Star Citizen update brings out-of-this-world immersion

pcgamesn.com:

Star Citizen is an exciting space game that places players amid the stars where they can experience immersive combat, trading, and more. Cloud Imperium hopes to offer interstellar adventures like no other online game has with Star Citizen‘s full release, and has been working to frequently update the alpha build for fans currently traversing the stars. The developer has just announced the massive upcoming Alpha 3.20 update, revealing that the patch will bring full HDR support to the game.

In a post about the Alpha 3.20 patch, Cloud Imperium writes, “We’re excited to announce that High Dynamic Range (HDR) support is on its way to Star Citizen, and it’s set to make its debut in the upcoming patch Alpha 3.20.” The dev goes on to say the studio understands “that many of you have been eagerly awaiting this feature,” and has therefore “been working on optimizing the game to ensure you can fully immerse yourself in its beauty.”

Cloud Imperium explains how HDR aids in immersion with “higher peak brightness while maintaining the darkness of shadow tones, therefore increasing the contrast ratio.” With the new setting, you’ll notice more visible details and bright highlights. Think of sunny days with snowy surfaces. The update comes after the recent Star Citizen public test access changes, which introduced a new priority system favoring the game’s most active players.

For the most optimal experience, you should dim your room’s lights to see the new setting’s full effects. The dev says, “In a bright environment, even the best displays will reflect 1-2% of the ambient lighting, resulting in muddy shadow tones and a perceived loss of contrast.” You’ll choose how much HDR power or “peak brightness” your game uses with a new slider,