How-to guides · The requirements, steps and cautions published in Microsoft Support, Calibrate your HDR display using the Windows HDR Calibration app and Calibrate your built-in display for HDR content in Windows (read 2026-09-21)

After buying an HDR monitor: the Windows HDR Calibration requirements, and the separate tool for built-in screens

You buy a monitor sold on HDR, turn HDR on, and the shadows crush, the highlights blow out, or the colours look wrong. Windows has a free app for adjusting this, with published requirements and steps. It is not the only tool, though: the app is for external displays and there is a separate feature in Settings for built-in ones, with a stated test for which applies. This guide was written on 2026-09-21 from two Microsoft support pages and covers the requirements, the branch between the two tools, what to watch while adjusting, and how to remove the colour profile afterwards.

Published 2026-09-21 · Updated 2026-09-21 · FaultNote editorial policy

After buying an HDR monitor: the Windows HDR Calibration requirements, and the separate tool for built-in screens overview: 1. What the app does, 2. The requirements, which rule out a lot of machines, 3. External and built-in displays use different tools, 4. What to watch while adjusting, 5. Undoing it, and redoing it after a hardware change, 6. What this guide does not say — An overview of this guide’s steps and checks, not a screenshot of the app.

Who this guide is for and what to prepare

Anyone with a new HDR monitor who is not happy with how it looks
Anyone watching HDR video on a laptop screen, looking for where the adjustment lives
Anyone who has just replaced a display and wants to know what to redo

What you need

Confirm the display is HDR capable and that HDR is on (Settings, System, Display, HDR)
Be able to check your GPU generation and display driver version
Work in the lighting you normally use with that display; the source asks for it
Know where your monitor's on-screen menu hides its picture-processing settings

1. What the app does

Microsoft's description: The Windows HDR Calibration app helps you improve color accuracy and consistency. It also lets you customize how vividly colors will appear for both HDR and SDR (standard dynamic range) content when HDR is turned on.

The substance is three test patterns: The Windows HDR Calibration app has three test patterns that are recommended by the HDR Gaming Interest Group (HGIG) for a better HDR gaming experience. They establish the darkest visible details, the brightest visible details and the maximum brightness for the display.

Where to get it: You can download the Windows HDR Calibration app from the Microsoft Store. The source says nothing about a charge.

On certified displays the source hedges deliberately: HDR certified displays typically work great out of the box without any additional calibration. However, you should still consider using the Windows HDR Calibration app on your HDR display.

2. The requirements, which rule out a lot of machines

The source enumerates them, and the table reproduces that list. The GPU generations are the practical part.

Note the wording: a newer GPU is stated to be required for the colour saturation to work properly. The page does not say the app refuses to run on older hardware, and neither does this guide.

The driver condition is specific too. The source writes WDDDM 2.7 or later (that spelling is the source's). For drivers it points to Windows Update or the GPU manufacturer's site.

Scroll horizontally to see the full table →

2. The requirements, which rule out a lot of machines
Item	What the source states
Operating system	Windows 11
Display	An HDR-capable display, built-in or external
HDR	Turned on (Settings, System, Display, HDR)
App mode	The app must be running full screen
GPU (AMD)	AMD RX 400 Series or later, or Ryzen processors with Radeon Graphics
GPU (Intel)	Integrated: 11th Gen (Ice Lake) or later. Discrete: DG1 or later
GPU (NVIDIA)	GTX 10xx or later (Pascal+)
Display driver	WDDDM 2.7 or later (the source's spelling)

3. External and built-in displays use different tools

This is the branch. The source carries a note: If you have a built-in display that can play streaming HDR video, but doesn’t support HDR games and apps, use Display calibration for HDR video found in Settings > System > Display > HDR .

So a built-in panel that plays streaming HDR video but does not support HDR games and apps is handled by the Settings feature, not by the app.

The test is given as well: on the HDR settings screen, under Display capabilities, see whether the selected display reports HDR video streaming, games, apps and more as Supported or Not supported.

The built-in display page states its own boundary plainly: You can only calibrate built-in displays with this feature. You won’t be able to use it to calibrate external displays. Its subject is streaming HDR video, and it describes setting the balance between the details in the bright parts of a scene and the details in the dark parts.

4. What to watch while adjusting

The operation itself is simple. On each of the three test patterns, drag the slider until the pattern is no longer visible. For saturation, drag from less saturated (the default, on the left) to more saturated on the right; the source notes the change might be subtle and depends on the display's characteristics.

Two conditions will skew the result if missed. The first is the monitor's own processing: The Windows HDR Calibration app may not work as expected if your HDR display has post-processing effects on by default. The page suggests turning those off from the display's on-screen menu and buttons.

The second is the light in the room: Use the app in the same lighting conditions that you normally use for your HDR display. Calibrate in a dark room and use the screen in daylight and the result will not hold.

There is a warning against overdoing it, too: push saturation too far and HDR content can look unnatural and over saturated. The source also notes the before and after images might look similar depending on the display, so this is not a feature that transforms a picture.

5. Undoing it, and redoing it after a hardware change

The app creates a colour profile, and the page says how to remove one: open Color Management from Control Panel (search for color management), go to the All Profiles tab, select the profile and choose Remove.

When to run it again is stated: Run this app whenever you change your display setup (for example, add a new display or replace an existing one). Adding or replacing a monitor is exactly that.

With more than one display, the page reminds you to make sure the app's window is on the HDR-capable display you intend to calibrate.

Finally, the quality ceiling is set by the panel and its certification, not by this app. Which certification guarantees what is covered in a separate guide on this site. Calibration aligns the equipment you have; it does not add capability.

6. What this guide does not say

It puts no figure on how much better things get. The source gives none and nothing was measured here; the source itself says the before and after images might look similar.

It gives no settings values for any particular monitor. The right position differs by display, which is what the three tests exist to find.

It does not tell you whether to use HDR at all. Turning it on changes how SDR content looks too, so the answer depends on what you do.

It does not cover calibration with a colorimeter. That is not what these pages are about.

Limitations and requirements

The app is stated to be for Windows 11. The built-in display feature is documented for both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Microsoft states the app may not work as expected on an HDR display that has post-processing effects on by default.
Calibrate in the lighting you normally use. A different condition gives a different result.
Pushing saturation too far is stated to make HDR content look unnatural and over saturated.
Everything quoted here was read on 2026-09-21.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use it on a laptop's built-in screen?

The requirements allow a built-in or external HDR-capable display. But if the built-in panel plays streaming HDR video while not supporting HDR games and apps, the source directs you to Display calibration for HDR video under Settings, System, Display, HDR instead.

How do I tell which of the two to use?

On the HDR settings screen, under Display capabilities, check whether the selected display reports HDR video streaming, games, apps and more as Supported or Not supported. Note also that the built-in display feature cannot be used for external displays.

Does it work on an older GPU?

The source states a newer GPU is required for colour saturation to work properly, and lists AMD RX 400 Series or later, Intel 11th Gen integrated or DG1 discrete or later, and NVIDIA GTX 10xx or later. The display driver requirement is given as WDDDM 2.7 or later.

How do I undo the calibration?

The colour profile the app creates can be deleted from Color Management in Control Panel, on the All Profiles tab. The source also asks you to run the app again whenever the display setup changes.

Sources and verification date

Sources checked: 2026-09-21. These sources support the specifications, procedures or prices discussed here. Check each source for applicable conditions and current information.

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