Best TV settings for HDR gaming on Xbox

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It is a technology developed to improve the image and video quality. Some of you might be familiar with the term HDR. Today, this technology is widely used in cameras, smartphones, and TVs. The aim of developing the HDR technology is to create an image closer to that seen by the human eyes. The photos taken by a camera with HDR mode enabled are clearer than the photos taken by the same camera with HDR mode disabled. This is because the HDR technology produces the photograph by balancing its darkest and brightest parts. The HDR technology also has an application in the gaming sector. Playing a game on an HDR-capable TV definitely boosts the gaming experience. This article talks about how to configure the best HDR settings for gaming Xbox on TV.

How to configure best HDR settings for gaming on Xbox on TV

If you configure the correct HDR settings for gaming Xbox on your TV, you will not have to adjust the brightness and contrast levels again and again for darker and brighter environments in a game. Here are some suggestions that you can follow to configure the best HDR settings for gaming Xbox on TV.

We will discuss the following:

How to set up HDR TV for gaming Xbox
How to set up Auto HDR for gaming Xbox
Different HDR settings in an HDR TV for gaming Xbox

Let’s start.

1] How to set up HDR TV for gaming Xbox

To set up your HDR TV for gaming Xbox, you have to try different picture settings with HDR mode enabled on your TV. The menu settings are different for different TV models. To calibrate the correct HDR settings on your TV for gaming Xbox, you can use the Xbox HDR Game Calibration app. The steps to use the Xbox game Calibration app are as follows:

Press the Xbox button to open the guide.
Now, go to “Profile & system > Settings > General.”
Now, select TV & display options.
There, you will see the Calibrate HDR for games option.

Now, you can adjust the HDR picture settings to set up your HDR TV for gaming Xbox. Do note that while setting up your TV for HDR gaming, your TV should be in HDR mode.

2] How to set up Auto HDR for gaming Xbox

Auto HDR is a feature that gives more defined and richer resolution to the games than they were originally designed for. Only the Xbox Series X|S supports the Auto HDR feature. Also, your TV should have HDR10 in order to support the Auto HDR feature of Xbox Series X|S. To use the Auto HDR feature on your TV, follow the instructions provided below:

Enable the HDR10 feature on your TV.
Press the Xbox button on your Console to open the guide.
Go to “Profile & system > Settings > General > TV & display options.”
Now, select the Video modes option and then turn on the Auto HDR. Also, enable the Allow 4K, Allow HDR10, and/or Allow Dolby Vision options.

Do note that all games do not support the Auto HDR feature. To know whether or not your game supports the Auto HDR feature, first, enable the Auto HDR on your gaming console and then launch the game. Now, press the Xbox button. If the game supports this feature, you will see an Auto HDR badge on the top right side of the interface.

Read: How to enable HDR Playback for Video Streaming apps

3] Different HDR settings in an HDR TV for gaming Xbox

If you want to have the best HDR gaming experience on your TV, tweak the following settings on your HDR TV:

Brightness: In order to get the best HDR gaming experience on your TV, set the HDR brightness level of your TV to the maximum. Some TVs come with a built-in light sensor that adjusts the screen brightness according to the light intensity in your environment. If your TV has a light sensor, disable the automatic brightness settings.
Local dimming setting: The local dimming settings in HDR TVs improves the contrast ratio by making the dark colors appear darker and deeper. You will find this setting with different names in different models of HDR TVs. To get the best HDR experience in gaming, it is recommended that you enable this setting on your TV.
Color: The look of an image is affected by the color temperature on a TV. This setting is often called color tone or color temperature (depending on the model of an HDR TV you have) and has the options called cool, C10, Warm1, W10, etc. If you want to get the best HDR gaming experience, you should use Warm1, W10, or normal color settings on your HDR TV.
Sharpness: Enabling the sharpness on your HDR TV could lead to unnecessary sharp edges that affect the HDR content. Hence, it is suggested to disable the sharpness settings of your HDR TV in order to get the best HDR gaming experience.

read: How to check If HDR is supported on a Windows 11 PC.

How do I make my Xbox HDR look better?

You can make your Xbox HDR look better by calibrating the HDR settings correctly. For this purpose, you can use the Xbox game calibration app. By using this app, you can configure the best HDR settings on your HDR TV for Xbox gaming.

Is HDR good for gaming?

The HDR technology presents an image with more clarity. If you capture an image by enabling the HDR mode in your camera, you will see the darker and brighter parts of that image more clearly. The purpose of HDR technology is to create more realistic images. HDR is good for gaming. If you want to enjoy a better gaming experience, you should play your games after enabling the HDR mode. If you enable HDR mode, you will get a more diverse contrast in the darker environments in your game.