Doom: The Dark Ages - HDR Optimized Settings

The game is NOT using/applying Xbox, Playstation or PC HDR Calibration app settings.

On paper the game has a good HDR implementation as it offers many different in-game HDR controls (in nits value) as Peak HDR Luminance (up to 10.000 nits), Paper White, Saturation and more...but in reality the HDR presentation is pretty washed out with very raised black levels and muted contrast...

Luckily the game offers so many other options that you can much improve it with a workaround.

UPDATE - 2025/06/05

Today first major "Update 1" added a new in-game HDR Contrast slider aimed to fix the default black level raise without messing with Display Accessibility options (and ruining UI/HUDs elements while doing so)

So, if you previously enabled Display Accessibility options as a workaround, disable them before updating the following settings.

UPDATE - 2025/06/13

With today "Update 1 - Hotfix" patch HDR rendition changed again.

Now for some reason the HDR Peak Luminance slider is not accurate anymore and you need to increase it by around +33% compared your actual peak luminance in order to match it :/

I've updated the settings for you below.

If you have an LG OLED and:

> you're using Dynamic Tone Mapping or Dynamic Contrast:

• Set HDR Max Nits slider to: 5.300 (nits)

• Set HDR Paper White Nits slider to: 200 (nits)

> you're using HGIG:

• Set HDR Max Nits slider to: 1.100 (nits) or 1.300 (for G2/C4) or 2.000 (for G3/G4/C5) or 3.100 (for G5)

• Set HDR Paper White Nits slider to: 200 (nits) or 275 (for G3/G4/C5/G5)

If you don't have an LG OLED and:

> you don't have an HGIG option:

• Set HDR Max Nits slider to: 1.300 (nits)

• Set HDR Paper White Nits slider to: 200 (nits)

> you're using HGIG:

• Set Maximum Luminance slider to the corresponding real Peak HDR Luminance of your TV in "nits"

• Set HDR Paper White Nits slider to: 200 (nits)

In all cases leave HDR Mid Point, HDR Brightness and HDR Saturation sliders to their defaults as they already represent a balanced PQ.

Then set the new HDR Contrast slider to 85 to fix the default black level raise without introducing noticeable black crush.

BONUS:

• Disable Film Grain and Chromatic Aberration: to improve picture clarity on all platforms

• Set in-game Sharpness to 2.00: as I've found the default value 1.50 a bit too blurry

• On PC only: if you use Frame Generation, I recommend lowering Motion Blur from High to Medium

Enjoy! :)

-P