High Dynamic Range: the pinnacle of pristine display formatting. Unless you’re using a PC, of course. Whether you’re on a low-end Windows laptop or own an RTX 5090-powered desktop, HDR continues to disappoint on Microsoft devices.
I’ve been using Windows 11 since day one. In all that time, I’ve never been sure whether HDR was supposed to make things look better or not. That’s because questions surrounding how Microsoft handles HDR content have always remained in my mind.
The wide-gamut color mapping of true HDR content is incredibly hit-or-miss on my rig. While the best Steam games can look spectacular if the format is working properly, when you’re navigating your desktop or browser of choice, Windows can have a massive problem with trying to make SDR images look half-decent on an HDR screen.
Windows HDR is subpar, so here’s how to make it better
Make your OS more dynamic with this one app
Credit: Dave Meikleham \ MakeUseOf
Thankfully, there are ways to make Microsoft’s latest OS play ball when it comes to displaying HDR images.
Downloading the Windows HDR Calibration app a few months ago has been one of the few non-hateful experiences I’ve had on the Microsoft Store. Normally, I loathe the platform due to its copious shovelware and glacial download speeds, but I have little to complain about when it comes to this terrific free piece of software.
As much as I appreciate the Big M’s longstanding Display Color Calibration app, it doesn’t really cut the mustard on an HDR display. Through force of habit, I still use it somewhat compulsively when I buy a new monitor to balance my gamma levels (by default, I like them lower). Still, this software was designed with a conventional color gamut in mind, so it can’t truly be depended on when it comes to accurately calibrating an HDR panel.
Related
What Is HDR TV, and What Are Its Different Formats?
HDR tech doesn’t have to be a confusing mess of acronyms and tech jargon.
The best thing about the Windows HDR Calibration app is that it’s incredibly simple to use. You could throw it in front of your Luddite great-grandparents who only just discovered humankind has learned to whittle the wheel, and they’d probably pick up the gist of this image-altering software within a few minutes.
Microsoft has an app to fix HDR
Calibrate your problems away
Credit: Dave Meikleham \ MakeUseOf
It works much like the HDR calibration software on the PS5 or Nintendo Switch 2, and can be completed in less than a minute. And in case you’re wondering what HDR is supposed to do, just click that link for an eye-opening refresher.
First, you tweak Maximum Luminance levels for both black and white according to a simple to understand on-screen setting of what the “right” preset should look like. In essence, you should see either an entirely dark or bright image with no crisscrossing lines after tweaking your picture.
After you fiddle with your display’s brightness settings, it’s then onto the rather daunting-sounding Max Full Luminance Frame Test. This is much like the previous steps where you’re looking for a uniform shade.
After this, you can compare and contrast SDR and HDR Color Saturation content (with handy comparison images) to ensure you’re not eliminating the brightest or darkest highlights of what your screen is capable of displaying. Once this final step is complete, you’re free to save this personalized calibrated screen preset to a specific timestamped profile.
HDR PC gaming needs additional help
Nvidia to the rescue
Credit: Dave Meikleham \ MakeUseOf
When I feel the need to tweak my favorite super ultrawide monitor — the Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED — it’s always because I’m obsessing about the latest Steam titles. While Microsoft’s calibration tools can make my general work day look less desaturated when I’m researching online, said software doesn’t entirely help with my main PC passion: video games.
My decades-long love for tech primarily stems from my unhinged dedication to keeping up with the latest and greatest cutting-edge PC games. It’s why I own one of the world’s best gaming CPUs, and also why I paid well over asking price for an RTX 5090 almost a year ago. Please, ignore me on that one: don’t overpay for a graphics card in this hideous age of AI GPU farming.
Resolution
5120×1440
Screen Size
49-inch
Brand
Samsung
Connectivity
1x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x USB-A 3.0, 1x Headphone Jack
Max. Refresh Rate
240Hz
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is a 49-inch super ultrawide gaming monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate.
Recently, the likes of nightmarish indie hit Reanimal and 30th anniversary survival horror victory lap Resident Evil Requiem have been ever present on my PC. Yet when I first booted up both of these inherently bleak and dimly-lit games, I wasn’t happy with the results my HDR screen was producing.
The Windows HDR Calibration app provides some assistance, but if you own an Nvidia GPU, there’s a far more-assured method of capturing the high dynamic display results you’re craving. Enter RTX HDR on the Nvidia app.
Before I started using Team Green’s retrospective HDR-sorting software, I was either reliant on the excellent NVTrueHDR app (which converts HDR signals via AI-influenced tensor cores) or by enabling Windows 11 Auto HDR. A feature you can enable by going to System -> Display -> HDR -> Auto HDR.
In practice, it’s meant to make older, pre-HDR games look better. In reality, it’s about as successful as a hen trying to become president of a country ruled by famished foxes.
Say hello to better PC pictures
HDR can work well on Windows … with tweaks
Credit: Dave Meikleham \ MakeUseOf
Raised black levels, color banding and other screen defects were all prevalent before I started using Nvidia’s default companion app. Now? Most of those problems have been ironed out. And it requires very little user-level effort.
All you need to do is boot up the Nvidia app, make sure you have the latest drivers installed, then select Graphics -> Global Settings -> then RTX HDR On. It’s that easy.
For those of you with Team Green GPUs, I’ve found enabling this setting via the Nvidia app has made my Windows HDR experience considerably better. Yes, I may keep checking my monitor’s brightness levels every now and then before fully trusting RTX HDR, but compared to the normally washed-out results of Microsoft’s Auto HDR, it’s hard not to fall for Nvidia’s color-correcting solution.
Regardless of whether you’re using the Windows HDR Calibration app or Nvidia RTX HDR features, there’s no denying High Dynamic Range content still needs improvement on Windows. Make the journey to a better wide color gamut range future less painful by embracing the tips above.
Related
What Is HDR10+? Everything to Know About the HDR Format
HDR keeps getting better, and HDR10+ is the latest version you should watch out for when buying a new monitor, TV, smartphone, or otherwise.
