Every time I use the brightness slider in any game

Jan 12, 2025
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Every time a game gives me a slider and says 'slide it until the left side is barely visible', I'll do that and slide it until it's actually barely visible.

And then, inevitably everytime this is the result: https://ibb.co/4fvxkY6

Can you see anything? Because I sure can't.

I'm someone who cares about and wants atmosphere in games, and darkness is an important part of that. (here's an example of why dark lighting can be cool!
View: https://youtu.be/rSu0QkDIjMI?t=304
)

Except not seeing anything can't be a part of it. Even in alien isolation, darkness means it's dark. Not 'your screen is turned off'

my monitor has HDR10. VA screen. 300 CD/m^2. 5000:1 darkness contrast.

I don't even think HDR is on, But sometimes I'll turn it off and on just to test if it makes any difference.

Despite this, Yeah Long story short most games are completely pitch black. I honestly don't understand what's going on. I'm wondering if this is normal or if it's got something to do with my screen or not having calibrated my screen colors properly.
 
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Jan 12, 2025
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Well I didn't mention the specs cause nowadays it's not an issue and I thought readers can assume no problem but it's a 4070 ti and ryzen 7800x
 
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Colif

On a Journey
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how bright is the room you play in? I have been known to set those things during the night and then have to adjust again next morning as I can't see anything

have you calibrated the monitor to make sure its providing accurate images?
 
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Shot in the dark, but would you happen to be on Windows 10? I ask because 10 is notoriously bad with HDR (although 11 isn't all that much better, either). There were times when I would disable HDR in the Win 10 display settings itself, but the game would still think HDR was active and enable the brightness sliders that were intended for HDR, and I would get similar results.

Edit: I don't think I've had this happen yet in Win 11, but I also haven't turned off HDR, either, since finally upgrading from 10 about 6 mos ago.
 
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Jan 12, 2025
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how bright is the room you play in? I have been known to set those things during the night and then have to adjust again next morning as I can't see anything

have you calibrated the monitor to make sure its providing accurate images?
I did and in fact have gone to quite an extent to do this but I do want to mention That the question is also partially if other people have had this challenge when it comes to their brightness sliders. I still don't know.

I have to say - this is the #1 standard for monitor calibration. http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

I'm not on WX though, in response to mr. above. I'm on W11
 
Jan 12, 2025
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I used to have this problem too, but nowadays I adjust the slide with the assumption that I'm running around and fighting stuff, not just staring at something with nothing else going on.
I wasn't sure what you meant. Can you elaborate?
I'm wondering what happens if you actually follow the brightness sliders instructions and slide it until you can barely see the dim side of an image. Are you also blind in the dark?

I feel like what would actually help is if people would tell me what happens when they turn the brightness slider to fifty per cent which is unchanged or if they actually turn the brightness slider until they can barely see the left side of an image
 
I wasn't sure what you meant. Can you elaborate?
I'm wondering what happens if you actually follow the brightness sliders instructions and slide it until you can barely see the dim side of an image. Are you also blind in the dark?

I feel like what would actually help is if people would tell me what happens when they turn the brightness slider to fifty per cent which is unchanged or if they actually turn the brightness slider until they can barely see the left side of an image

So I assume that the left side of the screen represents stuff in the game that you're supposed to be able to see but not clearly while playing. However, I think the problem is when the game tells you to adjust the slider until you can "barely" see the left side some people put it until they literally almost cannot see the left side any more. I think that "barely" is meant to be much more forgiving and you're supposed to still be able to see the left side even if it was a symbol on the wall you need to spot during gameplay while running and shooting.

So more like "it's blends into the shadows a bit" and not "you have to be staring directly at it and squint at your screen to see a vague outline".