How to set up HDR on Windows 11 so it actually looks good

Windows 11 handles HDR much better than Windows 10, but the default settings rarely look their best. Follow these steps with an HDR monitor connected over DisplayPort or HDMI 2.0 or newer.

Step 1: Turn on HDR

• Open Settings > System > Display and select the HDR monitor.
• Turn on Use HDR (or open HDR settings and switch it on there).
• If the option is missing, check the cable and port, update the GPU driver, and enable HDR or the correct input mode in the monitor's menu.

Step 2: Run the Windows HDR Calibration app

Install Microsoft's free Windows HDR Calibration app from the Microsoft Store. It walks you through test patterns to set your monitor's minimum and maximum brightness, which games and apps then use for tone mapping.

Step 3: Set SDR content brightness

In the HDR settings page, adjust the SDR content brightness slider until normal desktop windows look as bright as you like them. Too high wastes OLED lifetime and looks harsh; too low looks dim and gray.

Step 4: Decide on Auto HDR

Auto HDR adds HDR to many SDR games. Leave it on and switch it off for games where skin tones or skies look wrong.

Step 5: Use the right monitor mode

On OLED and Mini LED monitors, pick the monitor's HDR mode that clips at its true peak brightness (often called True Black 400 or a peak 1000 mode). Brighter modes can look punchier but dim large bright areas. Monitors with only DisplayHDR 400 benefit little; see our DisplayHDR tiers guide.