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Everything you need to know about Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s HDR not working error, possible fixes, reasons, and more.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, despite offering an engaging open-world survival experience on PC and consoles, has had its fair share of launch issues. Not only is the game riddled with performance issues, it also has HDR-related errors, making Stalker 2 virtually unplayable for some players. Much like the original Stalker games, the recently released sequel relies heavily on its use of light and darkness.
While the game does have a dynamic day and night cycle, the majority of its main story quests take place at night, with very limited visibility. However, at times, the game can be a bit too dark, making it almost unplayable, even with the brightness slider maxed out.
The biggest reason for the game being too dark is the shoddy implementation of HDR. While GSC Game World has not released any updates on when this issue will be fixed, there are a few ways to potentially rectify the HDR-related errors in Stalker 2.
Potential Fixes for the HDR Not Working Error in Stalker 2
Unfortunately, there’s no universal fix for the HDR issue in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl. The first thing that you should try out to increase in-game visibility is to switch between multiple display presets on your monitor. Every modern monitor (and even TV) comes with multiple display presets, with some even offering dedicated “Gaming Modes.”
However, often these presets can have reduced brightness to accommodate Windows 11’s auto-HDR feature. You can try switching to the default or custom preset to see if it makes any noticeable difference. Furthermore, we highly recommend cranking up the brightness on your display to improve visibility.
If you’re using an Nvidia GPU, you can also try using Nvidia’s color presets instead of the Windows default to improve visibility in Stalker 2. You can change to Nvidia’s color presets using the Nvidia Control Panel. On the Control Panel, go to the Change Resolution option under Display settings. Under the resolution settings, you will find the Use Nvidia Color Settings option. Enable “Use Nvidia Color Settings” and then click on Apply. Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
Another thing you can try out is disabling Auto-HDR in Windows 11. Auto-HDR can often cause reduced brightness in PC games, and even some productivity applications. To disable HDR, go to Windows’ Settings app. Under Settings, click on Display. Scroll down to find the Use HDR toggle. Disable HDR and restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
Once your PC reboots, launch Stalker 2, and head to the game’s display settings. Under the display settings, increase the brightness a bit. This should help increase visibility in Stalker 2 drastically.
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