Switch 2's HDR Looking Washed Out On Your TV? Here's The Fix

I’ll have to give that video a watch later. My TV doesn’t have HGiG, so the Switch 2 calibration does happen similar to what you described. Thanks.

Remember the old days, when you just plugged the console into the TV, and started gaming?

Gotta love the dude's solution to fixing those "suboptimal default paper white settings": just connect your Xbox to the same TV as your Switch 2 and use its HDR app to measure the white levels of the screen. You know, the Xbox I have lying around in my cupboard just in case I need to fix that pesky suboptimal paper white.

Top tip for any content creators- the more exaggerated your expression in the thumbnail, the least likely I'll watch your video...

I had loads of issues with my PS5’s HDR until I really messed around with my TV’s settings, having a Samsung is irritating as most of their settings all have different names, including HGIG which is called something stupid like Game HDR+.

Great, so what do I need to change on my projector? I don't have a television.

On my LG OLED I just kept clicking many times until the sun on the right completely faded away.

Mario Kart World, Zelda Tears and Splatoon 3 all look amazing on my TV, so I think I got it right on my own. If anything, yellow often looks more like gold.

@PJOReilly People have different definitions of "really funny", but it's certainly true that I didn't expect a tech tutorial video on HDR fine-tuning to include a sexist joke about Margot Robbie's boobs.

@Ultimapunch my Epson EH-TW7000 does a decent job with HDR, when watching movies.

On my Samsung q80 QLED both suns always disappear at the same time... and yes, I've enabled HGiG

Sony A95L 65” QD-OLED no HGIG
Set HDR as per switch 2
Looks perfect.
Then again it’s the best TV out there or maybe some Japanese perfect hand shaking.

PSA: no HDR is better than bad HDR 100% of the time.
If your display doesn’t support it properly dont bother with it.

I’d love to see how all these guys eat

“this blueberry doesn’t look as vibrant as it should”
“yo deez nuts are in my chocolate bar”
“my calorie sensors are going off”
“who put spinach in my brownie?!”
“this bacon is made up of approximately 67.847292% fat*
“stop calling me ‘eggman’”
“pass the corn dog”

I've been looking into this, too..without previously knowing about any of this business.
I have a TV seemingly without HGiG and previously had this issue with the suns not appearing as they should.

In the end I turned off HDR from the Switch 2 settings, as I saw quite a few were doing that, too.

Maybe there'll be some update or easy guide from Nintendo to make this all a bit more straightforward in the future! Especially for those without the HGiG option.

Otherwise, I'll happily stick to non-HDR, as I don't usually notice all these types of visual alterations too much. I'm still very much enjoying the Switch 2, nonetheless.

@Shepdawg1
The video isn’t helpful about that unfortunately he doesn’t give how many clicks it takes to set it at 1000 nits and then 200 paper white despite telling people to do that.
@Polvasti
Makes the video a waste of time, seemed he didn’t like how steps it had and didn’t want to bother making a chart of them.
He did make a comment saying this
“ Update 16 June 2025: We have temporarily removed the nits chart to investigate the discrepancies reported by some viewers. Thank you for your understanding”
So the video had one but he edited it out I guess. Some of the other commenters mention Cyberpunk and Hogwarts listing the actual numbers so all someone would have to do is make a chart using those.

Using HGiG fixed the issues for me, on a LG oled.

Feels dark at times, especially on the Switch 2’s screen. Fantasy Life is the biggest offender. Looked so bright on my OLED but looks dark and dull even WITH HDR set to “Compatible Software Only”. Haven’t tried the handheld since I adjusted the settings as shown in the video (my LG doesn’t have HGiG), but playing Mario Kart World on the TV looked a LOT better.

For those like me (which is probably many of you) without HGiG that don’t feel like spending ten minutes on a video, here’s the gist of it:

-Set the suns all the way down to its lowest setting (both should be black).

