How to Make Arc Raiders Brighter on Your PC

Adjust brightness directly in Arc Raiders settings

The fastest way to brighten Arc Raiders is through the in-game settings menu. Launch the game, then pause and open Settings. Navigate to Graphics or Display options — the exact menu name depends on your game version, but it is always in the main settings area. Look for a slider labeled Brightness, Gamma, or Exposure.

Move the slider to the right to increase brightness. Most players find the sweet spot between 50 and 70 percent, but your monitor and room lighting matter. If the game looks washed out after you brighten it, you have gone too far — back it down by 5 to 10 percent and test again. Save your changes before you exit the menu.

This method works on all PC setups and does not require restarting the game. If Arc Raiders does not have a brightness slider in its graphics menu, move to the next section — some versions of the game rely on other display settings instead.

Key Takeaways

The in-game brightness slider in Graphics settings is the first place to check and works on every PC without extra software.
If your monitor has its own brightness control, adjusting it there affects Arc Raiders and all other games you play.
Gamma and exposure sliders in Arc Raiders settings control how dark and light areas look differently than a straightforward brightness increase.
NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards both have control panels that can brighten games, but in-game settings are usually clearer and easier to adjust.
If Arc Raiders still looks dim after maxing in-game brightness, your monitor itself may be set too dark or your graphics driver may need an update.

Use your monitor's brightness controls

Your monitor has its own brightness dial or button panel, separate from your PC settings. This control affects Arc Raiders and every other game or program on your screen. Look for a brightness button or dial on the front or side of your monitor — it is usually marked with a sun icon or a plus and minus symbol.

Press or turn the control to increase brightness. You should see the entire screen get brighter, not just the game. This is useful if Arc Raiders looks dim but your in-game brightness slider is already at maximum. Monitor brightness and in-game brightness work together, so you may need to adjust both to get the look you want.

If your monitor has an on-screen menu, you can also access brightness from there. Press the Menu button on your monitor, find Display or Picture settings, and look for Brightness. This method is slower than using the physical button, but it gives you finer control over the exact level.

Adjust gamma and exposure settings in Arc Raiders

Gamma and exposure are different from straightforward brightness. Brightness makes the whole image lighter or darker evenly. Gamma changes how the mid-tones look — the areas that are neither very dark nor very bright. Exposure controls how the game handles bright light sources like explosions or sunlight.

In Arc Raiders Graphics settings, look for separate sliders for Gamma or Exposure if they exist. Increasing gamma makes shadows lighter without washing out bright areas. Increasing exposure brightens everything but can make highlights blow out into pure white. Try adjusting gamma first if Arc Raiders looks too dark in shadowy areas but bright areas look fine.

If you raise gamma too high, the game can look flat and lose contrast. Start at the default and move the slider up by 10 to 15 percent, then play for a few minutes to see if it feels right. You can always adjust it down if the image looks washed out.

Check your graphics driver settings

Your graphics card — whether it is NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel — has its own control panel that can affect how bright Arc Raiders appears. These panels sit outside the game and control settings for your entire graphics system. Open NVIDIA Control Panel, AMD Radeon Settings, or Intel Graphics Control Panel depending on your card type.

Look for a section called Display, Color, or Image Settings. You may find brightness or contrast controls there. These are less precise than in-game settings, but they can help if Arc Raiders looks dim and the game's own brightness slider is not enough. Make small changes — move any brightness slider up by 5 to 10 percent, then launch Arc Raiders to test.

If you do not know which graphics card you have, right-click on your desktop and look for an option that says "NVIDIA Control Panel," "AMD Radeon Settings," or "Intel Graphics Settings." If none of these appear, your PC uses integrated graphics built into your CPU, and you should look for Intel Graphics Control Panel in your Windows settings instead.

Update your graphics driver

An outdated graphics driver can cause display problems, including games that look darker than they should. Drivers are software that tells your graphics card how to work with your monitor and games. If your driver is old, Arc Raiders may not display colors and brightness correctly.

To update your driver, open NVIDIA GeForce Experience, AMD Radeon Software, or Intel Driver & Support Assistant — whichever matches your graphics card. These programs check for updates automatically. If an update is available, read and install it, then restart your PC. Launch Arc Raiders after the restart to see if brightness looks better.

Driver updates usually take 5 to 10 minutes to read and install. If Arc Raiders still looks dim after updating, the problem is not your driver, and you should focus on the in-game brightness and monitor controls instead.

Disable HDR if it is causing problems

HDR (High Dynamic Range) is a display technology that makes bright and dark areas look more detailed. Some monitors and PCs support HDR, and some games like Arc Raiders may try to use it. If HDR is turned on but your monitor does not support it well, the game can look too dark or have strange colors.

Check if HDR is on by opening Windows Settings, going to System, then Display. Look for an HDR section. If it says HDR is on, try turning it off and restarting Arc Raiders. The game should look brighter and more normal. If it looks better with HDR off, leave it off — your monitor probably does not handle HDR well.

If Arc Raiders has its own HDR toggle in Graphics settings, you can also turn it off there. This is faster than changing Windows settings and only affects that game. Try disabling it and see if brightness improves.

Lower in-game graphics settings if brightness still seems off

Sometimes Arc Raiders looks dim because your PC is struggling to run it at high graphics settings. When your PC is under heavy load, it may reduce brightness or contrast to save power. Lowering settings like shadow quality, reflection quality, or overall graphics preset can help the game run smoother and look brighter.

Open Arc Raiders Graphics settings and look for a Graphics Preset or Quality option. Try changing it from Ultra or High to Medium or Low. Launch a mission and see if the game looks brighter and runs smoother. If it does, your PC was the bottleneck, and you can slowly raise settings back up until you find a balance between brightness and performance.

Lowering settings also reduces the load on your graphics card, which can make colors look more accurate. If Arc Raiders looked dim and washed out at high settings, you may find it looks much better at medium settings even without touching the brightness slider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Arc Raiders look darker on my PC than on my friend's?

Monitor quality and age matter a lot. Older monitors or cheaper monitors often display darker images by default. Your friend may have a newer monitor with better color accuracy, or they may have already adjusted their monitor brightness higher. Ask them what their in-game brightness setting is, then match it and see if your monitor brightness dial needs adjustment too.

Does changing brightness hurt my monitor or graphics card?

No. Adjusting brightness in-game or on your monitor does not damage either device. Brightness is just a display setting that changes how the image looks, not how hard your hardware is working. You can adjust it as much as you want without risk.

Should I adjust brightness in Windows settings or in Arc Raiders?

Adjust it in Arc Raiders first, because that change only affects the game and is easier to undo if you do not like it. If the game's brightness slider is not enough, then adjust your monitor brightness. Avoid changing Windows brightness settings for a single game — that affects everything on your screen.

What if Arc Raiders looks too bright after I adjust it?

Move the brightness slider back down in the game settings. If you also adjusted your monitor brightness, lower that too. Start over and make smaller changes — move the slider up by 5 to 10 percent instead of 20 or 30 percent, then test in an actual mission where you can see how it looks during gameplay.

Can I make Arc Raiders brighter without changing settings?

Not really. The only other option is to play in a brighter room with more light, which reduces glare on your monitor and makes the game appear brighter by comparison. But this is not a real fix — adjusting the in-game brightness slider is the proper solution.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.