GeForce Experience has been replaced by NVIDIA App. To add a locally installed game, open NVIDIA App → Graphics, use the three-dot menu, then add the game’s installation folder or select its actual .exe file. The game can then appear in your library and may offer NVIDIA’s Optimize recommendations if a supported profile exists.
This adds the title to NVIDIA App’s local library; it does not install the game, add it to Steam, or make it available through GeForce NOW.
Before you start
- Install or update NVIDIA App.
- Make sure the game is installed locally and that your Windows account can access its installation folder.
- Know where the game’s real executable is located. Custom SSDs, secondary drives and launcher-managed libraries are all valid locations.
- For the best compatibility, keep your GeForce driver current.
NVIDIA’s official launch announcement describes NVIDIA App as the successor to GeForce Experience and NVIDIA RTX Experience. Menu wording can vary slightly by app version or region, but the Graphics section and its three-dot menu are the relevant controls.
How to add a game in NVIDIA App
- Open NVIDIA App.
- Select Graphics in the left navigation.
- Open the three-dot menu near the games and programs list.
- Choose the option to manually add a program or manage/add scan directories.
- Either select the folder containing your game installation or browse directly to the game’s executable file.
- Confirm the selection and allow NVIDIA App to rescan.
- Return to the Graphics library and select the new game entry.
- If an Optimize button is shown, review the recommendation before applying it.
NVIDIA documents this manual-add and directory-scan workflow in its NVIDIA App feature overview.
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Add a custom game folder for scanning
Directory scanning is useful when several games share a custom library or when you want future installations in that folder to be easier to detect.
- Go to NVIDIA App → Graphics.
- Open the three-dot menu.
- Select the control for adding or managing scan locations.
- Choose the folder that actually contains the game installations, such as a custom Steam, Epic, Battle.net or standalone library folder.
- Start or wait for the rescan, then check the game list.
Use the narrowest relevant folder rather than adding an entire drive. If scanning still fails, add the executable directly.
Choose the correct executable
When you use manual addition, select the Windows executable that launches or renders the game—not a shortcut, installer or ordinary folder.
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Ways to locate it
- In Steam or another launcher, use its installed-files or browse-local-files command.
- Right-click a desktop shortcut, open its properties and inspect the target path.
- Open the game’s installation directory and identify the main game
.exe. - For modded games, identify the executable launched by the mod loader.
- For games with DirectX 12, Vulkan or other renderer-specific executables, use the one that actually runs during play.
Do not select an updater, installer, anti-cheat component or launcher when your goal is settings for the game itself. Some games still require the official launcher for authentication or anti-cheat even after the game executable has been added to NVIDIA App.
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What appears after the game is added?
The result depends on how NVIDIA recognizes the executable:
- A game tile or program entry may appear in the Graphics library.
- Per-game graphics and driver settings may become available.
- An Optimize control may appear for titles with a compatible NVIDIA profile.
- A launcher and the actual game can appear as separate entries.
- Some manually added applications show only basic information and driver controls.
Adding an entry does not guarantee an optimization profile. NVIDIA’s Optimal Playable Settings are recommendations based on detected hardware and display characteristics, not a promise of higher performance in every configuration.
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Optimize the game safely
- Select the game in the Graphics list.
- Review the recommended settings and, where shown, the performance-to-quality preference.
- Save a screenshot or note your current in-game settings.
- Select Optimize if the recommendation suits your resolution, frame-rate target and visual priorities.
- Launch the game through its normal launcher and verify resolution, refresh rate, HDR, ray tracing, DLSS and other important options.
Optimization is a starting preset. Competitive players, mod users, ultrawide-display owners and anyone targeting a strict frame-time or battery-life goal may prefer manual tuning.
No Optimize button? That can be normal
Manual visibility and optimization support are separate. The missing button can mean NVIDIA has no profile for that title or version, the selected file is a launcher, the game uses an unusual executable structure, or the app or driver needs updating.
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- Confirm that you selected the executable used during gameplay.
- Update NVIDIA App and the GeForce driver, then rescan.
- Try the game’s main executable rather than its launcher.
- Configure driver-level settings in NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Use the game’s own graphics menu when no NVIDIA profile exists.
NVIDIA Control Panel fallback
If the title does not appear in NVIDIA App—or you only need granular driver settings—use:
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- Open NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Go to Manage 3D settings → Program Settings.
- Select Add.
- Choose the game from the list or select Browse and locate its executable.
- Set the required options and select Apply.
NVIDIA explains this unlisted-program procedure in its Control Panel documentation. This route provides per-executable driver settings but not NVIDIA App’s library tile or one-click optimization interface.
Troubleshooting missing or incorrect entries
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Game is not listed | The scan location is wrong | Add the folder that contains the actual installation. |
| Rescan finds nothing | The executable is unusual or not recognized | Add the game’s .exe manually. |
| Two entries appear | Both launcher and game were added, or multiple installs exist | Keep the actual game entry and hide or remove redundant entries where available. |
| No Optimize button | No NVIDIA profile, unsupported title or wrong executable | Verify the executable, update software and use manual settings or Control Panel. |
| Game launches incorrectly | The title requires its launcher, authentication or anti-cheat | Keep using the official launcher for normal startup. |
| Settings do not apply | The wrong process was configured or the game was open | Close the game, select the rendering executable, apply settings and relaunch. |
| Entry disappeared | It was hidden or its installation path changed | Check filters and hidden programs, then rescan the current folder. |
| Old guide labels do not match | The guide describes GeForce Experience | Use NVIDIA App’s Graphics section and three-dot menu. |
Legacy GeForce Experience and GameStream path
If you genuinely still use the older GeForce Experience software for the legacy GameStream workflow, NVIDIA’s documented path is GeForce Experience → Settings → SHIELD → Game and Apps → ADD. Browse to the launcher or executable there. NVIDIA notes that manually added GameStream applications do not receive automatic optimal-settings configuration. See the legacy GameStream instructions.
This is not the normal method for the current NVIDIA App library. GameStream and NVIDIA App’s local Graphics library are separate features.
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NVIDIA App, Control Panel and GeForce NOW: which one do you need?
| Tool | Use it for | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA App | Finding local games, adding programs or scan folders, supported optimization and current NVIDIA features | It does not install games or guarantee an optimization profile. |
| NVIDIA Control Panel | Per-executable driver settings for listed or unlisted programs | It does not provide the same library and one-click recommendation workflow. |
| GeForce NOW | NVIDIA’s separate cloud-gaming service | Adding a local executable to NVIDIA App does not add it to GeForce NOW. |
For a portable game, emulator, mod loader or unofficial installation, manual executable selection may work, but recognition and optimization are not guaranteed. Control Panel is the dependable fallback when NVIDIA App cannot identify the title.
The Bottom Line
Add the folder when you want broad scanning, or select the game’s real executable when detection fails. Treat NVIDIA App’s Optimize control as an optional hardware-based recommendation—not proof that every manually added game is supported—and use NVIDIA Control Panel for unlisted titles or precise per-game driver settings.
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