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Oculus PC App for Windows HDR Issue - App Very Dim/Dark

RickOnAStick
Honored Guest

A little over 3 weeks ago, my Oculus desktop app for PC updated to a new version (not sure if it was v37 or v38, honestly) and I noticed that after this particular update, the Oculus app is very dark, dim, and dull. I have updated to the newest software version (v39), repaired the app, uninstalled and reinstalled the app -- still, the desktop app is very dull and dark, as if there was some sort of opacity layer on top of everything. I am using a Samsung CRG9 monitor with HDR enabled, but when I disable HDR through Windows the Oculus app appears normal. It seems this issue is only apparent when HDR is enabled, which I would like to keep enabled because my monitor is designed to take full advantage of HDR output, and it just looks nicer.

Does anybody know of a fix for this HDR issue within the Oculus app, or any NVIDIA/Windows settings I need to tweak to ensure the app gets the proper HDR treatment? Any way to get the developers' eyes on this in case it's a problem with the app that needs to be fixed when it comes to HDR compatibility? Detailed PC specs below for reference.

RTX 3090 GPU connected to Samsung CRG9 monitor through DisplayPort, running 5120x1440 resolution (main monitor, but this HDR issue is occurring on both monitors/video outputs), RTX 3080 GPU connected to same monitor through HDMI at 1920x1080 resolution (second monitor/source). 64GB RAM, AMD Threadripper 3970x CPU.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

nd02g
Honored Guest

This issue annoyed me to no end!!  I finally fixed it.  It's as simple as opening the properties box of OculusClient.exe and setting the Compatibility Mode to "Windows 7".  Make sure you update your PC to the latest build of Windows.  I tried this on a previous build of Windows, and it didn't work.

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13 REPLIES 13

PITTCANNA
Visionary

HDR is bit depth, so standard is HDR 10.  Which means your are granted an extra 10 bits of brightness depth.  When turned off, the contrast and brightness default are set very low.  Its just the nature of it.

 

On my monitor when i play vr, i will disable hdr on the monitor itself and disable in the menu then it defaults to mid range.

I guess my issue is a relatively minor complaint, because I'm still able to get good output from the Oculus app through the Link cable on my Quest 2...it's just that the app ITSELF looks really bad with HDR enabled on my monitor.

PITTCANNA
Visionary

All standard dynamic range (SDR) content and apps appear too bright or too dark on an HDR-capable display.

You might need to adjust the relative brightness of SDR and HDR content for your HDR-capable display. This is because a display interprets an HDR and SDR signal differently, and the results will vary by make and model.

Select the Start button, then select Settings > System > Display .

If you have multiple displays connected to your PC, select the HDR-capable display under Rearrange your displays, and then move the Settings app window to the HDR display that you’re adjusting

On the Display settings screen, select Windows HD Color settings.

Under HDR/SDR brightness balance, drag the slider to get the right balance for brightness between HDR and SDR content.

Notes

When you change the HDR/SDR brightness balance setting for an HDR display, the effect it has on SDR content depends on whether it’s an external or built-in HDR-capable display:

On an external HDR display, this setting will change the brightness of SDR content relative to HDR content.

On a built-in HDR display, the brightness of SDR content is controlled by a separate brightness setting, or it might be controlled automatically. (For more info, see Change screen brightness in Windows 10.) Since the brightness of SDR content is already set, the HDR/SDR brightness balance setting will change the brightness of HDR content relative to the brightness of SDR content.

For built-in HDR displays, such as on HDR-capable laptops, both the brightness setting and HDR/SDR brightness balance setting will affect the appearance of HDR content.

Brightness setting. When viewing HDR content in a bright area, you might need to increase the brightness setting to see the display. However, this will reduce both the effective dynamic range for HDR content in apps and the overall contrast because the darker pixels will appear brighter. To improve the appearance of HDR content, view HDR content in a darker area and use a fairly low brightness setting. If the brightness is set to a very low level, that will increase the overall contrast between the brightest and darkest parts of the content. However, there will be less details in the darker parts of the content. For example, if you have a scene in a movie that shows a dimly lit room at night, you might see less details in that scene.

HDR/SDR brightness balance setting. For most times, using the default HDR/SDR brightness balance setting or one close to it should work well. You could set the HDR/SDR brightness balance setting higher to help improve the overall contrast between the brightest and darkest parts of the content. However, this would reduce the details in the darker parts of the content, such as a scene in a dark room at night

Big_Mons
Honored Guest

I just noticed the same issue. I consider it a bug. My browser and other apps don't do this; it's just the Oculus app. I have two monitors, and one of them isn't HDR capable, so it was very noticeable when I'd move the app to the other monitor. My Quest 2 isn't even turned on or connected, so it has nothing to do with the headset in case someone is confused. I think I can replicate what it looks like in a screenshot. I also have software called DisplayFusion for managing multiple monitors. It has a fade feature which basically just puts a dark filter over the screen. I've noticed the filter shows in screenshots, so I'll see if I can add one with the filter on.

 

This is a crude representation where I've pieced together two images with the left resembling what it looks like with HDR toggled ON in Windows display settings and toggled OFF on the right.

oculus dark.png

shake128
Protege

same exact problem here. it is definitely an annoying bug.

juanenk
Honored Guest

Same here, I hope they fix it soon

Eodhan
Honored Guest

Same problem here, anyone found a solution yet?

nd02g
Honored Guest

This issue annoyed me to no end!!  I finally fixed it.  It's as simple as opening the properties box of OculusClient.exe and setting the Compatibility Mode to "Windows 7".  Make sure you update your PC to the latest build of Windows.  I tried this on a previous build of Windows, and it didn't work.

That did it! Thank you!