diff --git a/src/widgets/previewjob.h b/src/widgets/previewjob.h
--- a/src/widgets/previewjob.h
+++ b/src/widgets/previewjob.h
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@
 public:
     /**
      * Specifies the type of scaling that is applied to the generated preview.
+     * For HiDPI, pixel density scaling, @see PreviewJob::setDevicePixelRatio
+     *
      * @since 4.7
      */
     enum ScaleType {
@@ -186,6 +188,15 @@
      **/
     int sequenceIndex() const;
 
+    /**
+     * Request preview to use the device pixel ratio @p dpr.
+     * The returned thumbnail may not respect the device pixel ratio returned.
+     * Use QPixmap::devicePixelRatio to check, or paint as neccesary.
+     *
+     * @since 5.71
+     */
+    void setDevicePixelRatio(qreal dpr);
+
     /**
      * Returns a list of all available preview plugins. The list
      * contains the basenames of the plugins' .desktop files (no path,
@@ -244,6 +255,17 @@
     Q_PRIVATE_SLOT(d_func(), void startPreview())
     Q_PRIVATE_SLOT(d_func(), void slotThumbData(KIO::Job *, const QByteArray &))
     Q_DECLARE_PRIVATE(PreviewJob)
+
+public:
+    /**
+     * Sets a default device Pixel Ratio used for Previews
+     * @see PreviewJob::setDevicePixelRatio
+     *
+     * Defaults to 1
+     *
+     * @since 5.71
+     */
+    static void setDefaultDevicePixelRatio(qreal devicePixelRatio);
 };
 
 #if KIOWIDGETS_ENABLE_DEPRECATED_SINCE(4, 7)
@@ -288,7 +310,7 @@
  * preview plugin that will be used doesn't use icon overlays.
  * @param iconAlpha transparency to use for the icon overlay
  * @param scale if the image is to be scaled to the requested size or
- * returned in its original size
+ * returned in its original size @see PreviewJob::setDevicePixelRatio
  * @param save if the image should be cached for later use
  * @param enabledPlugins if non-zero, this points to a list containing
  * the names of the plugins that may be used.
diff --git a/src/widgets/previewjob.cpp b/src/widgets/previewjob.cpp
--- a/src/widgets/previewjob.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/previewjob.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@
 
 #include "job_p.h"
 
+namespace  {
+    static qreal s_defaultDevicePixelRatio = 1.0;
+}
+
 namespace KIO
 {
 struct PreviewItem;
@@ -150,6 +154,7 @@
     QString thumbRoot;
     // List of encrypted mount points for checking if we should save thumbnail
     KMountPoint::List encryptedMountsList;
+    qreal devicePixelRatio = s_defaultDevicePixelRatio;
 
     void getOrCreateThumbnail();
     bool statResultThumbnail();
@@ -164,6 +169,12 @@
     Q_DECLARE_PUBLIC(PreviewJob)
 };
 
+
+void PreviewJob::setDefaultDevicePixelRatio(qreal defaultDevicePixelRatio)
+{
+    s_defaultDevicePixelRatio = defaultDevicePixelRatio;
+}
+
 PreviewJob::PreviewJob(const KFileItemList &items, int width, int height,
                        int iconSize, int iconAlpha, bool scale, bool save,
                        const QStringList *enabledPlugins)
@@ -385,7 +396,9 @@
         } else {
             cacheWidth = cacheHeight = 256;
         }
-        thumbPath = thumbRoot + QLatin1String(cacheWidth == 128 ? "normal/" : "large/");
+        thumbPath = thumbRoot + QLatin1String(cacheWidth == 128 ? "normal" : "large");
+        thumbPath.append(qFuzzyCompare(devicePixelRatio, 2) ? QStringLiteral("@2x/") : QStringLiteral("/"));
+
         if (!QDir(thumbPath).exists()) {
             if (QDir().mkpath(thumbPath)) { // Qt5 TODO: mkpath(dirPath, permissions)
                 QFile f(thumbPath);
@@ -427,6 +440,11 @@
     return d_func()->sequenceIndex;
 }
 
+void KIO::PreviewJob::setDevicePixelRatio(qreal dpr)
+{
+    d_func()->devicePixelRatio = dpr;
+}
+
 void PreviewJob::setIgnoreMaximumSize(bool ignoreSize)
 {
     d_func()->ignoreMaximumSize = ignoreSize;
@@ -565,6 +583,13 @@
         return false;
     }
 
+    if (thumb.textKeys().contains(QStringLiteral("Thumb::DevicePixelRatio"))) {
+        const qreal dpr = thumb.text(QStringLiteral("Thumb::DevicePixelRatio")).toDouble();
+        thumb.setDevicePixelRatio(dpr);
+    } else if (thumb.width() == cacheWidth * devicePixelRatio || thumb.width() == cacheHeight * devicePixelRatio) {
+        thumb.setDevicePixelRatio(devicePixelRatio);
+    }
+
     QString thumbnailerVersion = currentItem.plugin->property(QStringLiteral("ThumbnailerVersion"), QVariant::String).toString();
 
