Image MIME Reference
KTX2
Khronos Texture 2.0
image/ktx2
VS
Progressive JPEG (Legacy IE Alias)
image/pjpeg
PJPEG
A complete technical comparison of Khronos Texture 2.0 and Progressive JPEG (Legacy IE Alias) — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
PJPEG wins on browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | KTX2 | PJPEG |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | Yes | ✕ No |
| Animation Support | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | Yes |
| HDR Support | Yes | ✕ No |
| EXIF Metadata | ✕ No | Yes |
| ICC Color Profile | ✕ No | Yes |
Khronos Texture 2.0
image/ktx2
Extension
.ktx2
Container
KTX 2.0
Compression
Basis Universal (ETC1S / UASTC) / Zstandard (zstd) Supercompression / Uncompressed
Algorithm
ETC1SUASTCZstandard (zstd)Raw GPU Formats (ASTC, BCn)
Color Depth
8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit (Float)
Developed by
Khronos Group
Released
2021
Magic Bytes
AB 4B 54 58 20 32 30 BB 0D 0A 1A 0A
Progressive JPEG (Legacy IE Alias)
image/pjpeg
Extension
.jpeg.jpg.pjpeg.pjp.jfif
Container
JPEG (ISO/IEC 10918-1)
Compression
Lossy (DCT)
Algorithm
Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT)
Color Depth
8-bit, 12-bit
Developed by
Joint Photographic Experts Group / Microsoft (Alias)
Released
1992
Magic Bytes
FF D8 FF E0 (JFIF) / FF D8 FF E1 (Exif)
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | KTX2 | PJPEG |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✕ |
✓ All
|
Firefox
|
✕ |
✓ All
|
Safari
|
✕ |
✓ All
|
Edge
|
✕ |
✓ All
|
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ |
✓
|
KTX2
KTX2 Strengths
- Universal hardware compatibility: write once, transcode anywhere to the target GPU's preferred format (ASTC, BC7, PVRTC, etc.)
- Drastically reduces transmission size over networks thanks to Basis Universal and Zstandard supercompression
- Seamless integration with the glTF ecosystem for optimized 3D asset delivery
Limitations
- Requires WebAssembly (Wasm) decoders and JavaScript loaders for web viewing, increasing initial application payload slightly
- Encoding textures into high-quality Basis Universal UASTC can be computationally intensive and slow
- Zero support in traditional 2D image viewers or native OS previews
PJPEG
PJPEG Strengths
- Progressive JPEGs (which this MIME type attempted to describe) provide excellent perceived loading speeds on slow connections by rendering a low-resolution preview first
- Files sent with this MIME type are fully backwards compatible with any standard JPEG decoder
Limitations
- It is a non-standard MIME type that violates IANA specifications
- Causes strict file upload validation scripts to fail if not explicitly whitelisted or mapped
- Creates unnecessary confusion, as the official image/jpeg MIME type already fully encompasses progressive encoding
When to choose which format
KTX2
Use KTX2 when…
- glTF 3D Models (KHR_texture_basisu)
- WebGPU and WebGL Applications
- Game Engines (Unity, Unreal, Godot)
- Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR)
PJPEG
Use PJPEG when…
- Legacy Internet Explorer File Uploads
- Progressive Image Rendering (Historical context)