Firefox is working to bring HDR Support to Windows

Mozilla is working on adding HDR support to Firefox on Windows, improving video and image quality. This development includes HDR video playback and HDR image display, allowing users to make the most of their HDR-capable displays.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) is a feature that improves the quality of images and videos by providing a wider range of colors and brightness. While Firefox has successfully brought HDR support to macOS, Windows users are eagerly awaiting the same feature.

HDR Support Coming to Firefox for Windows

Till now, many users have reported issues with HDR content in Firefox on Windows, including dark HDR images, where HDR images appear extremely dark because Firefox currently tone maps HDR images to SDR (Standard Dynamic Range). Additionally, users have noticed video dimming, where videos get dimmer when switching to theater mode or full screen, and this issue appears randomly, sometimes being fixed by restarting Firefox.

Another problem is color washout, where embedded videos sometimes have washed-out colors, and this problem is not consistent across all videos or tabs.

Firefox developers are aware of these issues and are working on fixing them. For example, setting the gfx.webrender.overlay-vp-auto-hdr to false in the about:config settings can temporarily fix the dimming issue but disables auto HDR.

Mozilla has partnered with NVIDIA to roll out AI-powered RTX Video HDR support in Firefox 126.

Windows users have been vocal about their desire for HDR support in Firefox. The increased demand is driven by more monitors and devices running on Windows supporting HDR. Users are frustrated that other browsers like Chrome and Edge already support HDR on Windows, making Firefox lag. As HDR becomes the standard for digital content, users expect Firefox to support it to enjoy better-quality videos and images.

Mozilla acknowledges that adding HDR support to Firefox on Windows is technically challenging. Some of the hurdles include the need for more secure content decryption to support higher-quality video content like HDR and 4K, which is still in progress. Additionally, improving video codec support in collaboration with partners is another ongoing effort.

Apart from adding HDR support to Windows, Mozilla is discontinuing Do Not Track in Firefox and is adding a Proofreading prompt to AI chatbots. Additionally, the company is testing a manual tab unloading feature in Firefox Nightly.