If you're a fan of HDR gaming (and why shouldn't you be?), the Xbox Series X is the console of choice for those who love the beauty of high dynamic range. Microsoft's little power tower has already wowed gamers with its impressive tech specs, but the company makes sure that when you connect an Xbox Series X to an HDR-capable display, you get a visual (and nostalgic) treatment. Unlike the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One X already supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, which is conspicuously absent from the Sony platform. Dolby Vision is Netflix's preferred HDR standard and has also been adopted by a growing library of 4K UHD Blu-Ray. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the Xbox Series X will retain these features. Also, Sony is doubling down on its priority tech for PS5, like Tempest 3D audio instead of Dolby Atmos. Meanwhile, Microsoft has created its own spatial audio technology for Xbox One, Windows Sonic, but it also allows users to choose Dolby Atmos if they prefer. While we can confidently predict that Sony won't be introducing new display technology anytime soon (with our fingers crossed), it's refreshing to see Microsoft continue to invest in more widely available standards like HDR. But what about Xbox's vast catalog of backwards-compatible goodies? No one could have imagined that Microsoft would find a way to retroactively add HDR to older games. But that's exactly what it managed to do, so now your classics will be HDR too.
What is HDR for me?
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(Image credit: Samsung) HDR, or High Dynamic Range, is a relatively new television standard that allows you to experience accurate colors, dramatically improved contrast, and more vivid images than were previously possible with standard dynamic range televisions ( RDS). This means you'll see brighter whites when looking at a snow-covered mountain peak, deeper blacks during darker scenes, and a broader spectrum of colors overall. Colors won't appear overwritten or oversaturated, which means you'll often be able to see more nuanced details that were previously hidden. HDR is a boon for video games in particular, as they often use exaggerated color palettes and feature explosive settings that take full advantage of HDR's capabilities. SDR content can appear quite quiet and flat by comparison, without the vibrancy and clarity that only HDR can provide. Imagine, then, if the Xbox Series X could inject a fresh coat of HDR paint into all the games you played years ago. But how exactly would it work?
Old dog, HDR new stuff
When Digital Foundry visited Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, the team was shown the Xbox One X enhanced version of Halo 5: Guardians, running in a very convincing HDR implementation. Although developer 343 Industries never shipped the game to include HDR support originally, Microsoft found an ingenious way to add HDR to the game, building on the industry-leading HDR implementation used in Gears 5. Claude Marais, Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft ATG revealed that by using a machine learning algorithm, the team was able to generate a Full HDR image from SDR content, in any backward compatible title. And when Microsoft says that any backward-compatible title can receive HDR processing, it means any title. The Digital Foundry team was surprised to see Fusion Frenzy, an Xbox original game released almost 20 years ago, working with true HDR. Microsoft's new HDR mapping technology will roll out to the entire Xbox library on Xbox Series X and will apply to the hundreds of supported games that don't yet have their own custom HDR modes. Some TV screens come with HDR or built-in HDR options, which aren't really HDR proper. But Microsoft's technology creates exact heatmaps (instructions for brightness settings) from which Auto HDR technology can work, ensuring the image looks exactly as it should.
![Mapa de calor de Halo 5]()
A heat map showing luminance data in Halo 5, created by Auto HDR technology. (Image credit: Digital Foundry)
Retro makeover
Seeing classic Xbox titles benefiting from HDR processing for Xbox Series X is therefore an attractive prospect, but Microsoft also has other exciting ideas where its machine learning algorithm can be used, particularly with regard to accessibility. “If you have people who can't read or see well, you probably want to improve contrast when there's a lot of text on the screen. We can easily do that,” Marias told Digital Foundry. “We spoke to someone who is color blind this morning and this is a great example. We just turn on the LUT and we can change the colors so they can more easily find the ad there." There's no doubt that the Xbox Series X is technically accomplished technology, but Microsoft has made sure its new console takes full advantage of innovations available today, to help breathe new life into the precious games of the past.