4K, pah, that’s old news now. The next big step in home entertainment visual loveliness it HDR, and it’s about to make your TV viewing and gaming sessions a whole lot more immersive.
Unlike 4K which adds more pixels for a denser image, HDR, or High Dynamic Range as it’s formally known, massively increases the contrast of images, offer a wider and richer array of tones.
The result? Brighter whites, deeper, darker blacks, more definition and subtlety in tones and an overall viewing experience that not only packs one hell of a punch, but which looks almost identical to real life.
So, while HDR-compatible sets are already on the market and content providers such as Amazon Prime Video have started sampling the tech, what about the gaming sector? Well, thankfully, us gamepad jockeys aren’t being left behind.
Related: What is HDR and should you care?
Both the new PS4 Pro and Xbox One S support HDR games, the only trouble is, the games that make use of this visuals-improving tech haven’t been particularly forthcoming. Until now that is. These are all the games that currently support HDR play, and those that will be adding it in the near future.
Xbox One S HDR-compatible games
Thanks to a handy cheatsheet Tweeted by Microsoft big-wig Aaron Greenberg, these are all the Xbox One S-friendly HDR games:
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
- Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
- Final Fantasy XV
- Forza Horizon 3
- Gears of War 4
- Hitman
- NBA 2K17
- Pure Chess Ultra
- World of Tanks
Coming 2017
- Resident Evil 7
- Recore
- Scalebound
PS4 Pro HDR-compatible games
Although a lot of PS4 games have bumped their resolution and frame rates to fall in line with the PS4 Pro’s newly enhanced capabilities, HDR content has been a little bit more restricted. According to Arstechnica, however, this lot will give better colours:
- Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
- Final Fantasy XV
- Hustle Kings
- Infamous First Light
- Infamous Second Son
- The Last of Us: Remastered (and Left Behind DLC)
- Mantis Burn Racing (HDR support coming soon)
- NBA 2K17
- Ratchet & Clank
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- The Witness (HDR support coming soon)
- World of Tanks
Coming 2017
- Gran Turismo Sport
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Gravity Rush 2
- Days Gone
So, latest-generation console aside, what will you need to enjoy HDR gaming? Well, there’s the HDR10 compatible TV for a start and, well, that’s pretty much it. Fortunately today’s Cyber Monday so there are plenty of great TV deals doing the rounds.
WATCH: Xbox One S vs Xbox One
Is HDR the future of gaming? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
