{"id":4869,"date":"2021-08-02T12:34:33","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T19:34:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/?p=4869"},"modified":"2021-08-02T13:00:45","modified_gmt":"2021-08-02T20:00:45","slug":"windows-2021-hdr-getting-started-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/windows-2021-hdr-getting-started-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Windows 2021 HDR getting started guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<table style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"623\">In this blog:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is HDR?<\/li>\n<li>HDR content on Windows\n<ul>\n<li>HDR gaming<\/li>\n<li>HDR video<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Hardware you need\n<ul>\n<li>Recommended displays for a great HDR experience<\/li>\n<li>Recommended graphics cards (GPUs) for HDR support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>FAQ<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Now more than ever, we are spending more time in front of a display, either enjoying videos or playing games. It is the right time to upgrade your experience! If you want to make the most out of the time spent with your PC, HDR (High Dynamic Range) is the way to go.<\/p>\n<p>Now that you\u2019re reading this blog, you are in the right place to make sure you have the information you need to make the right purchase for you, whether you want to enjoy an HDR cinematic experience or have an awesome time playing games in HDR.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re already familiar with HDR, skip to the <strong>HDR content on Windows<\/strong> section.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong><u>What is HDR?<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Technology is evolving faster than ever, with amazing innovations in real-time computer graphics and in film. This is not something you want to miss out on, and an SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) can\u2019t display the visuals in their full glory. HDR replicates color and brightness across a wide range, so when you are watching a movie or playing a game, HDR makes you feel like you are physically there and helps immerse you in the scene! It is visually stunning and it\u2019s here, today, on Windows.<\/p>\n<p>The difference between traditional SDR content and HDR content has to be seen to be believed. HDR delivers more light and color, so images appear more lifelike. With HDR, you\u2019ll see more details and contrast between dark and bright parts of a scene; games will become more immersive, darker scenes become scarier, and bright, sunlit landscapes can make you squint!<\/p>\n<p>Traditional SDR displays can only reproduce a small fraction of the colors that human eyes can perceive (see Human Dynamic Range compared to SDR and HDR in the diagram below).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-diagram.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4871 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-diagram.jpg\" alt=\"Image HDR diagram\" width=\"1300\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-diagram.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-diagram-300x138.jpg 300w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-diagram-1024x473.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-diagram-768x354.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\" \/><\/a>Diagram showing the differences between the amount of information encoded into an SDR picture and an HDR picture<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>HDR uses a color gamut (range of colors) that\u2019s larger than SDR, resulting in more lifelike colors and a massive improvement from traditional SDR content. As you can see in the diagram above, it encodes more information about the original picture.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The most obvious change is that HDR gives you a brighter and more detailed picture with higher contrast between the brightest and darkest parts of the picture.<\/li>\n<li>It also gives you more color vividness and saturation, which is sometimes called WCG (wide color gamut).<\/li>\n<li>Additionally, HDR content can show more shades of a color which are not possible on an SDR display, especially with subtle color variations in shadows\/dark regions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To see how HDR compares to traditional content (SDR), look at the Gears 5 Hivebusters DLC video comparison below. Notice the extra details in the HDR video below in the bright lights and reflections, as well as in the shadows and darker areas. It lets you feel the scene!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d_nWj_z1490\" width=\"560\" height=\"314\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Video of Gears 5 playing in SDR (on the left) and in HDR (on the right)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 86.0413%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\" width=\"623\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> We recommend watching this video on <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/youtube\/answer\/10265272?hl=en\">HDR-compatible devices<\/a> such as an HDR display or an HDR mobile device. If viewing with an SDR display, the differences between SDR and HDR will still be noticeable but less accurate, so you won\u2019t be able to see what HDR truly looks like.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong><u>HDR content on Windows<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Now that you know what HDR is and its potential, we want to share with you some examples of HDR content that exists on Windows HDR-capable devices. Did you know there are thousands of videos and games you can watch and play in HDR?