A secret Xbox Series X feature that lets you see the exact number of nits your TV puts out when a Reddit user discovered the console's HDR calibration app.
If you're familiar with the HDR Calibration app on Xbox consoles, you'll already know that you're presented with a series of checkerboard patterns and prompted to make the screen brighter or darker until the squares look the same.
This ensures you get the deepest blacks possible and highlights don't blow out when gaming in HDR, especially if you're using HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group). This allows your console to do an HDR tone map and omit your TV from the calibrated picture tone map a second time.
So it's important that you get the most accurate values possible when using the HDR calibration app, but depending on the lighting in your room and how you perceive checkerboard patterns, it's not always possible. However, thanks to this trick discovered by Reddit user MazharulAlam, you can see the exact numbers your Xbox emits when you press all the back buttons (LB+RB+LT+RT) on the Xbox Wireless Controller in the Calibration app. HDR.
Seeing the exact numbers on screen means users can make more precise adjustments to the HDR output. For example, you'll want your Xbox to display a value of zero when adjusting the dark images on the chessboard to ensure you get perfect blacks.
If you don't know what MaxFFTML, MaxTML, and MinTML mean, u/MazharuAlam provided an explanation in the same Reddit thread. MaxFFTML stands for "Full Frame Tone Map Maximum Luminance" and is the maximum luminance at which your display can display white detail on a full screen. MaxTML stands for "Max Tone Map Lumiance" and is the maximum luminance at which your display can still display detail in white, while MinTML ("Min Tone Map Lumiance") is the minimum luminance at which your display can still display detail in black.
HDR calibration is still too confusing
This hidden Xbox Series X feature is certainly useful, but it ultimately highlights that HDR calibration is still incredibly difficult for the average user to understand and that's probably why Microsoft decided to keep these values hidden. Most games also include in-game HDR settings, which only muddy the waters even more when it comes to getting the perfect picture.
However, for those who want the most accurate HDR output possible and aren't afraid to spend time tweaking their TV and console settings, this feature can help you better understand what's going on behind your HDR picture.
Thankfully, both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S support Dolby Vision for Gaming, which automatically tones card games to ensure you get the deepest blacks and brightest highlights possible. If HDR menus are making your head spin, we recommend enabling Dolby Vision in your Xbox settings, as it does a great job of ensuring that most titles that support high dynamic range look their best without any intervention from the Xbox. player. .
If you want to experience Dolby Vision gameplay yourself, you'll need a Dolby Vision-compatible TV. You can check if your display supports Dolby Vision by pressing the Xbox button to open the guide, clicking "Settings > General > TV & display options > 4K TV details".
To enable Dolby Vision on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, go to "Settings > General > TV & display options > Video modes > Dolby Vision" for games. Microsoft also recommends enabling Automatic Low Latency Mode (ALLM), if your TV supports it, as you may experience latency issues while gaming without it. You can check the Dolby website for a list of compatible TVs.
Unfortunately, the PS5 only supports HDR10, which requires more input from the user to calibrate. Just like on Xbox consoles, you're presented with multiple chessboard images that you'll need to adjust until the squares match up.