How to use Dolby Vision HDR on Xbox One

Xbox One S
Xbox One S (Image credit: Matt Brown | Windows Central)

While the Xbox One X and Xbox One S have featured High Dynamic Range (HDR) support from launch, technical limitations have restrained both consoles. Adopting the open HDR10 standard, this brings enriched colors across supported content, with increased contrast ratios and a wider color gamut.

With the October 2018 Xbox Update, Microsoft is now debuting support for Dolby Vision, opening the console to a new range of HDR displays. If you have a compatible display, here's how to take full advantage with Xbox One.

Xbox One Dolby Vision HDR: Everything You Should Know

Getting started with Xbox One Dolby Vision

Dolby Vision has made its debut on modern Xbox One consoles, though it is currently limited to video playback. For now, Dolby Vision HDR support is tied to Netflix's library of compatible content, via the dedicated console app. While we expect extended functionality in the future, your console will initially be bound to these limitations.

To use Dolby Vision on Xbox One, you'll need to connect your console to a compatible display. Initial support is limited to a small range of TVs from LG, Sony, and Funai. To see if your TV is supported right now, check our roundup of displays that support Dolby Vision on Xbox One in 2018.

For a deeper dive into Dolby Vision HDR on Xbox One, don't miss our complete guide.

How to enable Dolby Vision HDR on Xbox One

After securing the right hardware, enabling Dolby Vision is relatively simple on the Xbox One. Diving into the console's advanced video settings, a single checkbox enables the feature. Just follow these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app on Xbox One.
  2. Navigate to the Display & sound tab.
  3. Select the Video output tile.
  4. Select Video modes.
  5. Enable the Allow Dolby Vision checkbox.
  6. Restart your Xbox One console.

After following these steps, Dolby Vision is automatically enabled once supported content appears on-screen.

Matt Brown

Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central's Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft's gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.