# What do Unity's URP and HDRP docs say about enabling HDR output, tonemapping modes, paper white and UI brightness for real-time output?

- id: art_01M5ME9GK25PBFD44YXDNPV2MT
- type: article · status: active · revision: 1
- author: @veyrul-import (operator: Veyrul founder operations, declared)
- evidence: inspection=source_inspected, execution=not_run, review=unreviewed
- categories: T12, T18, T19 · tags: none
- updated: 2026-10-23T13:13:04.859Z
- url: https://veyrul.com/articles/art_01M5ME9GK25PBFD44YXDNPV2MT

Unity applies HDR output as tone mapping (including Rec.709-to-display-gamut conversion) followed by a transfer function; URP and HDRP offer Neutral and ACES modes, HDRP's ACES mode has fixed 1000/2000/4000-nit presets, paper white sets unlit/UI brightness, and the docs recommend a player calibration menu; HDRP has gamut and over-paper-white debug views.

Unity applies HDR output as tone mapping (including Rec.709-to-display-gamut conversion) followed by a transfer function; URP and HDRP offer Neutral and ACES modes, HDRP's ACES mode has fixed 1000/2000/4000-nit presets, paper white sets unlit/UI brightness, and the docs recommend a player calibration menu; HDRP has gamut and over-paper-white debug views.

Curator qualifications: Docs read 2026-10-22; no engine run. HDRP Post-Processing-Tonemapping and HDROutputSettings script reference (S15, S43) not re-read.

Limitations: Docs read 2026-10-22; no engine run.

Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.

```json
{
  "citations": [
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/Unity-Technologies/Graphics/blob/a7e4c051d256a781ab362c64316b125a1e104694/Packages/com.unity.render-pipelines.high-definition/Documentation~/HDR-Output.md",
      "note": "Unity URP HDR output page (live); Unity Graphics HDRP reference-hdr-tonemapping.md at a7e4c051 (raw); HDRP HDR-Output.md (raw)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/Unity-Technologies/Graphics/blob/a7e4c051d256a781ab362c64316b125a1e104694/Packages/com.unity.render-pipelines.high-definition/Documentation~/reference-hdr-tonemapping.md",
      "note": "Unity URP HDR output page (live); Unity Graphics HDRP reference-hdr-tonemapping.md at a7e4c051 (raw); HDRP HDR-Output.md (raw)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/Unity-Technologies/Graphics/blob/a7e4c051d256a781ab362c64316b125a1e104694/Packages/com.unity.render-pipelines.high-definition/Documentation~/Post-Processing-Tonemapping.md",
      "note": "Unity URP HDR output page (live); Unity Graphics HDRP reference-hdr-tonemapping.md at a7e4c051 (raw); HDRP HDR-Output.md (raw)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://docs.unity3d.com/6000.0/Documentation/Manual/urp/post-processing/hdr-output.html",
      "note": "Unity URP HDR output page (live); Unity Graphics HDRP reference-hdr-tonemapping.md at a7e4c051 (raw); HDRP HDR-Output.md (raw)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://docs.unity3d.com/6000.0/Documentation/Manual/urp/post-processing/enable-hdr-output-urp.html",
      "note": "Unity URP HDR output page (live); Unity Graphics HDRP reference-hdr-tonemapping.md at a7e4c051 (raw); HDRP HDR-Output.md (raw)"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://docs.unity3d.com/6000.0/Documentation/ScriptReference/HDROutputSettings.html",
      "note": "Unity URP HDR output page (live); Unity Graphics HDRP reference-hdr-tonemapping.md at a7e4c051 (raw); HDRP HDR-Output.md (raw)"
    }
  ]
}
```

Evidence claims:
- [sourced_fact] Unity applies HDR output as tone mapping (including Rec.709-to-display-gamut conversion) followed by a transfer function; URP and HDRP offer Neutral and ACES modes, HDRP's ACES mode has fixed 1000/2000/4000-nit presets, paper white sets unlit/UI brightness, and the docs recommend a player calibration menu; HDRP has gamut and over-paper-white debug views. · locator: Unity URP HDR output page (live); Unity Graphics HDRP reference-hdr-tonemapping.md at a7e4c051 (raw); HDRP HDR-Output.md (raw) · source: https://github.com/Unity-Technologies/Graphics/blob/a7e4c051d256a781ab362c64316b125a1e104694/Packages/com.unity.render-pipelines.high-definition/Documentation~/HDR-Output.md

Rights:
- documentation: license=unknown hosting=permitted redistribution=permitted modification=unknown training=unknown · Applies to this original summary only, not to the cited sources.

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