Retina MacBook Pro severe eyestrain and pain

Hey there  joaomalveiro,

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities! It sounds like you're running into trouble with eye fatigue while using your new MacBook Pro. I'd be glad to look into this with you in a little more detail.

The pixel density of Retina displays is so high that your eyes can't detect individual pixels at a normal viewing distance. This gives content incredible detail and dramatically improves your viewing experience. Eye fatigue generally happens when you're either too close to a display, using it for longer than recommended in one sitting without an eye rest, or if the display settings are too bright.

With that in mind, you might consider changing a few display settings via the System Preferences and seeing if that makes a difference. You can adjust the brightness of your Mac in the Displays pane of System Preferences or by tapping F1 on the keyboard.

How to use Night Shift on your Mac explains the benefits of this recent feature that can automatically adjust the display colors for benefits to the user which even include making it easier to fall asleep at night.

You may even want to consider trying out a different color profile on your Mac or calibrating it to get the best possible setup. Change your Mac display’s color profile goes over the ways to make these adjustments.

Have a great day!

Consult an eye specialist. You can not expect to get what may be a medical issue resolved in a public forum. Millions are using their computers without having the same issue as you are experiencing. So the problem may be medical rather than technical.

joaomalveiro wrote:

This only started with me using a retina Macbook so it is related to the technology involved in these screens. I'm trying to find an explanation.. An eye specialist is not going to know anything about the tech involved in the Macbook screens over the years, he's not giving me any answers.

I guess all us us who develop eye issues can point to a time or environment when this first happened. I know I first experienced eye problems when driving in the rain at night. Using your logic I guess the issue was the cleansing fluid used to clean the windshield or the tinting compound. But in hindsight it was my eyes not the environment.

So my recommendation stays the same, see an eye specialist. Symptoms of eye issues may show up in any environment such as when using a computer. That does not mean the computer is the cause just as in my case the windshield was not the cause.

I'm a new rMBP owner and i'm suffering with eyestrain,

I own a non Retina MBP 2010 and this model does not hurt my eyes at all...

I can say you have a limited 14-days to return for a full refund or exchange— for any reason.

Non- retina models are still available on the used market. Macsales/OWC often advertises the mid-2012.

Used, Refurbished and New Apple Laptops, Desktops ... - OWC

The mid-2012 would be a step up from your 2010— and still quite capable of running the most current macOS Catalina. User upgradable, both RAM and SSD.

It seems to me that if millions of users are not having eye issues when using their retina display Macs that the issue is more likely a medical issue. I am only suggesting you eliminate any medical issues before blaming your issue on Apple or their technology. But you are free to pursue any avenue you wish. Maybe look for a non-retina computer if you are convinced the issue is caused by retina displays.

joaomalveiro wrote:

i'm just asking for some technical details about the items so i can figure which one i can buy..

If you can't provide me that information please don't bother participating in this thread.

"going back to a 2012 is not an option."

OK then.

joaomalveiro wrote:

It is indeed Apple's fault, This is related with the display they used.. Yes millions of users are not having issues but u can't deny that some are reporting the same, me and the others affected.. yes we are a minority and yes we do have special vision capabilities but that means we should be ignored? Or should Apple take action and make their labtops compatible with us and all the rest of you?? I'm not asking to anyone to take any action at this point.. i'm just asking for some technical details about the items so i can figure which one i can buy..

If you can't provide me that information please don't bother participating in this thread. This is related with the backlit on the display or something like that. I'm trying to figure it out and i thought this would be the place to find some answers.

Ask your medical provider which computer to buy that won't affect your eyes. We are users like you. We have not examined your eyes. We can not suggest what computer will meet your vision needs.

joaomalveiro wrote:

I can figure what computer i need to buy if someone can provide me the detailed specs on the different Mac Retina Generations and comparing that with the previous models

Do your own research. We are users like you. We don't have access to Apple's design specs other than what is published. When I go to buy a computer I research what computer I should buy based on my needs. None of us know your eye needs better that a medical professional. Seek their advice then research what computers meet those unique, completly unknown to us, special needs.

Because the pixels in a Retina Display are much closer together, the default setting for text on these displays is crisp, clear, sharp, and really small.

To obtain the "large-print edition" as an experiment, use

System Preferences > Displays > and set the resolution to one of the "Scaled' resolutions. This feature is incredibly badly named. this is what it does:

The screen resolution stays the same, maximum for display. Graphics and backgrounds are rendered at maximum resolution. Text is "doubled" in size in software (or 1.2 or 1.5 or 1.8, but you get the idea) making Text much more readable, and possibly reducing eye fatigue.

Try it, and see if you like a different setting better. Post back if you have any problem invoking these settings.