-Then with the analog stick, after the first slight press up to go back up, slightly press the stick 58 times upwards, counting as you go along and making sure the suns get lighter. When you get to 58, stop.

-Then on the Mario screen, set the slider all the way to the left.

-After this, slightly press the analog stick right (hearing clicks along the way) six times.

After those two have been taken care of, exit and try with a game you know has HDR, usually Mario Kart World or Zelda Switch 2 Editions.

Yes! I found the initial setup of this so confusing. The two suns were so close together in brightness I had to push it all the way to one end but both were barely visible. I'll give this a go when I get home.

I thought people told me this is why you buy a switch over a steam deck. It’s simple and already set up. What convoluted trash.

Thank you! It helped in my case. I hope that Nintendo will patch HDR settings in the future, coz it is really clunky.

@nessisonett I don't even use the hdr on my ps5 cuz I got tired of trying to get it right with my sony TV 😅

@sixrings The console is already set up for handheld play. But people have different televisions/monitors, some with HDR and some without, and different manufacturers even have different names for the same setting. So it's not like Nintendo could have made the Switch 2's default settings fit all possible external displays.

@Lone_Beagle i would love to answer that, sadly my brain hasn't had an update yet and is still in sleep mode....

@martynstuff cmon dislocating your jaw for a thumbnail screams dedication!

@Polvasti All of his content basically contains jokes like that… been watching him for the last 5+ years

@AverageGamer That's good to know, won't be watching any more of his videos then. I'd rather support Youtubers who can make tutorials without a dose of the good ol' sexism.

@Polvasti maybe it wasn’t sexism. Maybe he was supporting the women’s empowerment movement clothing choices versus the puritan hypocrites. I dunno.

If your tv was cheap, and “supports hdr”, just turn it off in the switch settings. Basically your tv can sacrifice colour fidelity for range, and you’ll get a washed out image.

For my LG CX (800 nits max luminance) I needed 8 clicks to set a paper white value of 200 as Vincent recommended in this video. 6000/800=7.5 (round up to 8).

For anyone without an HGiG-compliant Display, there is btw a helpful table on reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/nintendo/comments/1lcvszw/i_measured_nintendo_switch_2s_hdr_settings_no/

I watched this last night and it gave me a headache, but I do have an LG TV (C9), so I'll mess with this when I FINALLY get the damn system today. lol

@Polvasti Yet, they did fail in copy&paste either Xbox's or Playstation's calibration process.

On my insignia TV the test pattern never looks right. Both images look exactly the same and fade at the same time no matter how i adjust the sliders. My TV doesn't have an HGIG setting. I'm not sure if my TVs HDR tone mapping should be on or off but i can never seem to get the best looking image.

@sixrings Yes, I'm sure every time dudes make random jokes about how fine some movie star's boobs look, they're really just supporting women's empowerment.

I wish I could just turn HDR off on the TV itself. It says it "supports HDR" but really it just means anything on Disney+ is going to look like washed out garbage

@OldGamer999 Same TV and size as you. Did you not do anything, or have I read it incorrectly?

Just turn it off

@Polvasti I was the same way regarding using an Xbox to get the max nits value - but you can just Google your tv brand and get that value online - dunno why he just didn't say do that instead as not everyone has a Xbox

Just FYI, I have 2 Samsung s90d/s95b. I noticed the switch 2 put the HDMI black level setting to auto. It's on low for everything else (PS5/Xbox/switch) I never touched that setting before. When I changed it to low, it fixed the washed out look completely. Switch 2 also doesn't set up during detect HDMI setup. it has to be manual unlike switch 1. I get the icon for the port for switch 1, PS5, Xbox as it communicates. Switch 2 just labels as hdmi2. Should be fixed in an update. Check your HDMI black level setting for switch 2. That was my issue, not the hdr calibration.

