While we already knew that the Xbox Series X would support standard HDR10 and the more advanced Dolby Vision HDR formats, we now appear to have confirmation that it will also support the rival HDR10+ format.
Polygon's Chris Plante has put together a useful Xbox Series X FAQ piece and, nestled about halfway down, is this little tidbit: "In an email, a Microsoft representative confirmed Xbox Series X supports HDR10+".
Now, that still leaves a lot unanswered – is HDR10+ going to be baked into games or will it just be for streaming services? What about 4K Blu-rays? – but it's undeniably good news for those console-buyers who've got Samsung TVs, which support HDR10+ and not Dolby Vision.
Why is HDR10+ worth having?
For those who don't already know the ins and outs of the various HDR formats, we've got an HDR explainer right here, but the short version is that standard HDR10 uses what's called 'static metadata' to dictate the parameters of the HDR signal for the duration of a film or game, while Dolby Vision and HDR10+ use 'dynamic metadata', which allows the parameters of the HDR signal to be adjusted on the fly.
The upside is that, when applied correctly, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ can produce more dynamic images with greater subtlety and detail. It can be particularly effective for mid-range TVs, as the picture can be tailored somewhat to the specific limitations of the display.
Some manufacturers, such as Philips and Panasonic, now support both Dolby Vision and HDR10+, but Samsung offers only HDR10+ (the format it created), so the fact that it's going to be present on the Xbox Series X – in at least some capacity – is good news indeed, particularly as Samsung already produces some of the best gaming TVs in the business.
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