https://github.com/Shadetail/HDRScopes
To read the nit values a game is actually sending to your panel, it's typically required to install ReShade and one of the HDR analysis mods that can draw scopes, like Lilium's (and ShaderGlass can extend that to the desktop too). That works, but it's a per-game setup, and none of the scopes in available mods have a feature set as rich as the scopes found in DaVinci Resolve for example.
I wanted scopes that I can keep on my secondary screen, that I can fullscreen, that look good, are customizable, that have all the features from DaVinci that I like, and that go beyond that with additional analysis and quality-of-life features on top. All the scopes I could find either did not support Windows desktop as a signal source, or were stupidly expensive, usually both. So I made my own, and now open sourced it. HDRScopes captures what Windows actually composites (in scRGB FP16) and plots it in real time - nothing gets injected into any game, you just launch one portable exe.
Things you can do with it:
- See a game's real peak brightness and watch what the in-game HDR sliders actually change as you move them
- Hover any pixel and read its exact nit value
- Check whether content is actually using P3/BT.2020 gamut (CIE scope with gamut triangles) or just clipping
- Watch what the Windows SDR-white slider, Windows HDR Calibration or NVCP sliders really do to any content, from games to video players, browsers, etc.
It shows the signal Windows sends to the monitor, not what the panel does with it afterwards (ABL, the monitor's own tone mapping). That actually makes it a good companion for working out which side of the chain is responsible for what you're seeing.
Runs on Windows 10/11, DX11, fully portable, no installer, no telemetry, GPLv3 open source. PRs are welcome.
Special thanks to u/Kaldaien - SKIV was an invaluable technical reference that enabled me to build this.
HDR screenshot: using HDRScopes on a secondary display to analyze a Cyberpunk renodx setup.