diff --git a/docs/README-migration.md b/docs/README-migration.md
index d840418c4..50ddd3ec1 100644
--- a/docs/README-migration.md
+++ b/docs/README-migration.md
@@ -705,12 +705,13 @@ Calling SDL_GetHint() with the name of the hint being changed from within a hint
 The following hints have been removed:
 * SDL_HINT_ACCELEROMETER_AS_JOYSTICK
 * SDL_HINT_GAMECONTROLLER_USE_BUTTON_LABELS - gamepad buttons are always positional
-* SDL_HINT_IDLE_TIMER_DISABLED - use SDL_DisableScreenSaver instead
+* SDL_HINT_IDLE_TIMER_DISABLED - use SDL_DisableScreenSaver() instead
 * SDL_HINT_IME_SUPPORT_EXTENDED_TEXT - the normal text editing event has extended text
 * SDL_HINT_MOUSE_RELATIVE_SCALING - mouse coordinates are no longer automatically scaled by the SDL renderer
 * SDL_HINT_RENDER_BATCHING - Render batching is always enabled, apps should call SDL_FlushRenderer() before calling into a lower-level graphics API.
 * SDL_HINT_RENDER_LOGICAL_SIZE_MODE - the logical size mode is explicitly set with SDL_SetRenderLogicalPresentation()
 * SDL_HINT_RENDER_OPENGL_SHADERS - shaders are always used if they are available
+* SDL_HINT_RENDER_SCALE_QUALITY - textures now default to linear filtering, use SDL_SetTextureScaleMode(texture, SDL_SCALEMODE_NEAREST) if you want nearest pixel mode instead
 * SDL_HINT_THREAD_STACK_SIZE - the stack size can be specified using SDL_CreateThreadWithStackSize()
 * SDL_HINT_VIDEO_FOREIGN_WINDOW_OPENGL - replaced with the "opengl" property in SDL_CreateWindowWithProperties()
 * SDL_HINT_VIDEO_FOREIGN_WINDOW_VULKAN - replaced with the "vulkan" property in SDL_CreateWindowWithProperties()
diff --git a/include/SDL3/SDL_hints.h b/include/SDL3/SDL_hints.h
index c2be6743e..b9ed452ee 100644
--- a/include/SDL3/SDL_hints.h
+++ b/include/SDL3/SDL_hints.h
@@ -1776,18 +1776,6 @@ extern "C" {
  */
 #define SDL_HINT_RENDER_PS2_DYNAMIC_VSYNC    "SDL_RENDER_PS2_DYNAMIC_VSYNC"
 
-/**
- * A variable controlling texture scaling quality.
- *
- * The variable can be set to the following values:
- *   "0" or "nearest" - Nearest pixel sampling. (default)
- *   "1" or "linear"  - Linear filtering. (supported by OpenGL and Direct3D)
- *   "2" or "best"    - Currently this is the same as "linear".
- *
- * This hint should be set before creating a texture.
- */
-#define SDL_HINT_RENDER_SCALE_QUALITY       "SDL_RENDER_SCALE_QUALITY"
-
 /**
  * A variable controlling whether updates to the SDL screen surface should be synchronized with the vertical refresh, to avoid tearing.
  *
diff --git a/include/SDL3/SDL_render.h b/include/SDL3/SDL_render.h
index 932fdba6a..8d80beee1 100644
--- a/include/SDL3/SDL_render.h
+++ b/include/SDL3/SDL_render.h
@@ -913,6 +913,8 @@ extern DECLSPEC int SDLCALL SDL_GetTextureBlendMode(SDL_Texture *texture, SDL_Bl
 /**
  * Set the scale mode used for texture scale operations.
  *
+ * The default texture scale mode is SDL_SCALEMODE_LINEAR.
+ *
  * If the scale mode is not supported, the closest supported mode is chosen.
  *
  * \param texture The texture to update.
diff --git a/src/render/SDL_render.c b/src/render/SDL_render.c
index dff4141fb..d61c8b0d7 100644
--- a/src/render/SDL_render.c
+++ b/src/render/SDL_render.c
@@ -1206,21 +1206,6 @@ static Uint32 GetClosestSupportedFormat(SDL_Renderer *renderer, Uint32 format)
     return renderer->info.texture_formats[0];
 }
 
-static SDL_ScaleMode SDL_GetScaleMode(void)
-{
-    const char *hint = SDL_GetHint(SDL_HINT_RENDER_SCALE_QUALITY);
-
-    if (!hint || SDL_strcasecmp(hint, "nearest") == 0) {
-        return SDL_SCALEMODE_NEAREST;
-    } else if (SDL_strcasecmp(hint, "linear") == 0) {
-        return SDL_SCALEMODE_LINEAR;
-    } else if (SDL_strcasecmp(hint, "best") == 0) {
-        return SDL_SCALEMODE_BEST;
-    } else {
-        return (SDL_ScaleMode)SDL_atoi(hint);
-    }
-}
-
 SDL_Texture *SDL_CreateTextureWithProperties(SDL_Renderer *renderer, SDL_PropertiesID props)
 {
     SDL_Texture *texture;
@@ -1272,7 +1257,7 @@ SDL_Texture *SDL_CreateTextureWithProperties(SDL_Renderer *renderer, SDL_Propert
     texture->color.g = 1.0f;
     texture->color.b = 1.0f;
     texture->color.a = 1.0f;
-    texture->scaleMode = SDL_GetScaleMode();
+    texture->scaleMode = SDL_SCALEMODE_LINEAR;
     texture->view.pixel_w = w;
     texture->view.pixel_h = h;
     texture->view.viewport.w = -1;
diff --git a/test/testautomation_hints.c b/test/testautomation_hints.c
index b7c48f757..4e42b6cc5 100644
--- a/test/testautomation_hints.c
+++ b/test/testautomation_hints.c
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ static const char *HintsEnum[] = {
     SDL_HINT_ORIENTATIONS,
     SDL_HINT_RENDER_DIRECT3D_THREADSAFE,
     SDL_HINT_RENDER_DRIVER,
-    SDL_HINT_RENDER_SCALE_QUALITY,
     SDL_HINT_RENDER_VSYNC,
     SDL_HINT_TIMER_RESOLUTION,
     SDL_HINT_VIDEO_ALLOW_SCREENSAVER,
@@ -36,7 +35,6 @@ static const char *HintsVerbose[] = {
     "SDL_ORIENTATIONS",
     "SDL_RENDER_DIRECT3D_THREADSAFE",
     "SDL_RENDER_DRIVER",
-    "SDL_RENDER_SCALE_QUALITY",
     "SDL_RENDER_VSYNC",
     "SDL_TIMER_RESOLUTION",
     "SDL_VIDEO_ALLOW_SCREENSAVER",
diff --git a/test/testpen.c b/test/testpen.c
index be96c20f0..87a3f9412 100644
--- a/test/testpen.c
+++ b/test/testpen.c
@@ -509,8 +509,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         return 1;
     }
 
-    SDL_SetHint(SDL_HINT_RENDER_SCALE_QUALITY, "2");
-
     state->window_title = "Pressure-Sensitive Pen Test";
     state->window_w = WIDTH;
     state->window_h = HEIGHT;