Microsoft is now bringing its much-beloved Xbox Auto HDR feature to PC. The tech giant promises applying it to as many as 1,000 games in their catalog.
The Xbox Auto HDR feature came out in November 2020, with the then next-gen Xbox Series X and S. The function offers a bevy of many graphical improvements that can enrich a player’s experience.
With the feature coming to the community with the most powerful hardware, the potential for better content will be endless.
Auto HDR helps improve immersion and gaming experience
Microsoft’s Auto HDR offers a way to improve the richness of the game’s graphics. Monitors with HDR function will get a ton of benefit from the system, with high-quality color correction.
With HDR, players can get better, deeper color contrast, an improved color luminance, and a broader range of colors. Many games already have native rendering for HDR, but it seems Microsoft is working everything out.
“HDR is a video/imaging technique where the lights and darks in a digitally reproduced scene can be shown with more detail than before,” said Microsoft Program manager Hannah Fisher in an announcement blog.
“In video games, the increased range of color and luminance of HDR enables a more immersive, realistic experience. You’ll be able to see the details of haunting movement in dark shadows rather than just black.
“The bright sun will be a more radiant, warm yellow rather than a flat saturated white, but unless the game is displaying on your monitor with that improved dynamic range, you won’t get the benefits of a more immersive experience even if you have an HDR capable monitor.”
Auto HDR preview available today
Auto HDR will officially come out in the near future, but there’s a preview available for the feature at the moment. Members who join Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program can test it for themselves.
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The feature will apply to 1000+ games that use either DirectX 11 or DirectX 12. More games will come in the future once the rollout becomes official.
As the Xbox Auto HDR feature becomes ready for preview today, Microsoft also released a full guide. The guide on the blog helps walk fans through making the best of the update.
For those looking for a comparative, Microsoft also added a Split-Screen Mode. The mode gives players a way to compare how their game will look like with and without HDR. On one screen, players will see an SDR version, while they will see the HDR version on the other.
For more information about the Xbox Auto-HDR, it’s best to join the Windows Insider Program and try the feature.
Featured image courtesy of: Microsoft/Official Press Release