Who calibrates their monitor for gaming

[Metro]

Hello

 

I am interested in how many people calibrate their monitor just for gaming, did it make a difference to the game

 

Thanks

[Nexxus]

I had to for my 2411z

now I dunno if you can see this.

 

but i was playing anti chamber and there is one black hallway and a puzzle depends on you not seeing another hallway  within this one hallway

 

 

You can see it here.

 

But when I got this monitor the 90degree angle outline was clear as day and ruined the puzzle for me so I had to adjust it right away. 

[ALwin]

11 minutes ago, Metro said:

Hello

 

I am interested in how many people calibrate their monitor just for gaming, did it make a difference to the game

 

Thanks

Calibrate using what?

 

If you're talking about using the buttons on the monitor to adjust the brightness, contrast, etc. settings then the answer is Yes.

 

But if you're talking about using a color calibration tool... with Windows it can often be a pointless exercise.  While you can color calibrate the monitor and set a custom ICC profile as the default, there's a pretty good chance that the game will come with its own color profile and that will overwrite your custom setting.

[Metro]

Just now, ALwin said:

Calibrate using what?

 

If you're talking about using the buttons on the monitor to adjust the brightness, contrast, etc. settings then the answer is Yes.

 

But if you're talking about using a color calibration tool... with Windows it can often be a pointless exercise.  While you can color calibrate the monitor and set a custom ICC profile as the default, there's a pretty good chance that the game will come with its own color profile and that will overwrite your custom setting.

 

Sorry, using a colourimeter like Spyder

[ALwin]

Just now, Metro said:

Sorry, using a colourimeter like Spyder

As I said, it can be pretty much a waste of time to do so.  Using a tool like the Spyder is nice if you're working with color.  But the custom color profile you created and set as the default in Windows Color Management window can be overwritten for various reasons (reasons that Microsoft needs to fix) and they often get reverted back to the original default profile that comes with Windows.

 

Things that revert the custom profile back to the original default one includes:

• computer waking up from sleep mode
• using media players
• playing games

[Metro]

Just now, ALwin said:

As I said, it can be pretty much a waste of time to do so.  Using a tool like the Spyder is nice if you're working with color.  But the custom color profile you created and set as the default in Windows Color Management window can be overwritten for various reasons (reasons that Microsoft needs to fix) and they often get reverted back to the original default profile that comes with Windows.

 

Things that revert the custom profile back to the original default one includes:

• computer waking up from sleep mode
• using media players
• playing games

 

Does the Spyder create an ICC profile then

[ALwin]

Just now, Metro said:

Does the Spyder create an ICC profile then

Color calibrations tools like the Spyder create ICC profiles after running tests that measure the monitor.

[Metro]

8 minutes ago, ALwin said:

Color calibrations tools like the Spyder create ICC profiles after running tests that measure the monitor.

 

I did not know that, so I guess it will be useless for gaming, as like you say, the game will keep resetting the profile back to default, also games use their own colour profiles

[ALwin]

Just now, Metro said:

I did not know that, so I guess it will be useless for gaming, as like you say, the game will keep resetting the profile back to default, also games use their own colour profiles

Some games do, some games don't but I don't know which ones and it's not like the game designers post this info.

 

But I can tell you that for games, adjusting the settings on the monitor and whatever settings you can change in the game is more than enough.

 

But yes, color calibration tools are not worth it for gaming.  if you were a photographer, designer, or anyone who works with color and requires accurate color representation then it's a good investment.

[Metro]

4 minutes ago, ALwin said:

Some games do, some games don't but I don't know which ones and it's not like the game designers post this info.

 

But I can tell you that for games, adjusting the settings on the monitor and whatever settings you can change in the game is more than enough.

 

But yes, color calibration tools are not worth it for gaming.  if you were a photographer, designer, or anyone who works with color and requires accurate color representation then it's a good investment.

 

Let's say a monitor did not have gamma within the OSD, how would you adjust it (without using an ICC profile)

[ALwin]

3 minutes ago, Metro said:

Let's say a monitor did not have gamma within the OSD, how would you adjust it (without using an ICC profile)

Windows has a built in color calibration tool that does not rely on external hardware.  Try using that.

