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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallRTX HDR is NVIDIA’s AI-powered filter for converting SDR output from compatible games into an HDR presentation. It targets games that lack native HDR, using the NVIDIA App overlay rather than changes made by the game developer. You need Windows 11, an RTX 20-series-or-newer GPU, an HDR 400-or-better display, a recent driver, and Windows HDR enabled.
What RTX HDR does
NVIDIA introduced RTX HDR with the February 22, 2024 Game Ready Driver and the NVIDIA App beta. The filter analyzes a game’s standard-dynamic-range (SDR) frames and applies HDR treatment before they reach an HDR-capable display. It is exposed through the NVIDIA App’s Freestyle/Game Filter controls and can be enabled for individual games.
This is not native HDR. A game using RTX HDR still renders SDR imagery; NVIDIA’s software performs a post-process conversion. The game therefore does not gain developer-authored HDR tone mapping or metadata. Results depend on the source image, the filter, and the display’s real brightness and contrast capabilities.
RTX HDR is different from RTX Video HDR
RTX HDR for games is separate from RTX Video HDR, which processes browser and video playback content. The game feature is configured in the NVIDIA App overlay or per-game graphics settings.
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- 3.125-slot design with massive fin array optimized for airflow from three Axial-tech fans
- Phase-change GPU thermal pad helps ensure optimal thermal performance and longevity, outlasting traditional thermal paste for graphics cards under heavy loads
Why NVIDIA built it
NVIDIA said in 2024 that only 12 of the 50 most-played GeForce games offered HDR support. RTX HDR is intended to cover the much larger set of SDR titles, including games using DirectX 12, DirectX 11, DirectX 9, and Vulkan. It can also work with DirectX 10 games, which NVIDIA lists in its current requirements.
Requirements and compatibility
Check every item below before troubleshooting the filter. Missing one requirement can leave RTX HDR unavailable or ineffective.
| Requirement | What NVIDIA specifies |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 11 version 22H2 (build 22621) or newer |
| GPU | GeForce RTX 20-series or newer; single-GPU operation is required. SLI is not supported. |
| Driver | NVIDIA driver 565.90 or newer |
| Display | HDR 400 or higher |
| Windows setting | HDR enabled at Settings > System > Display > Use HDR |
| Game API | DirectX 9, 10, 11, 12, or Vulkan |
| Unsupported API | OpenGL |
| Game HDR mode | Disabled while RTX HDR is active |
| Windows Auto HDR | Disabled while RTX HDR is active |
| Display mode | Fullscreen or exclusive fullscreen; borderless windowed mode requires Windows “Optimizations for windowed games” |
Will an RTX 3060 work?
Yes. An RTX 3060 is an RTX 30-series card and meets the GPU-generation requirement, provided the PC also meets the Windows 11, driver, display, API, and HDR-setting requirements above. Owning an RTX card does not guarantee the same image quality on every monitor: an HDR 400 label is the minimum listed by NVIDIA, while panel type, local dimming, peak brightness, and calibration affect the visible result.
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Does it support Vulkan?
Yes. NVIDIA lists Vulkan alongside DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12. OpenGL games are not supported by the RTX HDR game filter.
How to turn on RTX HDR
- Install a current GeForce driver meeting version 565.90 or newer, then install or update the NVIDIA App.
- In Windows, open Settings > System > Display and turn on Use HDR for the monitor you will use.
- Open the game’s video settings and turn off its native HDR option. Also turn off Windows Auto HDR for that game.
- Launch the game in fullscreen or exclusive fullscreen. If you use borderless windowed mode, enable Windows Optimizations for windowed games.
- While the game is running, press Alt+Z to open the NVIDIA overlay.
- Choose Game Filter, add or select the RTX HDR filter, and enable it. Adjust the available filter controls to taste.
NVIDIA also supports per-game activation from the NVIDIA App’s graphics settings, which is useful when you want the filter to load automatically for a particular title.
