Diablo IV isn’t exactly a game with a large modding community. Blizzard has been pretty strict on modding in the popular ARPG title, with the community manager issuing a warning last year about ‘unauthorized game modifying‘ and how it is prohibited, TurboHUD4 being given as an example.
However, we can look at external tools such as Reshade, a post-processing injector for games or video software that can apply effects such as ambient occlusion, depth of field, color correction, and more. This software acts as the basis of the ‘Simple HDR Gamma Fix’ mod, which was recently uploaded online. It reportedly works with Diablo IV without issue and other Reshade mods have been utilized to improve visuals.
Simple HDR Gamma Fix mod
As the name would suggest, this is a pretty quick and simple method for improving HDR visuals in Diablo IV. It is currently available to download on Nexus Mods. The mod, which is designed to fix “gamma mismatch that Blizzard introduced” should help improve black levels which could otherwise look washed out when playing in HDR.
According to the mod’s creator, Blizzard made a “fairly common mistake” which led to the HDR implementation being mismatched from the correct calibration originally made for SDR, in particular the gamma curve. So, this mod is essentially a Reshade preset that fixes the default HDR settings and better realizes the artist’s intent.
How to install
- Download Reshade without addon support
- Download the HDR Gamma Fix preset and extra to the Diablo IV install directory
- Run Reshade and direct it to Diablo IV.exe
- Set to DirectX 12 (DX12)
- Point the installer to the preset file
- Use the default brightness settings in-game; adjust White Point to your monitor’s peak brightness
We recommend it if you’re using an HDR (especially OLED) monitor
Anyone with an OLED monitor will probably understand that it provides some of the best visuals for gaming at the moment. These premium displays are notable for their excellent color accuracy and HDR support with perfect blacks. It also helps that they’re the most responsive panel types, often boasting around 0.03ms GtG response time, and when paired with a high refresh rate, you’ve got the ingredients for the ideal gaming experience.
With this fix in place, you can ensure you’re getting the best possible HDR support to make the most of your HDR monitor (whether it’s OLED or not).