hi guys, this question is /g/ but also a bit /v/ and a bit /vr/.

File: 800px-Video_Resolution_Chart.svg.png (19KB, 800x543px) Image search: [Google]

19KB, 800x543px

hi guys, this question is /g/ but also a bit /v/ and a bit /vr/.

basically, i'm making a video game. at the minute i'm working on the script and plot, so i don't need to worry about assets yet, but i was thinking about things like pixel scaling and it frustrates me how much i don't know about the whole thing.
i'm planning on making it for 640x480, but the next multiple of 480 after 960 is 1440, and most people run 1920x1080 screens these days, so that means i'd need to display it at 2x with huge borders on all sides. the only alternative would be to render at 2x and then stretch it for the remainder, which puts the whole picture at serious risk of looking terrible.
i know how important pixel scaling is if you're going for a clear display, but i'm also not deluded enough to think i'm the first person to make a pixellated 2d game in the 2010s.

basically, what i want to know is how other people do it. do you just make your peace with knowing your game is going to look like shit on some screens or are there tricks?
is 640x480 a bad base resolution? is there a more common resolution people are using which scales well but also suits small screens?
i hold no doubt the legwork has already been put into solving this problem, i just don't know where to go to find the information.
thanks /g/.