Why RTX HDR may be greyed out or missing
Windows HDR is off
RTX HDR expects Windows HDR to be enabled for the active display. Turn on Use HDR in the display settings, then restart the game.
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- 3.6-slot design with massive fin array optimized for airflow from three Axial-tech fans
- Phase-change GPU thermal pad helps ensure optimal thermal performance and longevity, outlasting traditional thermal paste for graphics cards under heavy loads
The driver or app is too old
Update to driver 565.90 or newer and use a current NVIDIA App build. The original feature arrived with the February 22, 2024 Game Ready Driver, but later app and driver updates changed compatibility.
The GPU or display does not qualify
Cards older than the RTX 20 series, SLI configurations, and displays below HDR 400 do not meet NVIDIA’s listed requirements. Verify which GPU is driving the monitor if the system contains more than one graphics adapter.
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Disable the game’s own HDR mode and Windows Auto HDR before enabling RTX HDR. Stacking multiple HDR conversions can make the filter unavailable or produce an incorrect image.
Rank #4
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The rendering API or display mode is unsupported
OpenGL titles are excluded. For a borderless game, enable Windows “Optimizations for windowed games”; otherwise test fullscreen or exclusive fullscreen.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.RTX HDR compared with native HDR and Windows Auto HDR
These technologies can all produce HDR output, but they operate at different points in the rendering chain.
| Criterion | Native game HDR | RTX HDR | Windows Auto HDR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who creates the HDR presentation? | The game developer, using the title’s HDR implementation | NVIDIA’s post-process filter converts SDR output | Windows converts supported SDR game output |
| Image-control precision | Potentially the most title-specific control when implemented well | Filter controls are applied outside the game; behavior varies by title | Windows-managed conversion with its own compatibility rules |
| API coverage | Depends on each game | DirectX 9/10/11/12 and Vulkan; not OpenGL | Depends on Windows Auto HDR support and game mode |
| RTX GPU requirement | None beyond the game’s requirements | RTX 20 series or newer, single GPU | No RTX-specific requirement |
| Display requirement | An HDR-capable display is needed to see HDR output | HDR 400 or higher, with Windows HDR enabled | An HDR-capable display and Windows HDR |
| Can they be combined? | Do not combine with RTX HDR for the same game | Disable native HDR and Auto HDR first | Disable when using RTX HDR |
There is no NVIDIA-provided universal quality ranking across games. A well-authored native HDR mode may offer more precise artistic intent, while RTX HDR’s main advantage is availability in titles that provide no HDR mode.
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Multi-monitor support
NVIDIA added multi-monitor support in the October 1, 2024 NVIDIA App update. That support requires the October 1, 2024-or-newer GeForce Game Ready Driver. Earlier app and driver combinations may not expose RTX HDR correctly when several displays are connected, so update both components before testing.
What to expect from an HDR 400 display
HDR 400 is NVIDIA’s minimum requirement, not a promise of a specific visual result. The certification or label says little about black levels, sustained brightness, local dimming, color volume, or factory calibration. A stronger HDR display can make highlights and shadow separation more convincing; a basic HDR 400 monitor may show a subtler change from SDR. RTX HDR cannot create hardware contrast or brightness that the panel does not have.
Quick Recap
Practical recommendations
- Use RTX HDR primarily for SDR games with no satisfactory native HDR mode.
- Keep native HDR enabled instead when a game provides a well-tuned HDR implementation and its controls work correctly on your display.
- Compare the game with RTX HDR on and off from the same scene, checking bright highlights, dark areas, and UI elements for clipping or raised blacks.
- Change one HDR system at a time; do not troubleshoot while native HDR, Auto HDR, and RTX HDR are simultaneously active.
- If the filter remains unavailable, verify Windows build 22621 or newer, driver 565.90 or newer, fullscreen/windowed-game optimization settings, and the game’s graphics API.
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