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wtf is hdrpilot?

m0dds/hdrpilot — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

0C#Audience · generalComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

TL;DR

A Windows tray app that automatically turns HDR on when whitelisted games launch and restores the previous state when they close.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((HDR Pilot))
    What it does
      Auto enables HDR per game
      Restores previous state
      Runs in system tray
    Tech stack
      C sharp
      dotnet 8
      Windows DisplayConfig API
    Use cases
      Toggle HDR per whitelisted game
      Avoid washed out SDR content
      Manage per app Auto HDR
    Audience
      PC gamers
      Windows 11 users
      HDR display owners

Code map

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Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Automatically enable HDR only while a specific game is running.

REASON 2

Restore the previous HDR state after a whitelisted game closes.

REASON 3

Turn on per game Windows Auto HDR without enabling it system wide.

REASON 4

Choose which monitor gets HDR switched in a multi monitor setup.

What's in the stack?

C#.NET 8WMIWindows API

How it stacks up

m0dds/hdrpilotanulman/docx-saxatrblizzard/vtmb-sbox-mounter
Stars000
LanguageC#C#C#
Setup difficultyeasymoderatemoderate
Complexity2/54/53/5
Audiencegeneraldeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Requires Windows 11 with an HDR capable display and GPU, download the single exe and add games to the whitelist.

The README says the app is free for personal use and modification, but does not grant broader commercial redistribution rights.

Wtf does this do

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.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Download HDR Pilot and set it up to automatically enable HDR when I launch a specific game.
Prompt 2
Explain how HDR Pilot's reference counting prevents HDR flicker when a launcher restarts into a game.
Prompt 3
Show me how to build HDR Pilot from source using the .NET 8 SDK.
Prompt 4
Help me configure HDR Pilot to target only my secondary monitor for a specific whitelisted game.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is hdrpilot?

A Windows tray app that automatically turns HDR on when whitelisted games launch and restores the previous state when they close.

What language is hdrpilot written in?

Mainly C#. The stack also includes C#, .NET 8, WMI.

What license does hdrpilot use?

The README says the app is free for personal use and modification, but does not grant broader commercial redistribution rights.

How hard is hdrpilot to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is hdrpilot for?

Mainly general.

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