<\/p>\n<h4><strong>HDR gaming<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Playing games on PC is now more realistic than ever. There are over 130 titles from many publishers that support HDR. If you are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass for PC, here are some examples of games published by Xbox Game Studios that support HDR on Windows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Crackdown 3<\/li>\n<li>Forza Horizon 4<\/li>\n<li>Forza Motorsport 7<\/li>\n<li>Gears 5<\/li>\n<li>Gears Tactics<\/li>\n<li>Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020<\/li>\n<li>Ori and the Will of the Wisps<\/li>\n<li>Sea of Thieves<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These HDR games are beautiful, but what if we told you that there is a way for almost every game you are already playing to get the benefits of HDR?<\/p>\n<p>To increase your HDR gaming possibilities, <strong>Auto HDR<\/strong> (an upcoming feature) when enabled on your HDR device, converts SDR games into HDR games and you\u2019ll get awesome HDR visuals on an additional 1000+ DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 games. To get an early preview, you can join the Windows Insiders Program (Microsoft\u2019s software testing program that allows you to have access to an early version of Windows that is still under development). Click <a href=\"https:\/\/aka.ms\/autohdrpc\">here<\/a> to find out more.<\/p>\n<p>If you are playing a game on an HDR display and the game supports HDR, you might have the possibility to calibrate your HDR game, which will allow you to optimize the game\u2019s visuals to your display and to your preference. Not all games have an embedded HDR calibration tool, but if they do, it usually pops up at the game startup. If not prompted at the start, you can look for HDR calibration settings directly in the game display settings.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>HDR video<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>To find and watch HDR videos on Windows you can go to YouTube or Netflix, amongst other platforms.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Netflix<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To find HDR titles on Netflix, you can either download the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.microsoft.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2F9wzdncrfj3tj&amp;data=04%7C01%7CAna.Carvalho%40microsoft.com%7C3f1833634afa4fad005d08d8efeacf37%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C637523139076822809%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=Wcw02Mst1Tz3%2FbmA0umCcaOmT%2BN6tR%2F0NQxzF3cdUjE%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Netflix app<\/a>\u00a0from the Microsoft Store or go to Netflix.com in Microsoft Edge. After logging into your account (requires a Premium subscription), search for \u201cHDR\u201d or alternatively, just look for the HDR label next to the movie\/series description.<\/p>\n<p><em> <a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-netflix.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4887\" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-netflix.png\" alt=\"Image HDR netflix\" width=\"80\" height=\"35\" \/><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Some examples of HDR titles are \u201cBridgerton\u201d, \u201cOutside the Wire\u201d, \u201cThe Trial of The Chicago 7\u201d, \u201cMank\u201d and many others.<\/p>\n<p>For more information visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/help.netflix.com\/en\/node\/42384#:~:text=Netflix%20supports%202%20HDR%20streaming%20formats,%20Dolby%20Vision,supports%20either%20Dolby%20Vision%20or%20HDR%20and%20Netflix\">Netflix help center<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Note: Your device must support PlayReady hardware digital rights management (for protected HDR content).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Youtube<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As HDR grows in popularity, more and more HDR content from various users is available on YouTube. For more information see <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/youtube\/answer\/10265272?hl=en\">here<\/a>. You can find some good examples if you open Microsoft Edge on your Windows PC, go to YouTube, and then search for \u201cHDR\u201d. Alternatively, you can filter content on YouTube for the \u201cHDR\u201d feature.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-YT-1.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4873 \" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-YT-1.png\" alt=\"Image HDR YT 1\" width=\"166\" height=\"335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-YT-1.png 445w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-YT-1-148x300.png 148w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 166px) 100vw, 166px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>To confirm that you\u2019re watching a video in HDR, look for the HDR label in the bottom-right corner of the video window (see below).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-YT-2.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4874\" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-YT-2.png\" alt=\"Image HDR YT 2\" width=\"149\" height=\"33\" srcset=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-YT-2.png 357w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/HDR-YT-2-300x66.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 149px) 100vw, 149px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Note: If you\u2019re unable to play HDR content, confirm that you have the required codecs by looking into the <strong>Which codecs to install<\/strong> section <a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/guide-on-how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-hdr-display\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong><u>Hardware you need<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Now we\u2019re going to tell you how to buy the right hardware to get the best possible experience! You will need two things: a high-quality HDR display and a PC with a recommended GPU (graphics processing unit &#8211; electronic circuit capable of rendering graphics for a display).