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Microsoft documented a Windows 11 version 24H2 bug that made some games look oversaturated when Auto HDR was enabled. Microsoft listed a fix in the January 28, 2025 preview update KB5050094 (OS build 26100.3037). If a game still looks wrong, check Windows Update for applicable updates and test that title with Auto HDR turned off. A crash or freeze is a separate symptom and does not, by itself, point to this color bug.

What the 24H2 Auto HDR bug did

Auto HDR expands the color range and brightness of supported standard dynamic range (SDR) games when played on an HDR-capable display. Microsoft said that, with Auto HDR in Windows 11 24H2, the display of some games appeared oversaturated. The release note does not say how many players were affected or establish that every report of inaccurate game color had this cause.

Microsoft’s documented correction appeared in KB5050094, dated January 28, 2025, for Windows 11 24H2 editions. It was a preview update, not a reason to seek out and manually install that old package now. Check Windows Update for applicable updates instead. Microsoft’s KB5050094 notes record the historical fix.

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How to test whether Auto HDR is involved

First check whether Auto HDR is enabled and whether the problem is oversaturation while playing a game. Then disable the feature for that game. If the appearance changes, that points to the Auto HDR path as a factor; it does not prove that the original 24H2 bug remains on the PC.

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  1. Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics.
  2. Select the affected game, then choose Options. If the game is not listed, add it to the graphics app list first.
  3. Select Don’t use Auto HDR, then choose Save.
  4. Close and restart the game so the setting takes effect.

Microsoft documents this per-app control in its guide to optimizations for windowed games in Windows 11. This test changes Auto HDR for the selected game rather than turning off HDR everywhere.

Check updates and calibrate only when appropriate

Install applicable Windows updates

Use Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates and install updates offered for the device. KB5050094 is useful context for the dated 24H2 correction, but it was a January 2025 preview release; the practical advice is to keep Windows current through Windows Update.

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Use HDR Calibration for a separate display-calibration problem

Windows HDR Calibration is Microsoft’s free app for adjusting a supported HDR display. It requires an HDR-capable display with HDR enabled. Calibration may help when HDR looks wrong more generally, but it is not the documented fix for the Auto HDR bug. Avoid pushing saturation until colors look unnatural, since aggressive adjustments can themselves make HDR content appear oversaturated. See Microsoft’s HDR Calibration instructions.

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If the game crashes, freezes, or becomes unresponsive

Oversaturated color and game instability should not be treated as the same problem. Microsoft’s 24H2 release-health page describes a separate 2026 issue in which some games became unresponsive in particular conditions involving RGB peripheral drivers or internal components with RGB lighting features. It mentions ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and THE FINALS, and says the cause was related to those components rather than Windows updates. That report is not identified as an Auto HDR issue. Check Microsoft’s current Windows 11 24H2 known-issues page for its scope and status.

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For a crash or freeze, note the affected game, Windows version and build, graphics and peripheral drivers, and any RGB-device software. Compare those details with Microsoft’s separate report before attributing the failure to Auto HDR. If Windows 11 24H2 Home or Pro is in use, Microsoft lists October 13, 2026 as the end of updates for those editions; check its release-health page for current lifecycle information.

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