diff --git a/src/SharpEmu.Libs/VideoOut/HostVideoOptions.cs b/src/SharpEmu.Libs/VideoOut/HostVideoOptions.cs
index 9e84110..b0a8f9c 100644
--- a/src/SharpEmu.Libs/VideoOut/HostVideoOptions.cs
+++ b/src/SharpEmu.Libs/VideoOut/HostVideoOptions.cs
@@ -67,8 +67,16 @@ public sealed record HostVideoOptions
     public PerformanceOverlayCorner OverlayCorner { get; init; } = PerformanceOverlayCorner.TopRight;
     public PerformanceOverlayMode OverlayMode { get; init; } = PerformanceOverlayMode.TitleBar;
 
+    // On macOS, Auto keeps guests on SDR output: reporting HDR moves titles onto render paths
+    // MoltenVK cannot build yet (Silent Hill's HDR switch fails a pipeline compile and then
+    // crashes inside MoltenVK on every run). --hdr=on still opts in.
+    internal static bool AutoHdrAllowed => !OperatingSystem.IsMacOS();
+
     internal bool CanUseHdr(bool displayHdrEnabled, bool surfaceSupportsHdr) =>
-        surfaceSupportsHdr && (HdrMode == HostHdrMode.On || HdrMode == HostHdrMode.Auto && displayHdrEnabled);
+        CanUseHdr(displayHdrEnabled, surfaceSupportsHdr, AutoHdrAllowed);
+
+    internal bool CanUseHdr(bool displayHdrEnabled, bool surfaceSupportsHdr, bool autoAllowed) =>
+        surfaceSupportsHdr && (HdrMode == HostHdrMode.On || HdrMode == HostHdrMode.Auto && autoAllowed && displayHdrEnabled);
 
     public HostVideoOptions Normalize() => this with
     {
diff --git a/tests/SharpEmu.Libs.Tests/VideoOut/VideoOutOutputSupportTests.cs b/tests/SharpEmu.Libs.Tests/VideoOut/VideoOutOutputSupportTests.cs
index 8f93a81..cbf2e08 100644
--- a/tests/SharpEmu.Libs.Tests/VideoOut/VideoOutOutputSupportTests.cs
+++ b/tests/SharpEmu.Libs.Tests/VideoOut/VideoOutOutputSupportTests.cs
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@ public sealed class VideoOutOutputSupportTests
     private static readonly ulong MemoryFault =
         unchecked((ulong)(int)OrbisGen2Result.ORBIS_GEN2_ERROR_MEMORY_FAULT);
 
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData(true)]
+    [InlineData(false)]
+    public void AutoHdrFollowsThePlatformPolicyButOnAlwaysOptsIn(bool autoAllowed)
+    {
+        Assert.Equal(autoAllowed, new HostVideoOptions { HdrMode = HostHdrMode.Auto }.CanUseHdr(true, true, autoAllowed));
+        Assert.True(new HostVideoOptions { HdrMode = HostHdrMode.On }.CanUseHdr(true, true, autoAllowed));
+    }
+
     [Theory]
     [InlineData(HostHdrMode.Auto, false, true, false)]
     [InlineData(HostHdrMode.Auto, true, false, false)]
@@ -35,7 +44,7 @@ public sealed class VideoOutOutputSupportTests
     public void OutputStatusReportsHdrOnlyWhenAllowedAndSupported(
         HostHdrMode mode, bool displayHdrEnabled, bool surfaceSupportsHdr, bool expectedHdr)
     {
-        var supported = new HostVideoOptions { HdrMode = mode }.CanUseHdr(displayHdrEnabled, surfaceSupportsHdr);
+        var supported = new HostVideoOptions { HdrMode = mode }.CanUseHdr(displayHdrEnabled, surfaceSupportsHdr, autoAllowed: true);
         Assert.Equal(expectedHdr, supported);
 
         var bytes = Enumerable.Repeat((byte)0xA5, 0x32).ToArray();