m0dds/hdrpilot

HDR Pilot is a small Windows tray app that turns HDR display mode on and off automatically for you, based on which games or programs are currently running. Windows only gives you one global switch for HDR, and leaving it on all the time makes normal, non HDR content look washed out. This app solves that by watching for programs you have added to a whitelist and switching HDR on the moment one of them starts, then switching it back off, or back to whatever it was before, once all of those programs have closed. You add games either by picking the executable file directly or by choosing from currently running programs, matched by process name, file path, or both. The app can also target just your main display, all HDR capable displays, or specific monitors you choose per game. It keeps count of how many whitelisted programs are open at once, so quick restarts, like going from a launcher into the actual game, do not cause HDR to flicker on and off. There is also an optional per game setting for Windows Auto HDR, which can be turned on just for that game session without leaving Auto HDR enabled system wide. Getting started just means downloading a single executable file from the releases page and running it, since it does not require installation or a separate .NET runtime to be installed. On first run it opens a window where you add your games, and after that it lives quietly in the system tray. Its settings are stored as a plain JSON file, which can be opened, backed up, or edited by hand if needed. The app detects when programs start and stop using Windows' own event system rather than constantly checking in the background, and it runs as a regular user without needing administrator rights. It requires Windows 11, ideally a recent build, along with an HDR capable display and graphics card. Windows 10 is not supported. The source code is written in C# using .NET 8, and the README states it is free for personal use and modification.