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Recommended HDR displays<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>When purchasing an HDR display, there are several things you should be on the lookout for, such as the display\u2019s certification or the number of \u201cnits\u201d that it has.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>But now you may be asking \u2013 what are \u201cnits\u201d?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s start with understanding luminance. Luminance is the measurement of brightness perceived by the human eye and its official unit is candela\/square meter (cd\/m2). 1 cd\/m2 is equivalent to 1 \u201cnit\u201d. \u201cNits\u201d is a measure of brightness, commonly used to measure screen brightness &#8211; the higher the number of nits, the brighter the display can be.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>And why does certification matter?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Not every display that supports HDR will provide a good experience, and the old saying &#8216;you get what you pay for&#8217; often applies here. Here\u2019s some example of issues that can occur on poor-quality HDR devices:<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #ffffff;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Hydrangeas.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4876 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Hydrangeas.jpg\" alt=\"Image Hydrangeas\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Hydrangeas.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Hydrangeas-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Hydrangeas-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Hydrageas-simulatedwashout.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4875\" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Hydrageas-simulatedwashout.jpg\" alt=\"Image Hydrageas simulatedwashout\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Hydrageas-simulatedwashout.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Hydrageas-simulatedwashout-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Hydrageas-simulatedwashout-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Bad color quality (colors look dim\/washed out)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/loremipsum-sharpeningsxs.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4877 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/loremipsum-sharpeningsxs.png\" alt=\"Image loremipsum sharpeningsxs\" width=\"800\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/loremipsum-sharpeningsxs.png 800w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/loremipsum-sharpeningsxs-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/loremipsum-sharpeningsxs-768x336.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Sharpening (text looks bad)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To ensure a great HDR experience, we recommend certified HDR laptops and monitors.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Certified displays follow quality standards and testing that ensure users have the beautiful experience that is owning an HDR display. They are designed and tested for a wide range of things you might do with HDR on a PC \u2013 including playing HDR games and using HDR apps. There are many great high-quality HDR displays out there and having an HDR certification gives you an easy-to-understand guarantee that a display has passed quality standards and tests. Without certification, a display may not meet crucial performance requirements and therefore it may not provide a consistent high-quality HDR experience.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Having all of this in mind, we recommend displays certified by any of the following certification programs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>AMD <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amd.com\/en\/shop\/ca\/Freesync%20Monitors?f%5b0%5d=freesync_2:Yes&amp;f%5b1%5d=hdr:Yes\">FreeSync Premium Pro<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dolby.com\/technologies\/dolby-vision\/\">Dolby Vision<\/a><\/li>\n<li>NVIDIA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nvidia.com\/en-us\/geforce\/products\/g-sync-monitors\/specs\/?type=G-SYNC%20ULTIMATE\">G-SYNC ULTIMATE<\/a><\/li>\n<li>VESA <a href=\"https:\/\/displayhdr.org\/certified-products\/\">DisplayHDR<\/a> \u2013 DisplayHDR certification has multiple performance tiers. Here are some tips for getting the best possible experience:\n<ul>\n<li>Newer certification is better &#8211; look for the latest DisplayHDR version 1.1 certified displays.<\/li>\n<li>Higher tier number is better &#8211; look for displays that meet the DisplayHDR 500 or greater tiers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table class=\" aligncenter\" style=\"background-color: #ffffff; width: 61.2468%;\" width=\"61.2468%\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 20.97%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/19377717-A-AMD-Freesync-Premium-Pro-Lockup_RGB.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4879\" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/19377717-A-AMD-Freesync-Premium-Pro-Lockup_RGB.png\" alt=\"Image 19377717 A AMD Freesync Premium Pro Lockup RGB\" width=\"2991\" height=\"1689\" srcset=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/19377717-A-AMD-Freesync-Premium-Pro-Lockup_RGB.png 2991w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/19377717-A-AMD-Freesync-Premium-Pro-Lockup_RGB-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/19377717-A-AMD-Freesync-Premium-Pro-Lockup_RGB-1024x578.png 1024w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/19377717-A-AMD-Freesync-Premium-Pro-Lockup_RGB-768x434.png 768w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/19377717-A-AMD-Freesync-Premium-Pro-Lockup_RGB-1536x867.png 1536w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/19377717-A-AMD-Freesync-Premium-Pro-Lockup_RGB-2048x1156.