I will have another look at this thanks to the comments on this article.
I'm putting it off everytime since both suns disappear alltogether.
I'm too old to watch youtube videos and commercials XD

It was interesting, and bewildering, to find out how this was Nintendo’s process for DIY HDR calibration. (Really, from consoles to TV’s, they should ALWAYS show the number values with disclaimer text for the power users) At least it’s nice to know that I’m well equipped with a Series X to help calibrate my Switch 2, whenever I finally get one that is. His other videos showed me I did the X’s HDR completely wrong, but somehow got surprisingly close to what I had before with my overcomplicated adjustments. But now, with less crushed black levels because I didn’t know that was my TV (LG C1, here)

@Polvasti wah wah, somebody made a joke about boobies. Puritan.

@Lone_Beagle I would challenge if that ever existed... How many hours did I spend using the antenna port of my TV to connect the snes... Or fiddling with the SCART connector when we finally upgraded the TV but that beast tube TV was not easy to move and the back was difficult to access.
Great times though 😎

In my LG CX's tv settings I also set the black level to "low" which made the image look so much better. It shouldn't work that way and maybe it's my imagination but it made blacks really black and completely eliminated the grey "smear" on the whole screen. Try it out!

It’s ok. Although it says 4k on the box. That’s for switch 1 games. How is it Mario kart world is only 1440p and donkey Kong bananza is 1080p.

@Rikgrn Ah yes, the ol' "if you're against sexism, you must be a puritan" strawman argument. Never heard that one before. 🙂

I saw this video yesterday. I redid both calibrations and made my paper white approximately 300 nits as opposed to whatever it was when it was maxed out.

While the system UI looks a bit darker, the colors in Mario Kart World were so much richer and more vibrant. Contrast between lights and darks was also very good. Definitely recommend doing this, especially if you have an HGIG display.

@Asaki do you have a roku tv? Lately mine hides the option to disable hdr after an update, making everything look bad. There’s a code to enter on the remote to access a secret menu where I can actually turn if off though.

@TwinFami
Thanks!
This was the kind of instruction i was expecting from the video.
Maybe a bit on the dark side for my TV, so I did 7 steps in the second part.

How many more issues is the switch 2 going to have... bloating batteries, bad ghosting on its LCD screen, terrible battery life, joycon drift continues, dock mode disconnects, washed out hdr, game compatibility issue...

@Polvasti hey I maybe deaf but I couldn’t hear the Margot boobs jokes. Plus I am giving this man the benefit of the doubt. I find it’s only white Christian American males whom are still sexist. What do I know.

Also Asian culture has always been female empowerment. That’s why they have so much cos play, anime and chun Li dressed traditionally. But I’ve only been to Shanghai, Tokyo, and Taiwan so maybe that doesn’t represent everyone.

@Ellie-Moo
Well I have it plugged in HDMI 4 as it is hdmi 2:1.
I have my TV HDR setting to how I like firstly.

Have HDR set to automatic on switch 2 and TV.
ALLM and 120hz turned on switch 2.

Then just did the set up HDR on switch 2 like the instructions.
All seems fine and OK.

@Lynox5 I did something kinda similar with my Samsung QN90B. I have the shadow detail down to -3 and it makes things look less… hazy, I suppose. Like at the default 0 it kinda felt like there was a window between me and the TV slightly washing out the colors/contrast.

@OldGamer999 I didn't think there would be any benefit in doing that when the Switch 2 is only HDMI 2.0?

Luckily my Gaming Hinsense TV has Dynamic picture mode, so everything always looks lush.

Hopefully Nintendo fixes the HDR calibration via an update for everyone ❤️

@TrogdorTheBurninator it’s in the video, though you have to navigate through a bunch of ranting and ***** to get to it. Figured to just put it here and save people time.

@masterLEON @Polvasti this is also the same ***** whose original answer to not having an HGiG TV was to go out and buy one! It’s like yeah that’s nice that you got the money where you can just drop $2,000 on an LG OLED with that. A lot of here in the real world can’t and my $400 LG 4K TV works just as well with my PS5 Pro and Series X.

