Expert Claims Mario Kart World on Nintendo Switch 2 is ‘Fake HDR’ — ‘Top Developers Not Prioritizing HDR,’ Says Analyst

Sure, here’s a reimagined version of the article:

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So, there’s this whole uproar about “fake HDR” with Mario Kart World on the Switch 2—yeah, fake HDR, if you can believe it. TechTubers are all up in arms, and honestly, who could blame them? I swear the sound of those furious keyboard warriors resonates louder than my neighbor’s hyperactive Pomeranian. Alexander Mejia, who seems to know his stuff about HDR—since he worked on Dolby Vision for Xbox and Unreal Engine—spills the beans in a detailed blog post. He says the game basically went with an SDR-first approach, then slapped on HDR like a last-minute theater prop. Classic, right?

But, yeah, you gotta admit, the developers did kind of ask for it. They hyped the game as being all jazzy with 4K at 60FPS and HDR visuals. You know, the whole 4K60 HDR thing? Mejia reckons even the best of ’em aren’t taking HDR seriously, which is like, wow—aren’t they supposed to be the big leagues?

Anyway, moving on—or wait—before I forget, what Mejia really drills down on is how HDR should be baked in from day one. Not an afterthought. I mean, who makes brownies and then sprinkles the chocolate on top? No one I know, that’s for sure.

Oh, and there’s this whole section with images and stats from his tests on Mario Kart World. If you’re into techy stuff, Mejia spills all the deets about his hardware and capture process. He even hands out tips for fans who want to dig into their own setups. Makes at least one of us, right?

The findings? Woah, they’re like having your ice cream fall off the cone. Mejia’s tests show the game peaks at only ~500 nits even when you dial it up to 10,000 nits. That’s like saying you’ve got a Ferrari but driving it at 30 mph. And even if you max it out, it’s still struggling under 950 nits. Sad, really, when you consider how vibrant and colorful Mario Kart World is supposed to be. But nah, cue the curtain drop—it’s all stuck in an SDR-like color space.

Now imagine the big showdown: Godfall Ultimate Edition on one side, Mario Kart World on the other. Both caught in HDR, each with 10,000 nits of max brightness. It’s like HDR face-off, though not much of a contest when you think about it. Can’t get more dramatic than that, huh?

Wrapping up this tangled mess, Mejia, in his infinite wisdom, hints at his consultancy studio. You know, if you’re looking to get some real HDR work done, he’s your guy—offering indie film magic for those blockbuster dreams. Might wanna jot that down.

And hey, keep an eye on Tom’s Hardware for the latest news and reviews. Assuming you can keep up with it all.