How to Enable Auto HDR on Windows 11 – Guide
With more and more people wanting to play PC games in HDR, Microsoft has released a new feature for Windows 11 that can add HDR-like effects to some older Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) games. This feature is called Auto HDR and it works by adjusting the image so that it looks similar to how Auto HDR works on Xbox Series X. If you want to try out this feature, you can find it on the Windows 11 HDR settings page.
There you can find the option to switch to auto HDR as well as other high dynamic range features. Turn it on and now it will boost the colors of many SDR games on your HDR monitor. You can also check the screen features summary on this page to determine if your monitor supports HDR. If you are using HDR and don’t want to automatically apply it to SDR games, just turn off auto HDR but leave HDR on.
Enable HDR on Windows 11
If you want to change your display settings to enable Auto HDR support, you will need to open up the Windows 11 Settings menu first. There are a few ways to do this, but the easiest is to open up the Start menu and press the ‘Settings’ application icon in the list. If you can’t find it, use the search bar at the top of the Start menu to search for ‘Settings’ and then press it in the search results. Alternatively, right-click on the Start menu icon in the taskbar and press ‘Settings’ in the pop-up menu.up context menu to open it.
Checking HDR monitor support
If you’re using a Windows 11 PC and connected to a HDR-enabled monitor or TV, you can use auto HDR mode. However, some monitors and TVs do not support HDR, so be sure to check if your monitor supports HDR before using it. If you are not sure if your monitor supports HDR, you can check this in the Windows 11 Settings menu first. From the Settings menu, select System > Video > HDR and then select your compatible monitor from the drop-down menu.
How to enable Auto HDR functionality in Windows 11
To quickly enable HDR in Windows 11, open the Settings app and press System > Video > HDR. ..
If your HDR-compatible TV or monitor is not selected from the drop-down menu, you can use the ‘Display Features’ section to see your choices.
To enable HDR output on your PC, press the slider beside the ‘Use HDR’ section. ..
Auto HDR in games that Microsoft has added support can be enabled by selecting the slider next to the ‘Auto HDR’ section.
Testing HDR Colors in Gaming Using Auto HDR Split Screen
If you’re curious to see the difference HDR makes to your game’s look, you can use a secret split screen feature included in Windows 11 for testing Auto HDR. With automatic split-screen HDR enabled, one side of the screen will show the game with high dynamic range colors and brightness, while the other side will show the game without them. ..
To enable this, right click on the Start menu and press ‘Windows Terminal (Admin)’. In the Terminal window that opens, type reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers /v AutoHDR.ScreenSplit /t REG_DWORD /d 1 and press Enter. ..
Final note
How to Enable Auto HDR on Windows 11 In order to enable Auto HDR on your Windows 11 computer, you will need to follow these steps:
- Open the Control Panel and click on the Hardware tab.
- Scroll down and click on the Device Manager.
- Under the Devices section, locate your computer’s graphics card and expand it if it is not already expanded.
- Double-click on the AMD Radeon HD 7990 card and select its properties.
- On the Properties screen, set the “Auto HDR” property to “On.”
