A large group of publishers, including Activision and Electronic Arts, have formed a group to developed a new standard for HDR gaming. They’ve teamed up with electronics manufacturers in order to improve PS4 HDR and HDR gaming across other platforms.
The quality of HDR currently varies vastly depending on your HDR display, so with new goals set and consistently across the spectrum, the improvement of HDR implementation is great news for PS4 gamers.
PS4 HDR Improvements Incoming
In a new document created by the HDR Gaming Interest Group, it reveals that the platforms the guidelines will focus on are: PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One S, Xbox One X and Windows 10. It states that despite more than 100 HDR compatible games out there, the reaction of consumers hasn’t always been positive.
The group has put together some guiding principles in order to tackle the issue moving forward, which you can read in full in the For Better HDR Gaming pdf.
The group consists of the following publishers and game developers, as well as other companies that specialize in HDR displays.
- Activision Publishing, Inc.
- ASUSTek Computer Inc.
- CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
- Electronic Arts
- Epic Games
- HP Inc.
- Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- LG Electronics, Inc.
- Microsoft Corporation
- Panasonic Corporation
- SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS Co., Ltd.
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Sony Visual Products
- SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
- Toshiba Visual Solutions Corporation
- Ubisoft
- Unity
- Vicarious Visions
- VIZIO, Inc.
- WB Games
Over the coming months, the HDR Gaming Interest Group will continue to investigate ways to optimize HDR for gaming and will jointly develop firm guidelines for developers and monitor manufacturers.
The press release from Sony Interactive Entertainment can be read in full below:
The HDR Gaming Interest Group (HGIG) is proposing a draft of HDR Game Content Production and Distribution Guidelines that will help optimize the consumer gaming experience when playing game content in high dynamic range (HDR). Volunteering companies in the gaming and TV display industries took part in the HDR Gaming Interest Group and are jointly developing the guidelines.
HDR gaming further immerses gamers into the content and has become a strong trend in the industry but the results are not yet optimal that in some cases can impact gaming experiences. With a variety of HDR formats across TV displays, volunteering companies joined together to discuss how gaming experiences can provide a more immersive experience through HDR and collaboratively identified a set of best practices for HDR game content developers, game platforms as well as for TV display manufacturers. As a result, HDR content, combined with optimized game platforms and TV displays will be able to further leverage HDR technology for a truly immersive gaming experience. This collection of best practices proposed in the guideline will be easy to implement and will also support improved operability.
The HGIG is welcoming broad participation from the gaming and TV display industry, and intends to further investigate additional best practices for improved technical standards relating to HDR gaming, and plans to improve on the guidelines to deliver the more immersive gaming experience made possible by HDR.
On August 15, HGIG hosted a workshop at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver, BC to present the new guidelines and showcase HDR demonstrations and many participants from leading companies from the gaming and TV display industry joined the workshop. HGIG will further analyze consumer’s HDR gaming experiences, and set directions for future improvements.
The PS4 HDR update for all consoles arrived in September 2016. Find out how to activate 4K and HDR on your PS4.