A Simple Playnite Integration for Surface Pro (and Any Laptop) - If you're using a device like the Surface Pro, you've probably noticed how the auto-brightness feature works beautifully for general use — but can be a total mood-killer in games. Low brightness in a dim-lit dungeon? No thanks.
That's where this nifty PowerShell script comes in. It automatically boosts brightness when a game launches, and restores it afterward. Whether you're gaming in the dark or just need that extra luminance to catch every pixel, this solution gives you full control.
Let's dive into what it does, why it matters, and how you can use it too.
The Problem with Auto Brightness in Games
Auto brightness on devices like the Surface Pro is designed for power efficiency. While it's smart enough to dim the screen during casual browsing or emails, it fails hard during gameplay.
Games typically run in full screen, and if you're indoors or in low ambient light, Windows dims the screen thinking it's doing you a favor. But for gamers, this results in:
In short, you lose immersion and clarity — especially in darker or fast-paced games.
Why This Script Works (and Not Just for Surface)
This PowerShell script adjusts brightness before your game launches (via Playnite), and restores it afterward. It even considers battery levels, ensuring you don't fry your screen when you're down to 20%.
Even if you don't use a Surface Pro or have auto-brightness enabled, this script is useful. Many gamers prefer higher brightness in games and normal levels in Windows. This gives you that flexibility without manual adjustment.
What the Script Actually Does
Let's break it into two parts: Before Game Launch and After Game Exit.
1. Before the Game Starts
$currentBrightness = (Get-CimInstance -Namespace root/WMI -Classname WmiMonitorBrightness).CurrentBrightness
Set-Content -Path $tempFile -Value $currentBrightness
It backs up your current brightness into a temp file.
if ($batteryLevel -le 30) {
Set-Content -Path $tempFile -Value 40
}
If your battery is low (≤ 30%), it defaults brightness to 40% for safety.
Invoke-CimMethod -MethodName WmiSetBrightness -Argument @{ Timeout = 0; Brightness = 80 }
Finally, it bumps brightness up to 80% for better visibility during gaming.
2. After the Game Ends
$originalBrightness = Get-Content -Path $tempFile
The script checks if the temp file exists, then reads the original brightness level.
It reassesses battery level (in case it's even lower now).
# Set brightness to a conservative 30%
} else {
# Restore original brightness level
}
Based on that, it either restores your saved brightness or lowers it to 30%.
Finally, it cleans up the temp file to avoid clutter.
Use Case: Playnite Integration
If you're using Playnite, the free and open-source game library manager, this script fits right into its "Before Game Start" and "After Game Close" scripts section.
Here's how to set it up:
You're now set for automatic brightness tuning every time you launch a game.
Bonus: Cross-Compatible with Any Laptop
While this was inspired by the Surface Pro's quirks, any Windows laptop with brightness control support via WMI will benefit. That includes:
Why Not Just Use Night Light or In-Game Settings?
You could tweak game gamma settings or use Windows Night Light — but:
This PowerShell approach targets actual screen brightness at the hardware level, making it consistent and system-wide.
Final Thoughts: Small Script, Big Difference
Sometimes it's the smallest adjustments that create the biggest quality-of-life improvements. With just a few lines of PowerShell and some Playnite scripting, you can:
All without ever touching a brightness slider.
Want to Try It?
Feel free to copy and modify the script to your liking. You can even extend it further to adjust contrast, disable Night Light, or change resolution settings dynamically.
Visit our blog for more tweaks and gamer-focused automation tips.
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