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2991px) 100vw, 2991px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 22.3966%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/nvidia-gsync-ultimate-lockup-rgb-blk-for-screen.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4888\" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/nvidia-gsync-ultimate-lockup-rgb-blk-for-screen.jpg\" alt=\"Image nvidia gsync ultimate lockup rgb blk for screen\" width=\"882\" height=\"515\" srcset=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/nvidia-gsync-ultimate-lockup-rgb-blk-for-screen.jpg 882w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/nvidia-gsync-ultimate-lockup-rgb-blk-for-screen-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/nvidia-gsync-ultimate-lockup-rgb-blk-for-screen-768x448.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 882px) 100vw, 882px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 28.6733%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/DLB_Vsn_horz_rgb_blk_@4x.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4883\" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/DLB_Vsn_horz_rgb_blk_@4x.png\" alt=\"Image DLB Vsn horz rgb blk 4x\" width=\"2531\" height=\"376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/DLB_Vsn_horz_rgb_blk_@4x.png 2531w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/DLB_Vsn_horz_rgb_blk_@4x-300x45.png 300w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/DLB_Vsn_horz_rgb_blk_@4x-1024x152.png 1024w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/DLB_Vsn_horz_rgb_blk_@4x-768x114.png 768w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/DLB_Vsn_horz_rgb_blk_@4x-1536x228.png 1536w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/DLB_Vsn_horz_rgb_blk_@4x-2048x304.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2531px) 100vw, 2531px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 27.2468%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Generic-DisplayHDR-White-BackGround-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4913\" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Generic-DisplayHDR-White-BackGround-1.jpg\" alt=\"Image Generic DisplayHDR White BackGround\" width=\"2353\" height=\"1251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Generic-DisplayHDR-White-BackGround-1.jpg 2353w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Generic-DisplayHDR-White-BackGround-1-300x159.jpg 300w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Generic-DisplayHDR-White-BackGround-1-1024x544.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Generic-DisplayHDR-White-BackGround-1-768x408.jpg 768w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Generic-DisplayHDR-White-BackGround-1-1536x817.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Generic-DisplayHDR-White-BackGround-1-2048x1089.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2353px) 100vw, 2353px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Note: HDR monitors also work great with Xbox consoles and other HDR-capable devices.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Recommended graphics cards (GPUs) for HDR support<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>If you are looking to play HDR games, you should look for a PC that has a GPU that supports <a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/directx-12-ultimate-for-holiday-2020\/\">DirectX 12 Ultimate<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/1_DX12Ultimate_logo_digital_black_bg.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4878 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/1_DX12Ultimate_logo_digital_black_bg-150x150.png\" alt=\"Image 1 DX12Ultimate logo digital black bg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/1_DX12Ultimate_logo_digital_black_bg-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/1_DX12Ultimate_logo_digital_black_bg-300x298.png 300w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/1_DX12Ultimate_logo_digital_black_bg-768x763.png 768w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/1_DX12Ultimate_logo_digital_black_bg.png 1006w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you are buying a PC for non-gaming scenarios such as to watch HDR video, besides a GPU that supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, you can also consider devices with any of the most recent AMD, Intel, or NVIDIA GPUs such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>AMD Radeon RX 5000 or more recent<\/li>\n<li>Intel Core 11<sup>th<\/sup> Gen or more recent<\/li>\n<li>NVIDIA GeForce 16 series or more recent<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Now<\/strong> <strong>that you have the necessary information to buy a device that will allow you to experience HDR, let\u2019s review the checklist and confirm that you are getting ready for HDR on Windows:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<table style=\"background-color: #ffffff; width: 76.8684%; height: 274px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 160px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 86.2963%; height: 160px;\" width=\"462\">Your HDR device has one of the below HDR certifications:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>AMD <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amd.com\/en\/shop\/ca\/Freesync%20Monitors?f%5b0%5d=freesync_2:Yes&amp;f%5b1%5d=hdr:Yes\">FreeSync Premium Pro<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dolby.com\/technologies\/dolby-vision\/\">Dolby Vision<\/a><\/li>\n<li>NVIDIA <a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nvidia.com\/en-us\/geforce\/products\/g-sync-monitors\/specs\/\">G-SYNC ULTIMATE<\/a><\/li>\n<li>VESA <a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;\" href=\"https:\/\/displayhdr.org\/certified-products\/\">DisplayHDR<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 75.5556%; height: 160px;\" width=\"72\"><strong>Check\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 58px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 86.2963%; height: 