HDR in Windows

oldestgregg · 21 Jun 2021 at 11:34

I'm trying to gather as much info as I can as Ive had my CG437KP monitor for maybe 5 month now and still cannot work out an optimal setting for it.

I want to use HDR. I really do but its all over the place. Turning on HDR in windows and having HDR10 turned on the monitor gives a washed out desktop but even in games the colours dont pop as much or have as much brightness as having HDR10 turned on in the monitor settings and off in windows.

I spend more time switching backwards and forwards trying to find settings that work but I dont feel like Im getting anywhere. I know HDR in Windows has issues but how are other people managing with it?

Resident evil village seems OK but Cyberpunk looks loads better with HDR off in windows and on in the monitor settings, as does Ass creed Valhalla.

Greebo · 21 Jun 2021 at 12:40

Yeah hdr on in windows gives washed out windows.

A lot of people including myself use this

https://github.com/bradgearon/hdr-switch/releases/tag/0.0.0.3

Just switch it on when you are gaming in HDR (you must switch on hdr in the game as well usually)

Kautya · 21 Jun 2021 at 12:44

I always thought it was just me or that my monitor was crap when using windows HDR. Its far from optimised for windows so I have just given up on it.

oldestgregg · 21 Jun 2021 at 13:56

Greebo said:
Yeah hdr on in windows gives washed out windows.

A lot of people including myself use this

https://github.com/bradgearon/hdr-switch/releases/tag/0.0.0.3

Just switch it on when you are gaming in HDR (you must switch on hdr in the game as well usually)

Its a cool little toggle but does that just toggle HDR on in windows? The desktop appears washed out but games are getting the same effect as well. Leaving windows HDR off and HDR10 set to on with the monitor gives a much better effect. Colours are brighter and its like HDR "should" look?

The whole HDR/Windows thing has left a prety sour taste to be honest. I have a 3090 and the CG437KP with is close to £3000 quids worth of tech and and yet my PS5 and Samsung TV just work.

Sc00p007 · 21 Jun 2021 at 17:35

HDR on pc is frustrating.

When turned "on" in Windows, it gives the washed out look on non HDR content, so much so that I have to turn it off for browsing, youtube etc.

Some games don't need HDR "on" in windows and will show the option and let you enable it. Others won't even show a greyed out option to indicate that it's there and that you need to turn it "on" in windows. So, when I start a new game and want my first introduction to be spot on, I need to research. Too many times I have forgotten to turn HDR back on in windows and played the first hr or two without hdr as I wasn't aware it was an option (didnt show in options screen unless it was on in Windows). Or, forgotten to turn it off, started another game that doesn't support HDR and realised my first impression was a washed out version

Then, we have the problem of the HDR implementation, many times being bad. It's not even the odd one. Many seem to have elevated blacks/incorrect gamma: Jedi fallen order, RDR2, Assassins creed, Cyberpunk, Watchdogs.... I have to mess around with my tv settings to correct or get it looking better

Bitter sweet, because when it is implemented well, it is really nice.

**to add to the games with bad implementation: I just want to sit back and play a game for the first time in all its glory. It is so frustrating to install a new game and spend the first 15 mins trying many different picture settings (black level, gamma, brightness setting).

Greebo · 21 Jun 2021 at 22:16

oldestgregg said:
Its a cool little toggle but does that just toggle HDR on in windows? The desktop appears washed out but games are getting the same effect as well. Leaving windows HDR off and HDR10 set to on with the monitor gives a much better effect. Colours are brighter and its like HDR "should" look?

The whole HDR/Windows thing has left a prety sour taste to be honest. I have a 3090 and the CG437KP with is close to £3000 quids worth of tech and and yet my PS5 and Samsung TV just work.

The toggle is switching the HDR setting on and off in windows. Just saves you going into your settings every time.

Andy D · 22 Jun 2021 at 23:06

I’m really frustrated with HDR and PC gaming too. I have an Nvidia Shield to stream games to my TV but other than Forza Horizon 4 all games look as bad as then do on my Samsung HDR600 rated monitor. Something like Borderlands 3 looks terrible. I keep meaning to lug my PC over to my TV and connect it directly rather than via Nvidia shield.
Games such as Ghost of Tsushima or God of War on PS4 look incredible, silky smooth but games on my 3090 to monitor stutter and look rubbish compared. Then again I spent over £4K on my TV and only £500 on monitor.

Missone · 23 Jun 2021 at 00:57

Andy D said:
I’m really frustrated with HDR and PC gaming too. I have an Nvidia Shield to stream games to my TV but other than Forza Horizon 4 all games look as bad as then do on my Samsung HDR600 rated monitor. Something like Borderlands 3 looks terrible. I keep meaning to lug my PC over to my TV and connect it directly rather than via Nvidia shield.
Games such as Ghost of Tsushima or God of War on PS4 look incredible, silky smooth but games on my 3090 to monitor stutter and look rubbish compared. Then again I spent over £4K on my TV and only £500 on monitor.

Having a £1400 GPU and a £500 monitor is not great. If you can afford to spend that much on a GPU then you NEED to get a monitor with at LEAST ultrawide or 4k resolution that supports HDR1000. HDR600 is not going to cut it.

JohnG7 · 23 Jun 2021 at 00:59

Rroff · 23 Jun 2021 at 02:34

Have to say HDR and Windows is pretty meh - in a lot of cases I get better results from the fake HDR (alone) the monitor does on my 436M6 than actual HDR from games in Windows and Windows desktop with HDR on is just LOL.

The HDR from console games generally is a bit better but I'm not a console gamer and overall prefer the higher IQ even without HDR from PC games.

Andy D · 25 Jun 2021 at 16:10

Plugged my PC straight into my TV (Samsung QE75Q7FN) rather than stream through Nvidia Shield. HDR picture quality is as splendid as using using PlayStation. Doom Eternal, Borderlands 3, and Metro Exodus Enhanced all looked so good.
So Nvidia Shield TV is no good and agree my PC monitor needs some serious ££s upgrade spend for HDR goodness.