@TwinFami well maybe that’s the only real option. If you live in the real world please understand the word inflation. Nintendo just used it to sell you a 1440p Mario kart world and soon a 1080p donkey Kong at record prices because of inflation. Yet we defended that so I don’t know why buying a tv is the limit.

I don't have this hdr problem with ps4, ps5, xbox series s and x, why nintendo can't get hdr right.

I have an LG C2. I figured out where the HGIG settings are but I don’t have an Xbox for his next step (ridiculous step) and then everything he said after that made no sense to me, so I don’t understand what to do with he brightness bar on the second screen so I’ve adjusted it to what I think looks good.

Not sure I really notice the difference to be honest.

@Ellie-Moo
I’m not totally sure but with 120hz to run cyber punk at 40fps I think you need HDMI 2:1.
But I maybe wrong.
I just use 2:1 as it is the best port to use with higher gigabyte bandwidth and I have peace of mind.

@Lone_Beagle
Welcome to the new day, where the bar is raised thanks to increased graphical fidelity and far improved screen technology!

@CriticalHit I'm curious, which Hisense do you have? I've been looking at the U8, wasn't sure if I should pull the trigger.

@solarwolf07 If you had told me 20 years ago that I'd have to wait a minute after turning on the TV for it to boot up....sheesh....

Of course, nowadays most of the TV's computing power is being spent tracking your usage...double sheesh & a face-palm.

@Polvasti get a life. Who has time to reply to comments online.

@Rikgrn you… replying to comments online???

@Lone_Beagle I wish some company would make a nice, modern tv with no intelligence whatsoever…

It’s kinda crazy how much we really are being tracked by everything which is the huge downside of all this cool smart tech

Are you afraid of boobies too? Waah waah

Just saw this video yesterday, was an instant subscribe for both informative content and unexpected deadpan hilarious jokes.

@Lone_Beagle I went for the 55E7NQTUK PRO gaming model. You get so many features for your money.

I've had it 2-3 months and I am very pleased with it.

@sixrings if you live in the real world and can use such big words as “inflation”, then you can understand why it’s stupid for a a lot of us to buy a $2,000 and up TV. Let’s see….do I pay the mortgage? Do I pay my car note? Or do I drop it on a $2,000 TV that may only last me for maybe a few years before it needs to be replaced as TV’s are built now to be replaced rather than fixed? You tell me. You’re so in touch with the real world, right?

@ROBLOGNICK LG OLED C2 is 800 Nuts so it's 7 - 8 clicks
I have the same TV and also found reducing the black balance to 8 and increasing the white balance to 20 made Mario Kart World look way better. These features are in the Game Optimiser bit. White 20 does remove a little detail so might not be for everyone but I'd definitely have it quite a bit over 10. It looked so washed out before.

Also should be on Game Mode, HGiG, range limited (on Switch settings and TV) and probably Colour Warm 50. I did all this and it looks 👌🏻 now. No longer washed out and grainy.

Thanks for the advice, I was actually having this very same issue on my LG tv and this video helped a lot 👍

@Ralek85 It has other names on other sets :s

@Lone_Beagle remember the old, old days when you had to plug the console in and then spend half an hour trying to tune the TV to the console output? Then cross your fingers for 20 minutes that the game would actually load from the tape?

I keep trying to embrace HDR on all of my devices, but every time I turn it off, I always think, "WOW, that looks so much more colorful and vibrant!" I think I'm just gonna disable it and be down with it

@sevex It is a Roku TV!
I didn't think to check for a secret menu, thanks, I'll have to try that.
They recently added an option to change contrast on HDR, setting it to "darkest" helps a tiny bit, but it's still not great. Never had an option to turn it off, so hopefully the secret menu has one.

