How do I enable HDR in Train Sim World?

Train Sim World requires an HDR-capable display chain and platform HDR enabled, but Train Sim World 5 (TSW5) and Train Sim World 7 (TSW7) have no native HDR output or in-game HDR switch. Use the edition table below: Windows/Xbox Auto HDR or PlayStation conversion may engage automatically; unsupported combinations remain SDR.

TSW5 and TSW7 HDR compatibility

Neither TSW5 nor TSW7 renders native HDR on the listed platforms. Any HDR-labelled output comes from an operating-system or console conversion, not from Train Sim World’s renderer.

Auto HDR is not native HDR. It analyses an SDR image and expands it into an HDR signal. Results vary by display and scene, and the feature may not be offered for every executable, display mode or console build.

HDR in Train Sim World 5

The TSW5 display menu path is Main Menu > Settings > Display; the same Display section is available through the pause menu during a service. There is no HDR, peak-brightness or paper-white control on PC, Xbox or PlayStation.

If no HDR switch appears after enabling HDR in Windows or on the console, that is expected rather than a failed hardware check. On Windows 11 and Xbox Series X|S, Auto HDR may start outside the game. On PS5, only the console’s Always On setting converts TSW5’s SDR output; On When Supported correctly leaves it in SDR.

Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions also lack an in-game switch. An Xbox One S, Xbox One X or HDR-capable PS4 can output HDR for supported software, but that capability does not add HDR to TSW5.

HDR in Train Sim World 7

The TSW7 path is also Main Menu > Settings > Display, with Display settings accessible from the pause menu. The released PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 builds do not expose a native HDR setting.

Enabling platform HDR will therefore not make a hidden TSW7 option appear. A Windows or Xbox Auto HDR notification means that the platform is converting the SDR game. On PS5 or PS5 Pro, an HDR signal with the console set to Always On is likewise converted output, not native TSW7 HDR.

How do I enable Auto HDR on a Windows PC?

Windows 11 can apply Auto HDR when it recognises Train Sim World and the full monitor connection supports HDR. Windows 10 can place the desktop in an HDR output mode, but it does not provide the same system-wide Auto HDR feature.

1. Check the display connection. Use an HDR-capable monitor or television, a compatible graphics card and a suitable HDMI or DisplayPort connection. Enable the input’s enhanced, deep-colour or high-bandwidth mode if the display requires one.
2. Select the Train Sim World screen. Open Settings > System > Display > HDR and choose the monitor on which the game will run.
3. Enable Windows HDR. Turn on Use HDR, followed by Auto HDR if Windows offers it. The shortcut Windows key + Alt + B toggles Windows HDR without reopening Settings.
4. Calibrate the output. Run the Windows HDR calibration controls for that monitor while it is using the same picture mode and input used for the sim.
5. Restart Train Sim World. Auto HDR is applied by Windows; it does not create an HDR entry under Settings > Display in TSW5 or TSW7.

If Windows does not recognise the game for Auto HDR, leave it in SDR rather than forcing undocumented Unreal Engine HDR commands into configuration files. Those commands can produce incorrect colour mapping, broken captures or menus with the wrong brightness.

How do I confirm HDR10 and Auto HDR on Xbox?

Xbox Series X|S can use HDR10 and Auto HDR, while Xbox One S and Xbox One X support HDR10 but not the Series console’s Auto HDR conversion. The original Xbox One cannot output HDR.

1. Check the detected display features. Open Settings > General > TV & display options > 4K TV details. The report should confirm that the display supports HDR10 at the selected output mode.
2. Allow HDR10. Go to Settings > General > TV & display options > Video modes and enable Allow HDR10. On Series X|S, also enable Auto HDR if that option is present.
3. Launch the game again. HDR detection occurs at launch, so fully quit Train Sim World rather than resuming an already running session.
4. Open the Xbox Guide. An Auto HDR badge identifies Microsoft’s SDR-to-HDR conversion. A television’s generic HDR10 notification only confirms the format of the incoming signal; it does not prove native game HDR.

If Allow HDR10 is enabled but Train Sim World still has no HDR menu item, nothing is broken: TSW5 and TSW7 do not contain that item. If the Xbox does not offer HDR10 at all, try these checks:

• Set video detection to automatic rather than forcing an incompatible HDMI override.
• Enable the television’s enhanced HDMI mode for the exact input used by the Xbox.
• Connect the console directly to the display to rule out a receiver, soundbar or switch that cannot pass the signal.
• Use a suitable cable, then temporarily lower the refresh rate or resolution to isolate a bandwidth limitation.
• Power-cycle the console and display after changing the input’s enhanced-format setting.

Auto HDR is not guaranteed to engage for every Train Sim World build. If the Series console shows no Auto HDR badge, there is no in-game setting that can force it.

How does HDR work on PlayStation?

PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro can convert Train Sim World’s SDR output into an HDR signal, but the more accurate setting is On When Supported, which leaves TSW5 and TSW7 in SDR.

1. Open the PS5 video settings. Go to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > HDR.
2. Choose the output behaviour. Select On When Supported for an accurate SDR presentation. Select Always On only if you prefer the console’s SDR-to-HDR conversion.
3. Run Adjust HDR. Calibrate the PS5 output for the display and picture mode in use.
4. Restart the simulator. Do not expect an HDR switch to appear inside Train Sim World.

For TSW5 on PlayStation 4, the system path is Settings > Sound and Screen > Video Output Settings > HDR. Setting it to Automatic does not force unsupported games into HDR, so TSW5 remains SDR.

What brightness settings should I use?

TSW5 and TSW7 have no HDR peak-luminance or paper-white setting, so calibrate the platform and display rather than searching for a missing game control. Peak luminance is commonly quoted in nits, equivalent to candelas per square metre (cd/m²).

• Start with Train Sim World’s ordinary brightness or gamma control at its default.
• Use the television or monitor’s Game mode, with energy-saving and ambient-light dimming disabled during calibration.
• Leave HDMI black level or video range on automatic unless both the source and display have deliberately been configured to matching values.
• Check several routes, weather conditions and cab views. Train Sim World’s exposure system can darken a cab when a bright sky fills the view, which is not necessarily an HDR fault.

For resolution scaling, anti-aliasing and other related display choices, see our recommended Train Sim World graphics settings.

Why does Train Sim World look washed out or too dark?

Washed-out or excessively dark output usually means SDR is being displayed through an unwanted HDR conversion, the display range is mismatched or the platform has been calibrated incorrectly.

HDR does not cause low-resolution textures or smearing. If the image is soft rather than incorrectly coloured, use our Train Sim World blurry-texture troubleshooting steps instead.

Does Auto HDR reduce Train Sim World performance?

Auto HDR itself usually has a smaller performance cost than resolution, shadows, view distance or anti-aliasing. A drop in frame rate often happens because enabling HDR also changes the display to a higher resolution or different refresh-rate mode.

On a supported NVIDIA PC, our guide to enabling DLSS in Train Sim World explains how to recover performance without treating HDR conversion as the main cause.