The Elder Scrolls Online Now Has PC Support for High Dynamic Range

Developer ZeniMax Online Studios announced that with the new update, The Elder Scrolls Online now has PC support for High Dynamic Range or HDR. This technical feature is indeed exciting and today we’ll take a closer look at it.

HDR is a technique which expresses details in content in both very bright as well as very dark scenes. It results in having a more natural and realistic picture output even when there is a widened range of contrasts. For example, in a very dark cave scene, a TV set with HDR can show not only the appearance and color of the cave walls but even thew texture.

Anyway, going back to the game, to use HDR players need to have HDR supported monitor. They then need to Windows HDR in the “Windows HDR Color Settings.” Then once the game is launched, they can head on over to “Video Settings” and enable the setting, “HDR.”

Using Windows HDR

Now as mentioned, Windows HDR has to be enabled before the game is launched. If Windows HDR is enabled, or even disabled, while running the game, then what happens is that you’ll need to restart the game to see the settings in game.

Now once enabled, HDR can be used with any Window Mode. That means Fullscreen, Borderless, and Windowed. It can also be moved between monitors. However, if the game window is moved from a HDR enabled monitor to a monitor that doesn’t support HDR, HDR is automatically be disabled.

HDR Challenges

While this feature is indeed good, it comes with its own challenges. One of these is balancing the brightness and contracts of the game and the UI to fit the display. For example, if the game is too bright then the result is that the UI may look dim. To address this issue, new settings have been added to ensure that you have more control over the brightness, contrast, and look of the game.

Video Settings

Here are the new Video Settings on PC:

• HDR enables or disables in-game HDR.

• HDR Mode allows for you to change between the "default" look of ESO and a much more "vibrant" mode.

• HDR Peak Brightness controls the overall brightness of the game. The higher the slider is, the brighter ESO will appear.

• HDR Scene Brightness controls the brightness of the game, but not the brightness of the game's UI.

• HDR Scene Contrast controls the contrast of the game, but not the contrast of the game's UI.

• HDR UI Brightness controls the brightness of the UI, but does not affect the game's brightness.

• HDR UI Contrast controls the contrast of the UI, but does not affect the game's contrast.

The Elder Scrolls Online is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that’s set in the expansive world of Tamriel. It offers an ever-evolving storyline which players can experience solo or with friends. The game also gives players unparalleled freedom when it comes to directing their character’s development. There are also no restrictions where it comes to weapons or abilities learned. This ensures that the -game destiny of the players is full in their hands.

Get The Elder Scrolls Online on Steam.