PS5 HDR always on (this is awful, shame on Sony)

If you have your PS5's HDR enabled, it is always on.

Not sure if this is case with Series S|X, but I know it wasn't case with XB1 S|X, but according to a post in ResetEra this is the case with PS5...

https://www.resetera.com/threads/ps5-displays-sdr-content-in-hdr-container.321253/

My only experience where this was an issue was with the Netflix app on the XB1 after an update forced it to play everything in my TVs HDR mode, even non-HDR supported content, but just the Netflix app. And while the 4K HDR supported media was some of the best looking around, the non-HDR supported shows and movies lacking any HDR support took a visual quality hit when displayed in HDR mode. If I view the same stuff with my systems HDR disabled the non-UHD content looks much better, but the content that offers HDR can't be viewed in its best form. This means I have to constantly close the app, navigate to my system and display settings and enable/disable HDR.

What's funny is it didn't use to do this, Netflix would output HDR and my TV would switch modes with a quick flickers. Maybe Netflix did this to create a smoother appearing app UI, or maybe because of how they programmed the app menu to auto-play, but it sucks, and I bugged their customer support about it until I realized they're worthless dingleberries and will never fix it.

Thankfully it is just Netflix that I had to worry about, everything else worked fine. Play a game with HDR, HDR mode kicks in, when it has no HDR support, it won't output in HDR mode. That was the case with XB1. Imagine should still be case with Series S|X, but not case with PS5, according to the post. Maybe it won't be as bad as as it was with the XB1 Netflix app... but if it is, well, your gonna need to keep going through the system menus into the display options depending whether the game you are about to fire up has HDR support or not, if you care about getting the best picture quality.

And if that's the case, forget about the benefits of quick loading if you gotta deep dive your menu settings between games.

@lamprey263: Netflix never enables HDR for me anymore. It's been years since I've watched anything there in HDR or Atmos. The Netflix app on my TV, the Netflix app in Windows, and the website in Firefox and Chrome. Such a shitty service. MPC-HC with MadVR automatically enables it for me, as does my 4K player, obviously, and my PS4. Would suck major balls if you were forced to play SDR games in HDR. That looks awful. Saturated and dark.

@ezekiel43: I think it also depends on the TV, since you are jumping between different calibrations when going into and out of HDR, for me though the image felt far less color saturated when watching SDR in HDR, brightness seemed right though

Just watch Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, etc. on your TV and not your PS5... problem solved. That said, I'm sure they will straighten this out.

@WitIsWisdom: I think think you totally miss the point, it isn't about Netflix, I only bring it up in context to understanding what it means to output SDR content in HDR

In the ResetEra thread, they mention this is/was an issue with Apple TV as well. But again, it isn't about the video apps, they are mentioned because people's experiences with knowing what it means to always output in HDR even if the content is SDR content. And try to imagine what they means for games. The in game image quality will suffer if the game doesn't have HDR support but is being broadcasted in HDR; I don't know if it will be awful, but a fair assumption it won't be at its best.

@lamprey263: Just don't buy a PS5, problem solved, you're welcome :)

@i_p_daily: https://youtu.be/-_IlNbsILLE

This decision is very odd, it puts everything into an HDR container and then tonemaps it to SDR.

I'm sure it will be easy to fix with an update.

ps5 is horribly engineered - I thought everyone was in agreement with this?

@Sevenizz: "ps5 is horribly engineered - I thought everyone was in agreement with this?"

apparently not, the universal consensus is it feels next gen from the first moment

https://www.gamespot.com/forums/system-wars-314159282/gamesindustrybiz-critics-agreeps5-transcends-on-pa-33511292/

Oh noes, let me put on my faux outrage cap.

Here we see Sony engineers talking about their HDR implementation

Just another example of Phony's...

..Way of doing things. lol :P

I hope Sony has a lot of patches in the pipeline at this point...

It's not the most ideal solution but, it does kinda makes sense when the UI itself will utilize HDR; it would be incredibly odd to have the screen flicker when going into the UI or be in SDR just because the game you're playing isn't taking advantage of HDR.

That being said, I assume the container isn't used when you have HDR disabled, right? If it does then, yeah, they need to fix that.

The only people agreed PS5 is horribly engineered are the hardcore lems here lol

The PS5 seems like it needs work. So many things are missing or needs a patch. I guess this justifies waiting til next year.

@Sevenizz: Rabid fanboys hoping for any kind of a "win" are in agreement, everyone else just points and laughs at people like yourself.

I don't think I miss the point. There will be little to no content I use on my PS5 that won't be HDR. That said for the things I want to watch on services that are SDR I can easily just turn the console off and watch them on my TV. Either way, I seriously doubt this will be a problem for long and is likely just another early issue that will be patched in at a date pretty close to launch. If not... well, that's odd, but still won't effect me. I watch all services (minus the exception of youtube at times) on my TV or other devices and not through my consoles.

To me, this sounds like something Netflix should be patching. Unless I'm mistaken on how this works, I would imagine Netflix needs to tell the PS5 when it is or isn't playing HDR content.

fake hdr..... yeah it never works well.

Nah, shame on you.

Should have bought a PC if you want options. Otherwise you'll have to take what Sony gives you, and like it.

xD

This.