YouTube on Xbox Series X just got better — here's how

YouTube on Xbox Series X just got better — here's how

While video resolution is important, it's not the only key component of truly great video; HDR is just as important, and the Xbox Series X just received an HDR upgrade that will surely make PS5 users jealous.

YouTube just enabled HDR on all compatible Xbox consoles, which includes the new Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, as well as the older Xbox One X and One S

. This is odd, given that strong HDR support is one of the main reasons for choosing a next-generation console.

The Xbox One X and One S also never supported HDR, even though both consoles have supported HDR since their launch. Similarly, YouTube has supported HDR since 2016, so this update corrects a longstanding error. Coincidentally, this update gives the next generation Series S and Series X a bit of a boost over Sony.

If you want to see if your console is actually displaying content in HDR, Engadget notes that you can do so by enabling the "Stats for Geeks" panel. Go to the three dots button on the left side of the screen and scroll to the very end to activate this panel.

From there, you will see that it is streaming in the PQ Rec. 2020 HDR format with the VP9-2 codec. This won't mean much to many people. There is a reason they call it a statistic for geeks, but it does confirm that the app is playing in HDR.

There isn't much HDR content on YouTube at this time, despite support on many popular devices; let's hope the PS5 gets an update soon so we can enjoy HDR no matter which console we buy.

Also, don't forget that retailers are getting a steady stream of next-generation consoles.

Categories