     if (!thumbnailerVersion.isEmpty() && thumb.text(QStringLiteral("Software")).startsWith(QLatin1String("KDE Thumbnail Generator"))) {
@@ -659,6 +684,7 @@
     job->addMetaData(QStringLiteral("iconAlpha"), QString().setNum(iconAlpha));
     job->addMetaData(QStringLiteral("plugin"), currentItem.plugin->library());
     job->addMetaData(QStringLiteral("enabledPlugins"), enabledPlugins.join(QLatin1Char(',')));
+    job->addMetaData(QStringLiteral("devicePixelRatio"), QString::number(devicePixelRatio));
     if (sequenceIndex) {
         job->addMetaData(QStringLiteral("sequence-index"), QString().setNum(sequenceIndex));
     }
@@ -669,7 +695,7 @@
             shmdt((char *)shmaddr);
             shmctl(shmid, IPC_RMID, nullptr);
         }
-        shmid = shmget(IPC_PRIVATE, cacheWidth * cacheHeight * 4, IPC_CREAT | 0600);
+        shmid = shmget(IPC_PRIVATE, cacheWidth * cacheHeight * 4 * devicePixelRatio * devicePixelRatio, IPC_CREAT | 0600);
         if (shmid != -1) {
             shmaddr = (uchar *)(shmat(shmid, nullptr, SHM_RDONLY));
             if (shmaddr == (uchar *) - 1) {
@@ -702,9 +728,17 @@
         QDataStream str(data);
         int width, height;
         quint8 iFormat;
+        qreal imgDevicePixelRatio = 1;
+        // TODO KF6: add a version number as first parameter
         str >> width >> height >> iFormat;
+        if (iFormat & 0x80) {
+            // HACK to deduce if imgDevicePixelRatio is present
+            iFormat &= 0x7f;
+            str >> imgDevicePixelRatio;
+        }
         QImage::Format format = static_cast<QImage::Format>(iFormat);
         thumb = QImage(shmaddr, width, height, format).copy();
+        thumb.setDevicePixelRatio(imgDevicePixelRatio);
     } else
 #endif
         thumb.loadFromData(data);
@@ -719,6 +753,7 @@
         thumb.setText(QStringLiteral("Thumb::MTime"), QString::number(tOrig.toSecsSinceEpoch()));
         thumb.setText(QStringLiteral("Thumb::Size"), number(currentItem.item.size()));
         thumb.setText(QStringLiteral("Thumb::Mimetype"), currentItem.item.mimetype());
+        thumb.setText(QStringLiteral("Thumb::DevicePixelRatio"), QString::number(thumb.devicePixelRatio()));
         QString thumbnailerVersion = currentItem.plugin->property(QStringLiteral("ThumbnailerVersion"), QVariant::String).toString();
         QString signature = QLatin1String("KDE Thumbnail Generator ") + currentItem.plugin->name();
         if (!thumbnailerVersion.isEmpty()) {
@@ -740,11 +775,12 @@
 {
     Q_Q(PreviewJob);
     QPixmap pix;
-    if (thumb.width() > width || thumb.height() > height) {
-        pix = QPixmap::fromImage(thumb.scaled(QSize(width, height), Qt::KeepAspectRatio, Qt::SmoothTransformation));
+    if (thumb.width() > width * thumb.devicePixelRatio() || thumb.height() > height  * thumb.devicePixelRatio()) {
+        pix = QPixmap::fromImage(thumb.scaled(QSize(width * thumb.devicePixelRatio(), height * thumb.devicePixelRatio()), Qt::KeepAspectRatio, Qt::SmoothTransformation));
     } else {
         pix = QPixmap::fromImage(thumb);
     }
+    pix.setDevicePixelRatio(thumb.devicePixelRatio());
     emit q->gotPreview(currentItem.item, pix);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/widgets/thumbcreator.h b/src/widgets/thumbcreator.h
--- a/src/widgets/thumbcreator.h
+++ b/src/widgets/thumbcreator.h
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #ifndef _THUMBCREATOR_H_
 #define _THUMBCREATOR_H_
 
+#include <QtGlobal>
+
 #include "kiowidgets_export.h"
 
 class QString;
@@ -184,6 +186,46 @@
 };
 #endif
 
+/**
+ * @class ThumbCreatorV3 thumbcreator.h <KIO/ThumbCreator>
+ * @since 5.71
+ */
+class KIOWIDGETS_EXPORT ThumbCreatorV3 : public ThumbCreator
+{
+public:
+    // TODO KF6 merge ThumbCreatorV3 to ThumbCreator
+    virtual ~ThumbCreatorV3();
+
+    bool create(const QString &path, int width, int height, QImage &img) override;
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a thumbnail.
+     *
+     * @p height and @p height are supposed to be device independant,
+     * the @p devicePixelRatio will be used to scale the resulting image.
+     *
+     * The resulting image may not have the requested devicePixelRatio, if, for instance,
+     * the creator cannot generate a big enough image, use @see QImage::devicePixelRatio to check.
+     *
+     * @param path             The path of the file to create a preview for.  This is
+     *                         always a local path.
+     * @param width            The requested preview width
+     * @param height           The requested preview height
+     * @param img              The QImage to store the preview in.
+     *                         It may not respect the requested devicePixelRatio.
+     * @param devicePixelRatio The requested device pixel ratio.
+     *                         This is the ratio between device pixels (screen pixel) and
+     *                         device independent pixels (virtual screen).
+     *                         Defaults to 1 (no ratio applied)
+     *                         @see QImage::devicePixelRatio()
+     *
+     * @return @c true if a preview was successfully generated and store in @p
+     *         img, @c false otherwise.
+     */
+    virtual bool createV3(const QString &path, int width, int height, QImage &img, qreal devicePixelRatio = 1.0) = 0;
+};
+
+
 // KF6 TODO: rename this to something less generic
 typedef ThumbCreator *(*newCreator)();
 
diff --git a/src/widgets/thumbcreator.cpp b/src/widgets/thumbcreator.cpp
--- a/src/widgets/thumbcreator.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/thumbcreator.cpp
@@ -43,3 +43,13 @@
 {
     Q_UNUSED(configurationWidget);
 }
+
+
+ThumbCreatorV3::~ThumbCreatorV3()
+{
+}
+
+bool ThumbCreatorV3::create(const QString &path, int width, int height, QImage &img)
+{
+    return createV3(path, width, height, img, 1);
+}