera rendering.

Verifying

Stand close to the monitor mesh. Image stays crisp. Compare to 256×256 baseline: visibly fuzzy.

“RT large enough. Filter on. Crisp at viewing distance.”

Related Issues

For RT clearing, see RT clearing. For Draw Text RT, see Draw Text.

RT sized right. Filter right. Sharp.