Why does HDR look washed out on Windows?

Standard content is shown at a fixed brightness inside the HDR range. Raise the SDR content brightness slider in the HDR settings and check the screen's own HDR mode.

Should I turn HDR on for gaming?

On a screen that can show it, yes, for games that support it. On a screen with low peak brightness, no; the picture is flatter than standard range.

Can a browser show HDR video?

Chrome and Edge can when the system has HDR on and the screen supports it, which is what the test reads. Safari on a supported Mac can too.

Problems · How to check

How do I check if HDR is actually on?

Ask the browser. A page can read whether the system is offering it a high dynamic range surface and which colour gamut, and that is exactly the switch people forget: an HDR capable screen with HDR off in Windows shows every film and game in standard range.

The HDR test on this site reads it in a second. On Windows the switch is under Settings, System, Display; on a Mac it is automatic on a supported display. If the screen is not HDR capable, off is correct, and turning it on for a screen that only accepts the signal makes things worse.

First, notice when it happens

From the first minute

HDR is either offered or not from the moment the screen connects; there is nothing gradual about it.

Only after minutes of use

A picture that looks washed out only in HDR mode, over any time, is the standard content brightness setting, not the switch.

The causes, ranked

1. HDR off in the system

most common

How to confirm it

The HDR test reads no, on a screen the maker calls HDR.

The fix

Windows: Settings, System, Display, HDR on for that screen. macOS: automatic on supported displays. Then run the test again.

2. Standard content too dim in HDR mode

common

How to confirm it

HDR reads on, but the desktop and ordinary video look grey and flat.

The fix

Raise the SDR content brightness slider under the HDR settings in Windows. Some screens also need HDR chosen in their own menu.

3. A screen that accepts HDR but cannot show it

common

How to confirm it

The specification says HDR, the peak brightness is a few hundred nits, and HDR on looks worse than off.

The fix

Leave it off. The HDR label on inexpensive panels means the signal is accepted, not that the panel can show the range.

4. The browser does not report it

occasional

How to confirm it

Firefox reads unknown; Chrome and Edge report it once the system has it on.

The fix

Check in Chrome or Edge, or trust the system setting; the screen is not at fault.

Measure it instead of guessing

The HDR test reads whether the browser is offered high dynamic range and which gamut, in a second, without asking you anything. It cannot measure a nit, and says so; it can tell you whether the switch is on.

Run the free test

What software cannot tell you here

A page cannot measure peak brightness, contrast or the panel's true gamut; that needs a meter on the screen.
It cannot tell a screen that shows HDR well from one that merely accepts it; the maker's peak brightness figure and a reviewer's measurement can.

Asked, in people’s own words

Why does HDR look washed out on Windows?: Standard content is shown at a fixed brightness inside the HDR range. Raise the SDR content brightness slider in the HDR settings and check the screen's own HDR mode.
Should I turn HDR on for gaming?: On a screen that can show it, yes, for games that support it. On a screen with low peak brightness, no; the picture is flatter than standard range.
Can a browser show HDR video?: Chrome and Edge can when the system has HDR on and the screen supports it, which is what the test reads. Safari on a supported Mac can too.

Name the cause. Three and a half minutes, in the tab you have open.

Run the test