Best PS5 HDR settings at a glance
The best PS5 HDR settings for most players are simple: set HDR to On When Supported, leave Resolution, Deep Color Output, RGB Range and Video Transfer Rate on Automatic, then run the PS5 Adjust HDR tool for the display and picture mode you actually use. These are safe console-side defaults, not model-specific TV calibration values.
That distinction matters because HDR performance depends on the television or monitor, its active picture mode, the HDMI signal path and the game. PlayStation says all PS5 consoles support HDR, but the final image quality depends on the connected home-entertainment setup. For a broader setup checklist beyond HDR, see our Best PS5 Settings and Setup Guide.
Best PS5 HDR settings for a safe baseline
- HDR: On When Supported.
- Adjust HDR: Run the console calibration for your current display and picture mode.
- Resolution: Automatic.
- Deep Color Output: Automatic.
- RGB Range: Automatic.
- Video Transfer Rate: Automatic unless you are troubleshooting a 4K signal problem.
PlayStation documents these controls under Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output. Its current PS5 video-output guide says Automatic resolution selects the highest resolution supported by the display, while RGB Range should only be changed when an HDMI device does not report range information correctly.
Keeping these signal settings on Automatic also avoids a common calibration mistake: changing several variables at once. If HDR looks wrong, first confirm that the display is receiving the intended HDR signal. Then calibrate HDR. Only after that should you troubleshoot a specific HDMI or picture-mode issue.
How to run PS5 HDR calibration
Open Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > Adjust HDR. Sony describes this tool as a way to make fine brightness adjustments and optimize HDR rendering. Its dedicated PS5 HDR support page confirms the same menu path.
Before you start, put the display into the picture mode you normally use for HDR gaming. Do not copy another television’s click count, peak-brightness number or black-level value. Two displays with the same resolution can have very different brightness capability and tone-mapping behavior, while even the same display can behave differently in another picture mode.
Best PS5 HDR settings for the three calibration screens
The PS5 calibration wizard uses three screens. Work through them in order and follow the visibility instruction shown by the console. The first two screens establish the bright end of the HDR range, while the final screen addresses the dark end. The useful target is the visibility threshold shown by the PS5, not a universal number of controller clicks.
For that reason, online recipes such as “use 15 clicks” or “set every OLED to the same value” are poor general advice. They may describe one display, one firmware version or one tone-mapping mode, but they are not safe defaults for every PS5 setup.
If your television offers its own HDR gaming tone-mapping modes, choose the mode you actually intend to use before running Adjust HDR. Changing the television’s HDR processing afterward can change the relationship between the console’s calibration and what the panel displays.
HDR Always On vs On When Supported
For most players, On When Supported is the cleaner default. PlayStation says this keeps HDR-compatible games and apps in HDR while non-HDR content is displayed in SDR. By contrast, Always On converts non-HDR games and apps to an HDR output.
Always On is not automatically “better” because the setting does not add native HDR information to SDR content. Some players may prefer a consistent HDR output for display-handshake reasons or personal taste, but that is a preference rather than a universal image-quality upgrade.
If you switch between HDR games and older SDR titles, On When Supported preserves the original signal type more directly. It also makes troubleshooting easier because you can tell whether a game or app is actually triggering HDR rather than seeing an HDR output at all times.
Best PS5 HDR settings for RGB Range and Deep Color
Leave RGB Range on Automatic unless you have a defined compatibility problem. PlayStation specifically advises changing RGB Range only when an HDMI device does not send the range information correctly. Forcing a mismatched console and display range can produce washed-out blacks or crushed shadow detail, which is easy to mistake for bad HDR calibration.
Deep Color Output should also stay on Automatic for a normal HDR setup. Meanwhile, Video Transfer Rate should remain on Automatic unless you are solving flicker or signal-loss problems. Sony notes that the -1 and -2 options limit some higher-bandwidth 4K output combinations.
If a 4K HDR signal drops out, flickers or falls back to a lower mode, troubleshoot the HDMI path rather than changing HDR calibration first. Check the correct HDMI input, cable, display capability and any receiver, soundbar, switch or capture device in the video path. Our HDMI 2.0 vs HDMI 2.1 for PS5 guide explains which combinations of resolution, refresh rate and HDMI bandwidth actually matter.
When should you recalibrate PS5 HDR?
Re-run Adjust HDR when you make a change that can materially alter how the display handles HDR. Good examples include moving the PS5 to a different television or monitor, switching to a different HDR game picture mode, changing a major tone-mapping setting, or resetting the display’s picture configuration.
You do not need to recalibrate every time you launch a game. Instead, treat the PS5 calibration as the console-level baseline for the active display setup. If a game then provides its own HDR controls, start from the calibrated console output and follow that game’s own instructions for its additional sliders.
VRR and 120Hz are separate features, although enabling them can make some displays switch into a different gaming mode or signal path. Keep their setup separate from HDR calibration. If variable refresh rate is the problem, use our dedicated PS5 VRR setup guide rather than changing HDR values to compensate.
Best PS5 HDR settings when the image looks wrong
Washed-out HDR
First confirm that both the PS5 and display agree on the signal range. Leave RGB Range on Automatic unless you have evidence of a range-handshake problem. Next, confirm the display is actually in its HDR gaming picture mode and that the PS5 reports HDR support under Information for the Connected HDMI Device.
HDR looks too dark
Do not immediately raise every console value or copy a brighter display’s calibration. Check whether the television changed picture mode, whether an energy-saving setting altered panel brightness, and whether the room is much brighter than when you calibrated. Then rerun Adjust HDR in the mode you intend to use.
Highlights look too bright or clipped
Rerun the three-screen calibration and follow the PS5 visibility prompts carefully. Also check for aggressive display-side tone mapping or dynamic contrast settings. Because those controls vary by television and monitor, this guide deliberately avoids prescribing one universal TV setting.
HDR is unavailable
Confirm that the connected display supports HDR on the active input and inspect Information for the Connected HDMI Device. If the console passes through an AV receiver, soundbar or HDMI switch, temporarily test a direct PS5-to-display connection. That isolates whether an intermediary device is limiting the signal.
Best PS5 HDR settings: final recommendation
The safest starting point is HDR: On When Supported, with Resolution, Deep Color Output, RGB Range and Video Transfer Rate left on Automatic. Then run Adjust HDR while the display is in the HDR gaming mode you actually plan to use.
Avoid universal click-count recipes and model-specific TV picture values unless they come from a trustworthy calibration source for your exact display and firmware. The PS5 should provide the console-side baseline; the display and individual game can then be adjusted only where their own documented controls require it.
Frequently asked questions
Should PS5 HDR be Always On?
For most players, On When Supported is the safer default because HDR-compatible content uses HDR while non-HDR games and apps remain in SDR. Always On converts non-HDR content to an HDR output.
What are the best PS5 HDR settings?
Use On When Supported for HDR, leave Resolution, Deep Color Output, RGB Range and Video Transfer Rate on Automatic, and run Adjust HDR for the display and picture mode you actually use.
Should PS5 RGB Range be Full or Limited for HDR?
Automatic is the safest default. PlayStation recommends changing RGB Range only when an HDMI device does not send range information correctly. If you force a manual value, the display must use the matching range.
Do I need to calibrate HDR for every PS5 game?
No. Use the PS5 Adjust HDR tool as the system-level baseline. If a game includes its own HDR calibration controls, follow that game’s instructions after the console is calibrated.
Does PS5 Pro need different HDR settings?
No separate HDR calibration method is required simply because the console is a PS5 Pro. Use the same Screen and Video HDR controls and calibrate for the connected display and active picture mode.
