Xbox Series X fixes 4K Blu-ray black levels after an enthusiast saw they were off

A problem you may not have even realized your Xbox Series X had has now been fixed in the console's latest update.

Originally, the Xbox Series X had an issue with how it would display video content from its 4K Blu-ray player: instead of outputting a true black signal when scenes were completely dark, it would improperly show a slightly brighter image. This would be especially noticeable on screens where individual pixels are supposed to darken completely at full black, such as OLEDs. Display tech enthusiast Vincent Teoh spotted the original issue on his HDTVTest YouTube channel back in November.

Now Teoh has also verified that the Xbox Series X system update released earlier this month - ending in version number 5496 - has fixed the issue with raised black levels. As Teoh demonstrates on a reference display with built-in brightness measuring, a fully black screen on a 4K Blu-ray now results in a completely dark image on Xbox Series X.

These are the kinds of baseline problems that are easy to miss, but which can really impact how much you enjoy the overall visual experience on your console. Even if you don't use your Xbox Series X's Blu-ray player much, the update had another handy fix for streaming entertainment: Teoh spotted that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S YouTube app now supports HDR. If you noticed that supposedly HDR-enabled YouTube videos didn't look quite as vibrant as they should have on your new system before, give it another try now.

If you're still struggling to pick one up, make sure you check out our guide on how to buy Xbox Series X.