Why does HDR disappear at some HiDPI resolutions or refresh rates?

macOS can offer HDR for one display mode but not another, even on the same HDR-capable monitor. The complete combination of desktop size, HiDPI scaling, refresh rate and connection matters. BetterDisplay's Forced HDR option can make some otherwise unavailable combinations usable on supported Apple-silicon connections, but it cannot guarantee compatibility.

For the rendering background, see how macOS scaling, HiDPI and LoDPI work.

First try a smaller HiDPI desktop or a lower refresh rate and check whether HDR becomes available. This helps separate a mode-specific restriction from a display or connection that does not offer HDR at all. A monitor's advertised maximum refresh rate does not establish support for every scaled HDR mode. There is no universal rule that all 120 Hz modes fail or that all higher rates work.

Trying Forced HDR

With Pro, open the display's Color Mode menu and enable Allow Forced HDR, if available. This allows additional choices. It does not turn HDR on by itself. Use the display's HDR switch, marked Forced when appropriate, or select a supported Forced HDR color mode. Confirm the resulting resolution and refresh rate afterward.

The option depends on the modes the Mac can find for the connection. It does not create HDR support in an SDR monitor or remove bandwidth and rendering limits. See Color Mode for the available choices and HiDPI refresh-rate limits for the rendering distinction.

Keeping a working mode after wake or input switching

Once the desired combination works, enable protection for HDR Status and Refresh Rate under the display's Configuration Protection. If you also want to retain the desktop size, protect Resolution. Check the saved values after making manual changes, because selecting a new mode can update what is protected.

Test both sleep/wake and switching the monitor away from and back to the Mac. Protection can request restoration, but cannot restore a mode that is no longer available after reconnection. If the display falls back to a different rate, inspect the current mode list before changing it and follow refresh-rate protection troubleshooting. A successful initial switch is not proof that the same combination will remain reliable through every reconnect.