Bright XDR

BrightXDR is a proof-of-concept implementation that demonstrates how to upscale display content to XDR/HDR extra brightness on macOS. This is a demo showing one of possible implementations. The display is brighter compared to Vivid.

The main idea behind this project is to provide an open source and free-to-use alternative to existing apps that offer similar functionality for a price of up to €20. I believe that everyone should have access to powerful tools that enhance their display experience, regardless of their budget.

[!WARNING] This project is no longer maintained. If you're looking for an actively maintained alternative, please use BrightIntosh instead.

About

The app uses MetalKit to overlay the CIImage with a transparent color in EDR color space over the display windows while applying color blending filter.

Preview

Screen captured on maximum system brightness with Apple XDR (P3-1600 nits) display preset.

| Window | Split View | | ------------ | ------------ | |<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/21260939/228393300-34f48989-ba81-45a0-9364-3b66252f6a36.jpg" alt="Screenshot" width="400">|<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/21260939/229236909-6b904565-9dc3-48b5-ab00-96c7667c9301.jpg" alt="Screenshot2" width="590">|

Requirements

Supported devices: Apple MacBook Pro with 14 or 16 inches and Apple Pro Display XDR.

Limitations

• Mission Control & Spaces
  • HDR brightness disabled during switching between Spaces.
  • White screen can appear on desktop or Spaces previews (thumbnails).

Literature

If you're interested in learning more about the technologies used in this app, check out these articles and videos:

• Generating an Animation with a Core Image Render Destination
• WWDC 2022 Session 10114: Display EDR content with Core Image, Metal, and SwiftUI
• WWDC 2022 Session 10113: Explore EDR on iOS
• Funky Overlay Window: Floating NSWindow using Obj-C

Alternatives

If you're looking for alternative applications that provide similar functionality, you might want to check out:

• BrightIntosh ⭐️
• Vivid
• Lunar
• BetterDisplay
• TotalXDR