58px;\" width=\"462\">Your PC\u2019s GPU is recommended for HDR support<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>GPU that supports <a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/directx-12-ultimate-for-holiday-2020\/\">DirectX 12 Ultimate<\/a> or any of the most recent AMD, Intel, or NVIDIA GPUs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 75.5556%; height: 58px;\" width=\"72\"><strong>Check<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 28px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 86.2963%; height: 28px;\" width=\"462\">The content you are watching or the game you want to play supports HDR<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 75.5556%; height: 28px;\" width=\"72\"><strong>Check\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 28px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 86.2963%; height: 28px;\" width=\"462\"><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/guide-on-how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-hdr-display\">Learn how to optimize your display and get the most out of it<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 75.5556%; height: 28px;\" width=\"72\">\u2192<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong><u>FAQ<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><em>How do I know if my device supports HDR?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>To find out if your device supports HDR, on the <strong>Windows HD Color <\/strong>settings, select the display you want to verify, and under <strong>Display capabilities<\/strong> confirm it says <strong>Yes<\/strong> next to <strong>Use HDR<\/strong>. You can also check our help article <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/hdr-and-wcg-color-settings-in-windows-10-2d767185-38ec-7fdc-6f97-bbc6c5ef24e6\">HDR and WCG color settings<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Display-Capabilities-Settings.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4882 \" src=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Display-Capabilities-Settings-300x193.png\" alt=\"Image Display Capabilities Settings\" width=\"258\" height=\"166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Display-Capabilities-Settings-300x193.png 300w, https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2021\/08\/Display-Capabilities-Settings.png 421w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 258px) 100vw, 258px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>I have an HDR problem and need help fixing it. Can you help?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Our help article <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/hdr-and-wcg-color-settings-in-windows-10-2d767185-38ec-7fdc-6f97-bbc6c5ef24e6\">HDR and WCG color settings<\/a> guides you through the most common issues found with HDR displays. Please check to see if your issue and solution are discussed there. If it\u2019s not, please open the Feedback Hub and send us your feedback under <strong>Display and Graphics &gt; Windows HD Color (HDR and WCG)<\/strong>. We\u2019re always on the lookout for new customer feedback.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>What other recommendations do you have for display requirements?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Please see <a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/guide-on-how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-hdr-display\">our blog<\/a> about how to get the most out of your HDR-capable device. It helps you set up your device correctly. You can also visit our help articles <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/help\/4040547\">Display requirements for HDR video<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/hdr-and-wcg-color-settings-in-windows-10-2d767185-38ec-7fdc-6f97-bbc6c5ef24e6\">HDR and WCG color settings<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>How can I correctly set up my display for HDR video?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Please see <a href=\"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/guide-on-how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-hdr-display\">this blog<\/a> where we explain how to set up your display for HDR on Windows. You can also see our help article on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/help\/4091342\">Calibrate your built-in display for HDR content<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Where can I learn more about playing streaming HDR video?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>See our help article <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/help\/4040255\/windows-10-stream-hdr-video\">Stream HDR video<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>More information<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.maketecheasier.com\/what-is-nit-of-screen-brightness\/\">Learn more about nits<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/DisplayPort#High_dynamic_range_(HDR)\">Learn about DisplayPort<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lifewire.com\/hdmi-facts-high-definition-multimedia-interface-1847337\">Learn about HDMI<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This blog will give you the information you need to purchase the right HDR device for you, whether you want to enjoy an HDR cinematic experience or have an awesome time playing games in HDR.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44281,"featured_media":12651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-directx"],"acf":[],"blog_post_summary":"<p>This blog will give you the information you need to purchase the right HDR device for you, whether you want to enjoy an HDR cinematic experience or have an awesome time playing games in HDR.<\/p>\n","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44281"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4869\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/devblogs.microsoft.com\/directx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}