diff --git a/mercurial/configitems.py b/mercurial/configitems.py
--- a/mercurial/configitems.py
+++ b/mercurial/configitems.py
@@ -553,9 +553,6 @@ coreconfigitem('experimental', 'extended
 coreconfigitem('experimental', 'extendedheader.similarity',
     default=False,
 )
-coreconfigitem('experimental', 'format.compression',
-    default='zlib',
-)
 coreconfigitem('experimental', 'graphshorten',
     default=False,
 )
@@ -684,6 +681,10 @@ coreconfigitem('format', 'obsstore-versi
 coreconfigitem('format', 'sparse-revlog',
     default=True,
 )
+coreconfigitem('format', 'revlog-compression',
+    default='zlib',
+    alias=[('experimental', 'format.compression')]
+)
 coreconfigitem('format', 'usefncache',
     default=True,
 )
diff --git a/mercurial/help/config.txt b/mercurial/help/config.txt
--- a/mercurial/help/config.txt
+++ b/mercurial/help/config.txt
@@ -866,6 +866,13 @@ https://www.mercurial-scm.org/wiki/Missi
     Repositories with this on-disk format require Mercurial version 4.7
 
     Enabled by default.
+``revlog-compression``
+    Compression algorithm used by revlog. Supported value are `zlib` and `zstd`.
+    The `zlib` engine is the historical default of Mercurial. `zstd` is a newer
+    format that is usually a net win over `zlib` operating faster at better
+    compression rate. Use `zstd` to reduce CPU usage.
+
+    On some system, Mercurial installation may lack `zstd` supports. Default is `zlib`.
 
 ``graph``
 ---------
diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -2920,10 +2920,10 @@ def newreporequirements(ui, createopts):
             if ui.configbool('format', 'dotencode'):
                 requirements.add('dotencode')
 
-    compengine = ui.config('experimental', 'format.compression')
+    compengine = ui.config('format', 'revlog-compression')
     if compengine not in util.compengines:
         raise error.Abort(_('compression engine %s defined by '
-                            'experimental.format.compression not available') %
+                            'format.revlog-compression not available') %
                           compengine,
                           hint=_('run "hg debuginstall" to list available '
                                  'compression engines'))
diff --git a/mercurial/upgrade.py b/mercurial/upgrade.py
--- a/mercurial/upgrade.py
+++ b/mercurial/upgrade.py
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ class compressionengine(formatvariant):
 
     @classmethod
     def fromconfig(cls, repo):
-        return repo.ui.config('experimental', 'format.compression')
+        return repo.ui.config('format', 'revlog-compression')
 
 @registerformatvariant
 class compressionlevel(formatvariant):
diff --git a/tests/test-repo-compengines.t b/tests/test-repo-compengines.t
--- a/tests/test-repo-compengines.t
+++ b/tests/test-repo-compengines.t
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ A new repository uses zlib storage, whic
 
 Unknown compression engine to format.compression aborts
 
-  $ hg --config experimental.format.compression=unknown init unknown
-  abort: compression engine unknown defined by experimental.format.compression not available
+  $ hg --config format.revlog-compression=unknown init unknown
+  abort: compression engine unknown defined by format.revlog-compression not available
   (run "hg debuginstall" to list available compression engines)
   [255]
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ A requirement specifying an unknown comp
 
 #if zstd
 
-  $ hg --config experimental.format.compression=zstd init zstd
+  $ hg --config format.revlog-compression=zstd init zstd
   $ cd zstd
   $ cat .hg/requires
   dotencode
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ with that engine or a requirement
 
   $ cd default
   $ touch bar
-  $ hg --config experimental.format.compression=zstd -q commit -A -m 'add bar with a lot of repeated repeated repeated text'
+  $ hg --config format.revlog-compression=zstd -q commit -A -m 'add bar with a lot of repeated repeated repeated text'
 
   $ cat .hg/requires
   dotencode
@@ -141,13 +141,13 @@ Test error cases
 checking zstd options
 =====================
 
-  $ hg init zstd-level-default --config experimental.format.compression=zstd
-  $ hg init zstd-level-1 --config experimental.format.compression=zstd
+  $ hg init zstd-level-default --config format.revlog-compression=zstd
+  $ hg init zstd-level-1 --config format.revlog-compression=zstd
   $ cat << EOF >> zstd-level-1/.hg/hgrc
   > [storage]
   > revlog.zstd.level=1
   > EOF
-  $ hg init zstd-level-22 --config experimental.format.compression=zstd
+  $ hg init zstd-level-22 --config format.revlog-compression=zstd
   $ cat << EOF >> zstd-level-22/.hg/hgrc
   > [storage]
   > revlog.zstd.level=22
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ checking zstd options
 
 Test error cases
 
-  $ hg init zstd-level-invalid --config experimental.format.compression=zstd
+  $ hg init zstd-level-invalid --config format.revlog-compression=zstd
   $ cat << EOF >> zstd-level-invalid/.hg/hgrc
   > [storage]
   > revlog.zstd.level=foobar
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ Test error cases
   abort: storage.revlog.zstd.level is not a valid integer ('foobar')
   [255]
 
-  $ hg init zstd-level-out-of-range --config experimental.format.compression=zstd
+  $ hg init zstd-level-out-of-range --config format.revlog-compression=zstd
   $ cat << EOF >> zstd-level-out-of-range/.hg/hgrc
   > [storage]
   > revlog.zstd.level=42