Convert a photo to pixel art
Turn any photo into retro pixel art: pixels are grouped into colored blocks, then the color palette is reduced, for an 8/16-bit video game look.
How it works
The tool applies two successive steps: first, grouping into square blocks (each block becomes a single color, the average of the pixels it contains), which gives the "big pixels" look typical of pixel art, then a reduction of the number of color levels per channel to get a palette closer to retro video games than to a continuous-tone photo.
How do I get a look closer to a real 8-bit game?
Increase the block size (20 to 40px on a good-resolution photo) and reduce the number of color levels (2 to 4): the result then approaches a very limited palette, like an 8-bit console. For a softer, more detailed effect, keep blocks small (4 to 10px) with more levels (8 to 16).
Why does the enlarged image look blurry instead of having sharp pixels?
It depends on the viewer you use to zoom in on the image after downloading it: most viewers smooth the enlargement by default. In an image editor or on a web page, enable "pixelated" (or "nearest neighbor") rendering to keep block edges crisp when zooming.
100% local processing: block grouping and palette reduction happen in your browser via WebAssembly — your photo is never sent to a server.