Microsoft Brings Xbox Series X|S’ Auto HDR Feature to PC Games

[Tsing]

Image: Microsoft



Windows 10 users with HDR-capable gaming PCs can begin enjoying HDR visuals on more than a thousand DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 games beginning today. This is according to a new blog post from Microsoft’s Hannah Fisher, which noted that the Xbox Series X|S’ Auto HDR feature can now be enabled as part of preview available in the latest Windows Insider build. Microsoft’s Auto HDR feature is capable of expanding the color/brightness of titles that were originally mastered in SDR up to high dynamic range.



“While some game studios develop for HDR gaming PCs by mastering their game natively for HDR, Auto HDR for PC will take DirectX 11 or DirectX 12 SDR-only games and intelligently expand the color/brightness range up to HDR,” Fisher explained. “It’s a seamless platform...

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[hubaduba]

I haven't messed with HDR since W10 1909, I think, but I found it worthless at that point. Not impressive in game, and it made everything on the desktop look washed out. I read that enabling HDR on my CX 48 OLED will set the OLED light to 100, which is definitely not what I want.

Are there any games where HDR actually makes anything look better?

 

[Armenius]

Works great on Xbox, can't wait to get it on PC.

I haven't messed with HDR since W10 1909, I think, but I found it worthless at that point. Not impressive in game, and it made everything on the desktop look washed out. I read that enabling HDR on my CX 48 OLED will set the OLED light to 100, which is definitely not what I want.

Are there any games where HDR actually makes anything look better?

On PC the only game I played where HDR didn't look good was Red Dead Redemption 2, but that is because Rockstar didn't implement it properly. Games I've played where HDR on PC is amazing:

• Anthem
• Assassin's Creed Odyssey
• Assassin's Creed Origins
• Battlefield V
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Destiny 2
• Doom Eternal
• Forza Horizon 4
• Forza Motorsport 7
• Gears 5
• Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
• Mass Effect: Andromeda
• Resident Evil 2 (2019)
• Ride 3
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider

The TV needs OLED light set to 100 to be able to reach peak brightness. ABL will kick in if you're worried about the panel. If you're worried about your eyes then don't, since HDR is about highlighting the bright spots on the screen, not the whole screen at once. HDR is also about bringing down the brightness in darker areas that would otherwise be washed out by the surrounding vibrancy. With OLED it's even better since HDR is per-pixel instead of being reliant on a backlight array.

 

[Brian_B]

Yeah HDR is awesome on consoles. The only reason it’s a ****show on PC is Microsoft failing to put any sort of standard to it on Windows, and all those “HDR 400” monitors that can’t really do HDR in the first place

 

[Armenius]

Yeah HDR is awesome on consoles. The only reason it’s a ****show on PC is Microsoft failing to put any sort of standard to it on Windows, and all those “HDR 400” monitors that can’t really do HDR in the first place

I have not had any issue with HDR in the past couple years. Seems most game and driver developers are following Microsoft's standard these days. The real issue now is developers either half-assing the implementation or not including HDR in their PC version despite being on their console version.

 

[hubaduba]

Works great on Xbox, can't wait to get it on PC.

On PC the only game I played where HDR didn't look good was Red Dead Redemption 2, but that is because Rockstar didn't implement it properly. Games I've played where HDR on PC is amazing:

• Anthem
• Assassin's Creed Odyssey
• Assassin's Creed Origins
• Battlefield V
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Destiny 2
• Doom Eternal
• Forza Horizon 4
• Forza Motorsport 7
• Gears 5
• Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
• Mass Effect: Andromeda
• Resident Evil 2 (2019)
• Ride 3
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider

The TV needs OLED light set to 100 to be able to reach peak brightness. ABL will kick in if you're worried about the panel. If you're worried about your eyes then don't, since HDR is about highlighting the bright spots on the screen, not the whole screen at once. HDR is also about bringing down the brightness in darker areas that would otherwise be washed out by the surrounding vibrancy. With OLED it's even better since HDR is per-pixel instead of being reliant on a backlight array.

I have none of those games. I guess I'll check out HDR again when I pick up CP2077, once the GOTY or whatever complete edition is out. I tried it before with Shadow Warrior 2 and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and didn't really see a difference.