Although many users consider Windows 11 just a reskinned Windows 10 with too many compromises, the operating system that is now pushing four has some exclusive features, some of which appeal to the gaming audience. Sadly, one of those features is now causing problems, forcing Microsoft to block the path to the latest Windows 11 release for more users.
In a new support document published on the official Windows Health Dashboard website, Microsoft revealed that it had discovered a bug in Auto HDR (a system feature that converts SDR content to HDR on compatible hardware for improved visuals), which results in games showing incorrect colors or hanging altogether and stopping responding.
Microsoft has not specified what device configurations or what games are affected by the bug. All that is known at this point is that the only remedy is turning off Auto HDR if you want to get to the latest Windows 11 release. Judging by the issue description, Microsoft applied a compatibility hold to all Windows 11 systems with the Auto HDR feature on:
To safeguard your update experience, we have applied a compatibility hold on devices that have enabled Auto HDR. These devices will not be offered to install Windows 11, version 24H2 via the Windows Update release channel. IT administrators using Windows Update for Business reports can check this issue using its safeguard ID: 55382406.
Important: We recommend that you do not attempt to manually update to version 24H2 using the Windows 11 Installation Assistant or the media creation tool until this issue has been resolved.
While Microsoft is working on a resolution, users are suggested to turn off Auto HDR if they want to update to Windows 11 version 24H2. You can do so by navigating to Settings > System > Display > Use HDR and toggling off the Auto HDR feature. Sadly, there is no information on what will happen after updating to version 24H2 and turning the Auto HDR feature on.
This is not the first gaming issue confirmed in Windows 11 version 24H2. When the update was released on October 1, 2024, Microsoft notified users that games with Easy Anti-Cheat would crash to a blue screen of death after updating. Also, games like Asphalt 8 would stop responding. Later, Microsoft revealed that certain Ubisoft games have compatibility problems with Windows 11 version 24H2. Although some of those games have already received patches, some of them remain incompatible with the latest Windows 11 release. Now, Auto HDR issues add more to that.