The new Nintendo Switch 2 is the initial Nintendo console to include HDR (High Dynamic Range) support, but it has a few peculiarities. Firstly, its display doesn’t meet all the essential criteria for a top-notch HDR experience. Secondly, its HDR settings menu may appear incomplete at first glance. However, it seems that Nintendo intentionally conceals a critical setting behind a puzzling design decision within this menu.
Upon setting up the Nintendo Switch 2 on a high dynamic range (HDR) compatible screen, you’ll first encounter a familiar setup screen where you can adjust the console’s maximum brightness level. After this step, it appears as though the screen merely displays an image to showcase your recent settings. However, upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that the screen includes a “Brightness Adjustment” slider, accessible by pressing the Y button. This adjustment is more crucial than you might initially think.
Adjusting the brightness slider primarily alters the color temperature of the image’s ‘paper white’, serving as a basis for various High Dynamic Range (HDR) settings. Leaving it at its default setting may cause overexposure across the entire HDR image, leading to loss of details in mid-tones and shadows. Unfortunately, this slider doesn’t display a nit value, which is common in white point configuration (ranging from 200-300 nits). However, if you’ve noticed suboptimal HDR presentation while docked, it’s recommended to adjust this setting right away.
When using the Nintendo Switch 2 for optimal performance, it’s essential to consider more than just one setting. Similar to other High Dynamic Range (HDR) compatible consoles, you should check that the Dynamic Tone Mapping is either disabled or set to HGIG on your screen. This way, the console handles the mapping instead. After making these changes, it’s a good idea to re-run the HDR setup to confirm that your previous configurations are still correct. Additionally, ensure that HDR activates only when playing compatible games and not all the time, as this is the default setting.
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2025-06-09 23:09