 

Additionally, some games have a gamma adjustment tool in the game display settings. Also your GPU's control panel should allow you to adjust some settings.

 

These are ones that do not rely on an ICC profile.

[Metro]

6 minutes ago, ALwin said:

Windows has a built in color calibration tool that does not rely on external hardware.  Try using that.

 

Additionally, some games have a gamma adjustment tool in the game display settings. Also your GPU's control panel should allow you to adjust some settings.

 

These are ones that do not rely on an ICC profile.

I thought doing it in Windows and NVIDIA control panel will just cause the same issues as an ICC profile, where games will ignore or create their own colour profiles

[ALwin]

Just now, Metro said:

I thought doing it in Windows and NVIDIA control panel will just cause the same issues as a ICC profile, where games will ignore or create their own colour profiles

I don't think those will, because they don't rely on an ICC profile. Anyway test them out to see if they work, don't take my word for it.

[beavo451]

48 minutes ago, ALwin said:

As I said, it can be pretty much a waste of time to do so.  Using a tool like the Spyder is nice if you're working with color.  But the custom color profile you created and set as the default in Windows Color Management window can be overwritten for various reasons (reasons that Microsoft needs to fix) and they often get reverted back to the original default profile that comes with Windows.

 

Things that revert the custom profile back to the original default one includes:

• computer waking up from sleep mode
• using media players
• playing games

I calibrate my monitors for photography. I have never had my calibration messed up after playing a game. Or playing a video. Or after waking up from sleep.

[ALwin]

Just now, beavo451 said:

I calibrate my monitors for photography. I have never had my calibration messed up after playing a game. Or playing a video. Or after waking up from sleep.

Then you might be one of the few lucky people who own a good monitor that is by default close to the calibrated ICC profile.  But the resetting of the color profile does happen in Windows.  It's not that Windows changes what ICC profile you set as the default, if you go into Color Management it still shows that the custom profile is set to load, but Windows seems to ignore it after certain conditions are met.

[beavo451]

36 minutes ago, ALwin said:

Then you might be one of the few lucky people who own a good monitor that is by default close to the calibrated ICC profile.  But the resetting of the color profile does happen in Windows.  It's not that Windows changes what ICC profile you set as the default, if you go into Color Management it still shows that the custom profile is set to load, but Windows seems to ignore it after certain conditions are met.

I have had a mix of monitors that are very similar before and after calibration as well as monitors that are significantly different. Again, I have never had this issue.

[ALwin]

4 minutes ago, beavo451 said:

I have had a mix of monitors that are very similar before and after calibration as well as monitors that are significantly different. Again, I have never had this issue.

Then you're lucky.  A lot of people, including myself, have had issues where the calibrated profile we've loaded doesn't stick with Windows.  And I have a hardware calibration device.

[ALwin]

@beavo451 Not to argue with you, just so you know I just did a test again on my Windows 10 workstation after making sure Windows and my GPU drivers were updated.

 

I made a new calibrated profile that was leaning towards a cooler color temp, compared to the default sRGB profile which was a bit warmer. Loaded the custom profile and set it as the default.  Then I loaded The Witcher game, exited the game and my monitor went back to the color tone of the sRGB profile.  I had to manually go back into Color Management and set my calibrated profile as the default again just to get it to work.

[Metro]

56 minutes ago, ALwin said:

@beavo451 Not to argue with you, just so you know I just did a test again on my Windows 10 workstation after making sure Windows and my GPU drivers were updated.

 

I made a new calibrated profile that was leaning towards a cooler color temp, compared to the default sRGB profile which was a bit warmer. Loaded the custom profile and set it as the default.  Then I loaded The Witcher game, exited the game and my monitor went back to the color tone of the sRGB profile.  I had to manually go back into Color Management and set my calibrated profile as the default again just to get it to work.

 

Does the new profile go back to the sRGB profile in game or only when you exit the game

[ALwin]

Just now, Metro said:

 

Does the new profile go back to the sRGB profile in game or only when you exit the game

The game uses it's own color, so when I exit Windows defaults back to the sRGB profile.