The wait is nearly over as Microsoft’s little war machine, their most powerful next-gen console to date slowly walks towards the limelight. The Xbox Series X has a number of new features that will enhance your gaming experience, the most striking of which is the HDR feature. In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about HDR and how you can turn it on, on your Xbox Series X.
How to Turn On HDR10 on Xbox Series X
To give you an immersive and unforgettable experience, Xbox Series X comes with the capability to run games at 4k HDR at 120fps and you can even crank it up to 8k since it comes with HDMI 2.1. If you want to get the most out of your Xbox, you should definitely give its 4k HDR capabilities a try.
HDR stands for a high-dynamic range and the sole purpose of this technology is to introduce a greater range of luminosity overall in the picture. If you turn on HDR for some visual content, it improves contrast, the whites become brighter, the blacks become darker and the colors become more vibrant. This breathes a new life into the dull imaginary world of games.
How to Turn on HDR10
Previously, to get HDR you’d have to go through a lot of hassle. But now, Microsoft has eliminated all of that unnecessary inconvenience with the introduction of an HDR Calibration app and Auto-HDR.
The first thing to do when you boot up the Xbox Series X is to open the HDR calibration app. It comes pre-installed and has an icon resembling a dotted sun. You can find it here:
Press the Xbox button > Power and System > Settings > General > TV and Display Options> Calibrate HDR for Games
After opening the app you’ll just have to adjust some dials to where the full spectrum of colors hits that sweet spot and is pleasing to your eye. The app then aligns the HDR feature of the console with the HDR capabilities of your display. After a few seconds, the process is complete and that’s it, you’ve got yourself HDR.
Another thing to keep in mind is that it (the app) will only work if you have a compatible display in the first place because you can’t run HDR on an LCD which has no local dimming. Make sure you have an OLED or a high end LED that supports HDR 10 or Dolby Vision.
If you want to check the capabilities of your current display, you can do so by going into the TV and Display options in the main menu and then checking for your display’s details under setup. Also, each time you change your display, you’ll have to calibrate it for once.
Auto HDR
Another exhilarating feature that comes with the new Xbox Series X is Auto HDR. According to Microsoft, it will add HDR to backward-compatible games which didn’t really have HDR in the first place. That will be like doing a fresh paint job over the old classics making them even more colorful and fun to play.
You don’t have to turn it on for every game, after you calibrate HDR to your display through the pre-installed app, it will automatically turn on HDR for compatible games. And if it’s too much to handle, you can always turn it off from the settings.