@TwinFami Man, I didn’t know the dude’s missable sense of humor was causing such a stir here, Lol. I see it as that uncle or other older relative humor at family gatherings that you groan at and move on. I do give him a point on the deadpan delivery, as it’s very similar to what I do, but I digress. His info is on point, at least, and he doesn’t seem to be a corporate shill as no brand seems safe from his criticisms. But yeah, nowadays I’m pretty sure you don’t need to spend $2k on a TV just to get HGiG. My 48” C1 has it, and I didn’t even know it when I first got it (my C1 was $800 on clearance as the C2’s were already out, and I got a wallet-saving 18mo no interest promo because I’m perpetually broke). I think HGiG might be available to primarily OLEDs, QLEDs, and MiniLEDs. In any case, HGiG shouldn’t be a selling point. It’s nice to have, yeah. But the differences are very subtle, at least to my eyes. And not every game that has it implements it well, and it’s all contingent if you set the TV and console settings properly. So basically, lots of opportunities to not get the full experience. I’m of the mindset that as long as the TV you want or got does what you need, that should be good enough. I feel no one has to chase specs or feel FOMO if they’re behind the curve. Heck, I bought a used 2006 Panasonic 42” plasma for $91 in 2017, on purpose, because I always wanted one and I also didn’t like any of the big screen LCDs at the time, and OLEDs were still far out of my price range. And now that I have an OLED, to be completely honest, while I love the deep, rich blacks, contrast, and vibrancy, I still prefer the reds and natural skin tones on my plasma. So I’m still holding onto it until it dies. It only has a little over 9,000 hours on it, of which I’m pretty sure only 1,000 or so were mine, Lol.

@Asaki Oh yeah mine used to have regular colour options alongside HDR options, but they've recently disabled the regular options, either cause they're stupid and don't know they sold tvs that don't have good HDR support, or cause they want people to think their tv has terrible picture quality so they buy a new one.

Either way this should be the code you want:

Press the Home button five times, then Rewind, Down, Fast Forward, Down, and Rewind.

You'll see an option to disable HDR. (It's the only way to get the normal colour options back.) Once you turn it off everything will look way better. Also get used to doing it again every now and then, cause the last few updates have re-enabled it for me.

@sevex Yeah, I saw that code, and another site that had the same code but "play" instead of "down", so I guess I'll see which one works.
Got my fingers crossed, there were some people on Reddit who said it worked on some TVs but not all. One person said they had to mess with some HDMI options to get it to take.

And they did mention that it gets reset every time there's an update. So that's fun -_-

@Lone_Beagle You mean the days when you struggled to thread the coaxial cable... Had to use an adapter of your TV didn't have one, then turn to channel 3 or 4, and water time blowing into a cartridge... all to play a 240i game on a CRT TV with mono sound? Lol yeah let's go back to that. If you don't care about HDR, you can literally just plug in and play. It's not that deep.

@joeyflannel That's when happens when you have TVs with fake or poor HDR support. If it looks worse despite calibration, just turn it off or get a TV with GOOD HDR support.

@NolandC Every piece of tech... Even the most expensive and high quality ones have defects. You list every reported defect out like they are widespread but they aren't and you can get it fixed or swapped out if you are unlucky.
The two in our household as well as most likely the vast majority of units are just fine.

@kiwisoup Upgrading the TV is on the to-do list this year for sure. I figured it had to be something with the TV, not the concept of HDR. Like, there's no logical reason it should look better without it turned on unless, like you said, it's just a crappy TV

@Suketoudara Thanks so much for taking the time to go through this it's been really helpful.

@kiwisoup It's 240p
And don't blow into your cartridges, it corrodes the pins.
I play on a CRT all the time, but usually via composite video with stereo sound. RF has a nostalgia to it, but it really can be a headache sometimes.

@sevex Ope. I went into the secret menu, and it looks like the HDR was turned off already??? I wonder if a recent update disabled it.
I loaded up a couple of the Shrek movies (lol) and they look so much better now. Hit the * and the HDR settings weren't there anymore, but they did have some new picture settings.
Go figure.

@Asaki Oooh maybe they fixed it!