How to Disable Auto HDR for One Application in Windows 11

Quick fix: Open Settings → Gaming → Game Bar, click the app in the list (or add it), and toggle Auto HDR off for that specific app. The global Auto HDR setting stays on; only the named app uses its native (SDR) output.

Auto HDR converts SDR game output to HDR by inferring highlights. It looks great in most games. But one specific title looks washed out, overly bright in dark scenes, or has crushed shadows because the inference doesn’t match the game’s intended look. You want Auto HDR off for that one game while keeping it on globally.

What Auto HDR does

Auto HDR is a Windows 11 feature that uses DXGI metadata and tone-mapping to convert DirectX 11/12 SDR output into HDR10 on the fly. It boosts highlights, expands the dynamic range, and adds bright accents to lighting. For games that weren’t mastered for HDR, this is a free improvement; for games with their own HDR pipeline or carefully-mastered SDR, Auto HDR’s inference fights with the game’s intent.

Method 1: Per-app toggle in Settings

1. Open Settings → Gaming → Game Bar.
2. Or open Settings → System → Display → HDR and scroll to the per-app section.
3. Find the app in the list. If not listed, run the game once first — Windows auto-populates the list with games it’s seen Auto HDR engage with.
4. Click the app name to expand its settings.
5. Toggle Auto HDR off.
6. Restart the game. Auto HDR is no longer applied to it; the game renders in its native SDR mode.

Method 2: Disable Auto HDR globally if per-app doesn’t stick

1. Some builds don’t persist per-app toggles. If the setting reverts:
2. Open Settings → System → Display → HDR.
3. Toggle Auto HDR off entirely.
4. HDR itself stays on; only the auto-conversion of SDR games is off.
5. For HDR games that need actual HDR support, those continue to work natively.

Method 3: Use the game’s own HDR setting if it has one

1. In the affected game, look for an HDR option in the graphics menu.
2. If the game has native HDR, enable it — this takes precedence over Auto HDR.
3. If the game has only SDR but looks better that way, set Auto HDR off via Method 1 and use the game in SDR.

How to verify the fix worked

• Launch the game. Visuals match the SDR target (or the game’s native HDR, not the Auto HDR conversion).
• Other Auto HDR games continue to receive the boost.
• Open Settings → Display → HDR. The per-app entry shows Auto HDR off.

If none of these work

If per-app Auto HDR keeps reverting, the per-app list may not be saving (a known issue in some 23H2 builds; fixed in 24H2). Update to 24H2. For chronic Auto HDR vs game-native HDR conflicts, disable Auto HDR globally and let games drive HDR themselves. Most modern HDR-capable games detect Windows’ HDR state and offer their own toggle.

Bottom line: Per-app Auto HDR toggle disables the inference for one game while keeping it for the rest. If the per-app persistence is flaky on your build, the global toggle plus game-native HDR is the durable fix.