Windows 10 is now compatible with HDR10 and the process or turning on HDR in Windows 10 has been made much easier. Check below how to enable HDR in Windows 10 for better 4K video playback, games and apps experience.
New recent updates of Windows 10 have made it support HDR10. Still, users can now turn on HDR in Windows 10 in much more simplified steps.
About HDR
HDR (High Dynamic Range) is a photography technique firstly introduced to cameras, phones, and is available with the use of some special apps and games. HDR is mainly used in imaging and photography to reproduce a greater dynamic range of luminosity than standard digital imaging or photography. It is also widely used in 3D rendering.
HDRI (High Dynamic Range Imaging) is the compositing and tone-mapping of images to extend the dynamic range beyond the native capture of device. HDR video can capture greater bit depth, luminance and color volume than SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) video which uses traditional gamma curve. HDR can deliver brighter highlights.
By enabling HDR in Windows 10, it will enhance the details and brightness in visual images and videos. 4K video/movie playback on Windows 10 can be also improved with HDR enabled in Windows 10. The game playback and app usage experience can be also improved a lot with Windows 10 HDR. Only newer versions of Windows 10 support HDR. If you are using an older version of Windows 10, you may not see the HDR settings option.
How to Turn on HDR in Windows 10
Check the easy steps below on how to turn on HDR in Windows 10 for better video and games.
Step 1 – Connect HDR-compatible Display
If you’d like to connect the Windows 10 computer to some external HDR-compatible displays to watch movies or games, you can firstly use DisplayPort 1.4 or later, or HDMI 2.0 and USB-C to connect them to computer.
To enable HDR in a Windows 10 own display, you should make sure the Windows 10 computer qualifies the display requirements for HDR. The resolution of the computer display should be 1080p or higher with a maximum brightness of 300 nits and more.
Besides, the Windows 10 computer graphics card must support PlayReady 3.0 hardware and 10-bit video decoding.
Before you turn on HDR in Windows 10, you should plug in the computer for charging because it will consume much more power with Windows 10 HDR on.
Step 2 – Select the Display
Then you can click Start and click Settings in Windows 10 computer. Click System and choose Display.
If you’ve connected any external display with computer, you should see it under Select and rearrange displays. You can select on a display to change its settings. Some settings are applied to all displays.
You can optionally click Identify or Detect button to find the connected HDR-compatible display.
Step 3 – Turn on HDR in Windows 10
If your Windows 10 PC supports HDR or you’ve chosen a connected HDR display, you can also see Windows HD Color settings in this window.
Next you can choose the target display and turn on all HDR options: Turn to Yes in Play HDR games and apps and Use WCG apps options. And turn on HDR and WCG, Stream HDR video or other alike options.
You can follow the same process to turn on HDR for other connected HDR-compatible displays in Windows 10.
Then the Windows 10 display and connected HDR-compatible devices can show HDR and WCG (Wide Color Gamut) content when possible, including photos, videos and games, as well as play streaming (1080p/4K) HDR video when available.