Does HDR affect FPS in games?

The short answer – not directly. Simply enabling HDR (High Dynamic Range) visuals in your games has a negligible impact on FPS (frames per second) with capable gaming hardware. However, there are some secondary effects of HDR processing that can indirectly lower your frame rates in certain scenarios. Let‘s dive deeper.

As an avid gamer and content creator always looking to maximize performance, I was curious how the enhanced colors and contrast of HDR would impact smooth gameplay.

After extensive testing and research, I found that HDR itself has little effect on raw FPS counts. But factors like input lag along with the additional rendering workload can take a toll on weaker gaming rigs.

Based on my findings, here are some key insights on HDR‘s effects on in-game framerates:

HDR‘s Impact on FPS is Indirect

HDR capable displays can process a wider gamut of colors and lighting contrast. This expands a game‘s visual range substantially compared to standard SDR – leading to more perceived depth and realistic scenes.

SDR (left) vs HDR (right) in a test pattern. Notice the expanded color and reduced banding in gradients on the HDR image. Credit: Rtings

But what does this enhanced processing mean for FPS?

As you can see in this video benchmark test, simply switching on HDR keeps average and 99th percentile FPS counts nearly identical to SDR:

So HDR on its own does NOT directly lower FPS. However, indirectly it can still impact gaming performance in a few key ways:

1. HDR Puts Extra Load on GPU

To process HDR‘s wider luminosity range and render expanded colors, your graphics card has to work harder compared to SDR.

This means an already heavily loaded GPU may not have enough headroom to sustain max FPS counts with HDR enabled.

For example, Digital Foundry saw up to a ~10 FPS drop in certain game engines with HDR turned on while GPU utilization was near or at 100% usage:

Red Dead Redemption 2 running at 4K resolution on an Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti [Credit: Digital Foundry]

So indirectly, HDR‘s added rendering demands can lower your FPS if your hardware has inadequate processing power.

2. HDR Increases Input Lag

Since HDR frames require extra image processing cycles before being shown on your display, this can add a small but perceivable bump in input lag.

In fast-paced competitive multiplayer titles, this extra input delay can mean the difference between winning and losing gunfights.

So for these types of games where split-second reactions matter, disabling HDR may boost responsiveness.

However, in most single player games the impact is quite small – we‘re talking a few extra milliseconds overall.

Measuring HDR‘s True Performance Impact

To isolate HDR‘s specific effect on FPS separately from other variables, I benchmarked some popular games on my RTX 3080 test rig.

Here were my average FPS findings at 4K resolution with graphics maxed out:

As you can see, across multiple triple-A titles the FPS change is marginal with HDR on or off. These minute variances come down to run-to-run stability rather than HDR causing a direct hit.

So on capable gaming PCs, you can expect negligible impact to raw FPS numbers from switching on HDR visuals alone. Any noticeable performance drops likely stem from other bottlenecks as we‘ll explore next.

Why You MAY See Lower FPS with HDR On

If you DO notice substantially lower in-game frame rates after toggling on HDR, what‘s the reason?

Through further testing, I identified a few key factors:

1. Game Engine Optimization

Some games like Gears 5 and Forza Horizon 4 are highly optimized to run smoothly with HDR enabled, even on mid-range hardware.

But games built on older engines can struggle with HDR‘s added processing demands. This leads to reduced FPS counts as the GPU attempts to render all those enhanced colors and lighting accurately.

2. Monitor/TV Brightness

To truly showcase HDR‘s high luminosity range, your display needs significant brightness capability. For example HDR content is mastered for screens hitting 1000 to 4000 nits peak brightness.

However, most desktop monitors top out below 600 nits while TVs aim for 1000 nits. So if your screen can‘t fully replicate an HDR signal‘s intended vivid colors, the resulting image may look dull or washed out.

Many displays compensate by applying an aggressive HDR tone map to boost brightness – but this extra image manipulation can hamper FPS.

3. 4K Resolution

Gaming at higher 3840 x 2160 4K resolution also drives up GPU load substantially compared to 1920 x 1080 HD or 2560 x 1440 QHD.

And combining ultra HD 4K rendering with HDR processing can easily overburden lesser graphics cards, choking frame rates.

So in scenarios where GPU resources are already near maximum utilization, adding HDR‘s rendering overhead can indirectly cause lower FPS.

The key is ensuring your PC hardware or game console has sufficient power to handle both higher display resolution AND HDR‘s expanded colors simultaneously.

Comparing HDR Implementation in Major Games

Since game engines handle lighting, colors and contrast differently, HDR image quality and performance also varies.

Here is how some popular titles compare based on my experience gaming in HDR:

HDR Showcase – Red Dead Redemption 2

Boasting advanced global illumination and photorealistic graphics throughout its expansive open world, Red Dead Redemption 2 sets the bar for HDR gaming implementation.

From the blazing sun and sandstorms whipping through arid deserts to flickering campfires and shadowy hideouts, HDR heightens every dramatic scene and lighting effect beautifully.

And despite the rendering complexity, Rockstar has optimized Red Dead 2 to run smoothly with consistent FPS even at 4K resolution with max HDR activated.

Verdict: Must Play in HDR!

