HDR - Windows10/11 Option & Xbox Game Bar Option & FS2020 HDR10 Option

User Support Hub Install, Performance & Graphics
1 
i9-9900K, Intel A770LE 16GB GPU (same with GTX 1660TI)
4K, Ultra

HDR
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PC Windows, GPU, and Monitor must be equipped. 
HDMI Cable 2.0b or higher or Display Port cable is required.

FS2020
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There are 2 states each, On, Off, and 3 variables, W, X, F
2 cubed = 8 possible states  
 
W = Windows 11 -> HDR=On
X = Xbox Game Bar, Gaming Features -> HDR=On 
F = FS2020 -> HDR=On

SUMMARY
Summary from below (you don't need to review to DETAILS below):
1. Win=Off & Xbox=Off 
           = SDR
2. Win=On & Xbox=On
     F=Off = HDR =  242 nits
     F=On  = HDR = 1190 nits
     F=On  = HDR = 9094 nits with MSI Afterburner

3.MSI Afterburner
  MSI is strange with HDR. 
  Seems to affect the nits for itself but not the FS2020 screen.

  Screenshots below at the end 
  nits      HDR shots, jxr - W On,X On, F On - Left without MFI, Right With MSI
  Regular Screenshots, png - W On,X On, F On - Left Without MSI, Right With MSI 

  

DETAILS

nits read via HDR + WCG Image Viewer 
Screenshots via Xbox Game Bar

States:
    W   X   F   nits 
0  OFF OFF OFF    0  SDR  
1  OFF OFF  ON    0  SDR    
2  OFF  ON OFF   242 X also turns on W   
3  OFF  ON  ON  1190 X also turns on W
4   ON OFF OFF   242 W also turns on X
5   0N OFF  ON    0  SDR 
6   ON  ON OFF   242 
7   ON  ON  ON  1190 W also turns on X

0+ OFF OFF OFF    0  SDR with MSI Afterburner
7+  ON  ON  ON  9094 with MSI Afterburner

DETAILS RESULTS

Turning Windows HDR on turns Xbox Game Bar On.
Turning Xbox Game Bar On turns Windows HDR On.
Turning Xbox Game Bar Off turns Off Windows HDR.

1. W=Off & X=Off results in SDR
      W   X   F   nits 
  0  OFF OFF OFF    0  SDR  
  1  OFF OFF  ON    0  SDR     
  5   0N OFF  ON    0  SDR Turn on W then turn off X turns off W
  0+ OFF OFF OFF    0  SDR with MSI Afterburner  


2. W=On & X=On & F=Off results in HDR -> 242 nits
      W   X   F   nits 
  2  OFF  ON OFF   242 X also turns on W    
  4   ON OFF OFF   242 W also turns on X
  6   ON  ON OFF   242 
  6+  ON  ON OFF   242 with MSI Afterburner

3. W=On & X=On & F=On results in HDR -> 1190 nits or 9094 nits
      W   X   F   nits 
  3  OFF  ON  ON  1190 X also turns on W
  7   ON  ON  ON  1190 W also turns on X
  7+  ON  ON  ON  9094 with MSI Afterburner

  with 7+ F=On, the high nits from MSI Afterburner turn 
  to low nits when you turn MSI Afterburner off.

  With 7+ F=On and you Quit to Desktop, FS2020 will run 
  again new with W=On, X=ON and F=Off (FS2020 HDR = Off).

Screenshots
jxr (nits)
W On, X On, F On - 7 Left Without MSI & 7+ Right With MSI
Without MSI = 1026 nits
With MSI = 7133 nits
MSI Letters are Red

jxr - W On, X On, F On - 7 Left Without MSI - 7+ Right With MSI
jxr - W On, X On, F On - 7 Left Without MSI - 7+ Right With MSI1920×863 110 KB

jpg - W On, X On, F On - 7 Left Without MSI - 7+ Right With MSI

jpg - W On, X On, F On - 7 Left Without MSI - 7+ Right With MSI
jpg - W On, X On, F On - 7 Left Without MSI - 7+ Right With MSI1920×780 78.9 KB

  1. W-On & X-On & F-Off results in HDR - 242 nits
    2, 4, 6, 6+ all have 242 nits
    F= Off with MSI On or Off
    MSI letters are Orange

2. W-On & X-On & F-Off results in HDR - 242 nits
2. W-On & X-On & F-Off results in HDR - 242 nits2433×1212 404 KB

1 Like
2

This seems straightforward enough: MSFS tone-maps to what it thinks is the maximum nits for the screen (or even if there’s no tone-mapping, that may be the maximum - I don’t see the sun or bright sun reflections in that image just bright sunlit stuff), then the MSI Afterburner overlay just slaps max brightness on its overlay.

3

I don’t understand this yet but I did perform the 2 Windows Apps:
Windows 10/11 HDR Calibration
Windows 10/11 Color Calibration Wizard

I don’t know if FS2020 has anything to do with the display nits and colors or if it is controlled by Windows only.

The Windows HDR Calibration lets you set the nits levels for your particular display.
It appears that the display is following this setting when MSI Afterburner not being displayed.

What I mean by strange is that with the MSI Afterburner displayed, the screen nits reads as 9094 nits. (HDR + WCG Image Viewer)
And the colors of the MSI letters change from Orange to RED.

But my display is spec’d at 1499 nits.
So, I think that is the highest nits that it can display.
I don’t understand why HDR + WCG Image Viewer is reporting the high nits value.

It is confusing to me.

4

The overlay pixels are very bright. Thus the maximum brightness is very bright. It changes color because it’s too bright for the monitor and saturates the display.

5

Thanks for the clarification.