Fix HDR and Fullscreen Not Working in Stellar Blade PC (2025 Fix Guide)

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Stellar Blade’s PC release has wowed players with gorgeous visuals, fast-paced combat, and fluid performance—especially with the latest DLSS 4 and ultrawide support. But for many, that excitement hits a snag when HDR doesn’t work properly or the game refuses to enter fullscreen mode.

Washed-out colors? Borderless window instead of fullscreen? HDR toggled on but nothing changes? You’re not alone. These are common PC launch issues, and luckily, the community has already shared several reliable solutions.

Below is a complete, step-by-step guide to fixing HDR and fullscreen mode issues in Stellar Blade on PC, verified across Steam, Reddit, and tech forums.

❗ Common HDR and Fullscreen Issues in Stellar Blade PC

Fix HDR and Fullscreen Not Working in Stellar Blade PC
Before diving into fixes, here are the most common problems reported by players:

  • HDR looks too dark or overly washed out

  • Game ignores fullscreen mode and defaults to borderless window

  • HDR doesn’t activate even when enabled in-game

  • Resolution scaling or refresh rate issues at launch

  • Alt-tabbing breaks fullscreen or disables HDR

These problems mostly affect users with HDR-capable monitors on Windows 10 or 11, particularly those with Nvidia RTX 30/40 series cards.

💬 “HDR won’t stay enabled unless I alt-tab out and back in again.” — Reddit user on r/StellarBlade
💬 “Fullscreen refuses to lock and it’s killing HDR.” — Steam discussion thread

🛠️ Prerequisites – Do This First

Before applying advanced fixes, check the following:

  1. ✅ Update GPU Drivers
    Download the latest from Nvidia or AMD.

  2. ✅ Enable HDR in Windows

    • Right-click desktop → Display Settings

    • Scroll to your main monitor → Toggle Use HDR to ON

  3. ✅ Restart Your PC
    Changes to system display or GPU settings often don’t take full effect until a restart.

🧩 Fix #1 – Force Fullscreen + HDR via Config File

Stellar Blade sometimes resets fullscreen settings every launch. Force it manually:

  1. Go to: %localappdata%\SB\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor

  2. Open GameUserSettings.ini in Notepad.

  3. Add or edit these lines:

    bUseHDRDisplayOutput=True
PreferredFullscreenMode=0
FullscreenMode=0

    • FullscreenMode=0 = true fullscreen

    • PreferredFullscreenMode=0 = avoids borderless fallback

  4. Save the file.

  5. Right-click → Properties → check Read-Only so the game doesn’t overwrite it.

🎉 Relaunch the game. You should now see HDR kick in and fullscreen behave correctly.

💻 Fix #2 – Alt+Enter + Windows Display Calibration

Sometimes fullscreen doesn’t register until you toggle modes manually.

  1. Launch the game.

  2. Press Alt + Enter twice to switch between modes.

  3. Go to:

    • Settings → Display → HDR ON

    • Ensure scaling is 100%

    • Make sure your HDR monitor is set as Primary

📢 Pro Tip: Multi-monitor setups often cause fullscreen or HDR conflicts. Temporarily disable secondary monitors if needed.

🎮 Fix #3 – Nvidia Control Panel Color Settings (for RTX GPUs)

For Nvidia GPU users, color space can conflict with HDR rendering:

  1. Open Nvidia Control Panel

  2. Go to Display > Change Resolution

  3. Set:

    • Output color format: RGB

    • Output dynamic range: Full

  4. Set refresh rate manually to 60Hz, 120Hz, or 144Hz.

  5. Apply → Restart game

This forces full HDR range instead of limited sRGB output.

🎯 Optional: Calibrate HDR for Better Contrast

For better-looking HDR visuals:

  • Use Windows HDR Calibration Tool (Download here)

  • Nvidia users can add subtle color correction via GeForce Experience > Filters

You can fine-tune black levels and avoid blown-out whites—especially useful for OLED or high-brightness displays.

🧯 Still Not Working? Final Troubleshooting Tips

If none of the above work:

  • ✅ Run Stellar Blade as Administrator

  • ✅ Disable Overlays (Steam, Discord, GeForce Experience)

  • ✅ Verify Game Files (Steam > Properties > Installed Files > Verify Integrity)

  • ✅ Switch to DX11 via launch command (if supported):
    -dx11 in launch options

  • ✅ Reinstall the game (last resort)

🧠 What the Community Recommends

Here are a few working solutions shared by players:

🧵 “Editing the GameUserSettings.ini and locking it as read-only fixed both my HDR and fullscreen issues on RTX 4080.” — Steam user
🧵 “Alt+Enter works every time for me. Still annoying, but consistent.” — r/StellarBlade comment
🧵 “HDR only looks right after running the Windows HDR Calibration tool. Night and day difference.” — Reddit user

✅ Conclusion: Experience Stellar Blade’s Full Visual Glory

Once HDR and fullscreen are working properly, Stellar Blade looks absolutely stunning on PC. From vibrant cityscapes to neon-lit boss fights, the contrast and color depth really shine.

If this guide helped you fix HDR or display issues, drop a comment below—or share what worked for you so we can update this post with more community fixes.

Looking to improve performance too? Check out our next guide on Best PC Settings for Stellar Blade and how to unlock ultrawide mode with DLSS 4.

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