Stunning but Demanding – Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077‘s futuristic Night City is filled with vibrant neon signage, flashing holograms and atmospheric lighting that make it a spectacular HDR showcase. But all these cutting-edge effects require serious GPU muscle to maintain high FPS in 4K with ray tracing and HDR enabled simultaneously.

During action sequences Cyberpunk can frequently dip below 60 FPS even on modern hardware, making gameplay feel slightly uneven at times. Still, the visual splendor may justify the occasional framerate cost for many.

Verdict: WorthTrying in HDR but Prep for FPS Drops

Fast and Gorgeous – Forza Horizon 5

The latest Forza driving simulator impresses with buttery smooth framerates up to 120+ FPS thanks to well-optimized graphical settings and HDR implementation.

Vibrant colors and realistic lighting make Forza Horizon 5 an excellent HDR showcase. Trees, landscapes and vehicles appear richly saturated and daylight scenes exhibit excellent contrast just like viewing the world with your own eyes.

With both performance and visuals firing on all cylinders, Forza Horizon 5 is an excellent fit for fast-paced HDR gameplay.

Verdict: Strong Recommend for HDR Gaming

As these comparisons illustrate, HDR support varies widely depending on the source game engine and developer priorities.

While HDR graphics themselves may not directly cut FPS, how efficiently the underlying code handles all that expanded color and luminosity data plays a major role in perceived performance.

Should You Use HDR for Competitive Gaming?

For fast-paced online multiplayer shooters like Call of Duty or Valorant where every millisecond of input lag matters, I typically recommend disabling HDR since it can slightly delay display response times.

Raw visibility and high FPS tends to trump image enhancements for competitive gaming. HDR may offer marginal visual benefits depending on the title, but boosting frames per second and responsiveness should be the priority.

However, in team games like Overwatch or CS:GO where tactics are more important than lightning reflexes, you can likely leave HDR enabled as long as your FPS remains consistently high. The same applies for slower paced single player adventures where taking in the cinematic atmosphere has priority over twitch reactions.

Ultimately you have to balance visuals against performance based on your gaming priorities. HDR certainly amplifies immersion across virtually all titles when implemented properly. But competitive genres demand uncompromised speed which HDR can occasionally undermine.

Expert Opinions on HDR Gaming

Is HDR purely an eye-candy feature or does it confer legitimate gameplay advantages? Here are some perspectives from gaming industry veterans and engineers:

"Good HDR makes such a big difference in image quality, it‘s tremendous. It broadens the range of colors significantly compared to traditional SDR displays. That expanded gamut along with richer contrast allowing simultaneously bright and dark areas in a scene helps create much more realism and natural detail in everything you see."

Matt Welsh, Graphics Engineer and Tech Specialist

"In terms of competitive play where performance is key, most esports pros will disable HDR to eliminate any potential input lag it adds before playing tournaments where big money is on the line. But for more casual players enjoying single player adventures, HDR is hands-down worth using for way more captivating and nuanced visuals that simply bring games to life compared to SDR."

Brooke Hoogendam, Veteran Gaming Journalist

Based on conversations with subject matter experts plus my own comparative testing, it‘s clear HDR radically improves visual immersion across virtually all modern games when paired with a bright, high-contrast display.

But for multiplayer genres where razor sharp response times determine the outcome of gunfights, it makes sense to disable HDR and any other non-critical graphical frills to maximize FPS performance.

Different gaming priorities call for tailored optimization settings. Ultimately you must decide based on whether jaw-dropping visuals or pure speed matters more on a per-game basis.

HDR Gaming Performance – What Does the Future Hold?

As next-gen GPUs and games continue leveraging advanced rendering techniques to create more photorealism in real-time graphics, HDR‘s expanded color and contrast will likely become even more impactful for boosted realism.

We‘re also seeing displays capable of hitting 4000 nits or higher to truly capture the full spectrum HDR content encodes. Once affordable consumer screens catch up to professional reference levels, HDR gaming will make an exponentially bigger visual splash.

And with dedicated machine learning and AI processing now being baked into RTX 4000 series GPU architectures, HDR optimizations specifically for gaming will inevitably continue improving.

As the building blocks strengthen over time – brighter panels, more powerful hardware, and refined software implementation – HDR‘s additive benefits for immersive graphics can scale upwards without proportionally dragging down FPS.

Exciting innovations on the horizon like Nvidia‘s Frame Generation technology which can effectively double FPS counts could also help offset any residual performance costs associated with processing HDR lighting in real-time.

Between enhancements across every link in the pipeline – from source assets to GPUs to displays – the marriage between high frame rate speed and visually striking High Dynamic Range games seems bound to flourish rather than conflict as technology progresses.

So does HDR lower FPS? Technically no – but indirectly it can in GPU bound scenarios. With fine-tuned optimizations in both hardware and software, HDR‘s amplified color and contrast can clearly coexist with buttery smooth high FPS gameplay as select titles already demonstrate.

And that‘s great news for gamers who desire the best of both worlds – stunning visual immersion without performance compromises. As someone passionate about digital gaming artistry yet also obsessed with fast response times, this high frame rate HDR future gets me very excited!

What has your experience been using HDR for gaming – did you notice any performance impact or only striking visual bonuses? Let me know your thoughts and benchmarks!