diff --git a/interface/resources/images/Default-Sky-9-ambient.jpg b/interface/resources/images/Default-Sky-9-ambient.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 8fb383c5e8..0000000000
Binary files a/interface/resources/images/Default-Sky-9-ambient.jpg and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/interface/resources/images/Default-Sky-9-cubemap.jpg b/interface/resources/images/Default-Sky-9-cubemap.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index 697fd9aeea..0000000000
Binary files a/interface/resources/images/Default-Sky-9-cubemap.jpg and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/interface/resources/images/Default-Sky-9-cubemap.ktx b/interface/resources/images/Default-Sky-9-cubemap.ktx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..95710d2c08
Binary files /dev/null and b/interface/resources/images/Default-Sky-9-cubemap.ktx differ
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index d3a690b020..1f0c6c0c36 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -1438,15 +1438,17 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv, QElapsedTimer& startupTimer, bo
     connect(_window, SIGNAL(windowMinimizedChanged(bool)), this, SLOT(windowMinimizedChanged(bool)));
     qCDebug(interfaceapp, "Startup time: %4.2f seconds.", (double)startupTimer.elapsed() / 1000.0);
 
-    auto textureCache = DependencyManager::get<TextureCache>();
+    {
+        PROFILE_RANGE(render, "Process Default Skybox");
+        auto textureCache = DependencyManager::get<TextureCache>();
 
-    QString skyboxUrl { PathUtils::resourcesPath() + "images/Default-Sky-9-cubemap.jpg" };
-    QString skyboxAmbientUrl { PathUtils::resourcesPath() + "images/Default-Sky-9-ambient.jpg" };
+        auto skyboxUrl = PathUtils::resourcesPath().toStdString() + "images/Default-Sky-9-cubemap.ktx";
 
-    _defaultSkyboxTexture = textureCache->getImageTexture(skyboxUrl, image::TextureUsage::CUBE_TEXTURE, { { "generateIrradiance", false } });
-    _defaultSkyboxAmbientTexture = textureCache->getImageTexture(skyboxAmbientUrl, image::TextureUsage::CUBE_TEXTURE, { { "generateIrradiance", true } });
+        _defaultSkyboxTexture = gpu::Texture::unserialize(skyboxUrl);
+        _defaultSkyboxAmbientTexture = _defaultSkyboxTexture;
 
-    _defaultSkybox->setCubemap(_defaultSkyboxTexture);
+        _defaultSkybox->setCubemap(_defaultSkyboxTexture);
+    }
 
     EntityItem::setEntitiesShouldFadeFunction([this]() {
         SharedNodePointer entityServerNode = DependencyManager::get<NodeList>()->soloNodeOfType(NodeType::EntityServer);