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To manually add a game, point NVIDIA to the folder where the game is installed, then rescan. In the current NVIDIA App, use Graphics and its three-dot menu to manually add a program or an additional directory. If you still use GeForce Experience, use Settings → Games & Apps/Games → Scan Location → Add, then select the game folder and choose Scan Now.
This can help NVIDIA find games installed in a custom folder, Steam library, secondary drive, or non-default launcher location. It does not guarantee that the game will receive an NVIDIA optimization profile.
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First, check which NVIDIA app you have
NVIDIA is moving remaining GeForce Experience users to the NVIDIA App. NVIDIA says critical GeForce Experience web servers will be switched off in the near future, so the NVIDIA App is the better path for current installations. GeForce Experience may still show the legacy menus described below if it is already installed.
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- GeForce Experience: look for the Home tab and Settings gear.
Before you add the game
- Launch the game normally once to confirm that it is installed and working.
- Locate the actual installation folder. You want the directory containing the game executable and its data files—not merely a desktop shortcut or launcher folder.
- Make sure the drive is connected and has the same drive letter it had when the game was installed.
For example, a Steam game might be inside D:SteamLibrarysteamappscommonGame Name, while an Epic game might be inside E:Epic GamesGame Name. The exact path depends on your library settings.
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How to add a game in the NVIDIA App
The NVIDIA App incorporates features previously provided by GeForce Experience. NVIDIA documents support for manually added programs and additional directories in the app’s Graphics area. Menu wording can change between releases, but the function is the same.
- Open the NVIDIA App.
- Select Graphics.
- Open the three-dot menu near the list of programs.
- Choose the option to manually add a program or add a directory to scan.
- Browse to the game’s executable or, preferably, its installation folder.
- Allow the app to scan, then check the program list again.
If you select the executable directly, choose the file that actually starts the game. A launcher, updater, crash reporter, anti-cheat component, or mod loader may not be the executable associated with NVIDIA’s game profile.
For the latest interface information, see NVIDIA’s NVIDIA App release highlights and feature documentation.
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How to add a game in GeForce Experience
In older GeForce Experience versions, use this path:
Settings gear → Games & Apps or Games → Scan Location → Add → select the folder → Scan Now
- Open GeForce Experience.
- Select the Settings gear.
- Open Games & Apps or Games.
- Under Scan Location, select Add.
- Choose the game’s installation folder or the relevant library folder.
- Select Scan Now.
- Return to Home and check whether the game appears.
Some older builds instead expose Scan for games in the Home page’s three-dot menu. If your labels differ, look for the scan-location or rescan function rather than relying on one exact menu name.
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Which folder should you select?
The game’s installation folder
This is the best starting point. It should contain the game’s executable and supporting files. Selecting the specific game folder limits irrelevant results and usually makes scanning faster.
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If you have several games in one library, add the library or common-games directory instead:
D:SteamLibraryD:SteamLibrarysteamappscommonE:Epic GamesD:Games
Do not select only the Steam, Epic Games Store, EA app, Ubisoft Connect, or Xbox launcher executable unless you are specifically trying to add that launcher as a program. NVIDIA may detect a game from a custom launcher library, but detection depends on the title, path, permissions, and NVIDIA’s support for that game.
Secondary and external drives
Adding the default C: scan location will not find a game installed in a Steam library on D: or E:. Add the relevant library on that drive. External drives must be connected and mounted before scanning. If Windows assigned the drive a new letter, remove or update the old scan location and add the current path.
If the game still does not appear
Work through these checks in order:
- Confirm the path. Open the folder in File Explorer and verify that it contains the real game executable, not just a shortcut or launcher.
- Check deeper folders. Some installations place the executable below the folder you selected. Add the specific game directory or its library parent.
- Check the drive. Make sure a secondary or external drive is connected and uses the expected drive letter.
- Launch the game once. Close it completely, restart NVIDIA App or GeForce Experience, and scan again.
- Update or migrate. Install the current NVIDIA App or update your existing NVIDIA software and graphics driver.
- Check support. Search NVIDIA’s supported games and apps list. A title can be installed correctly and still lack NVIDIA’s supported profile.
- Repair the installation. Use your launcher’s verify, repair, or validate-files function if the installation is incomplete or damaged.
- Consider permissions. Windows permissions, antivirus software, or a protected Microsoft Store/Xbox installation can interfere with scanning. As a diagnostic test, close the app, start it once with administrator privileges, and rescan. This is not a universal fix.
- Account for nonstandard installations. Portable games, emulators, mod loaders, wrappers, and heavily modified installations may not match the executable NVIDIA expects.
Do not begin with registry edits, forced executable injection, random cache deletion, or third-party driver-updater tools. A wrong scan path or unsupported title is more likely than a problem requiring those measures.
Why adding a folder may not create an optimization profile
Adding a scan location only tells NVIDIA where to look. It does not force the software to recognize every executable as a supported game. NVIDIA may:
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- Find the game and provide optimization controls.
- List the program without an Optimal Settings profile.
- Recognize the executable for some features but not others.
- Leave the title absent because it is not in NVIDIA’s supported-games database.
Game version, executable name, launcher behavior, installation type, and NVIDIA’s current support can all affect the result. Seeing a game in the program list does not guarantee support for optimization, Overlay features, Highlights, filters, or every other NVIDIA feature.
Can you manually add any .exe?
You can generally provide a program path or scan directory, but that is not the same as forcing any game into NVIDIA’s optimization library. The NVIDIA App’s manual-program feature and GeForce Experience’s scan-location feature may expose a custom executable, yet neither guarantees a matching profile.
If your goal is simply to launch an application, use a desktop shortcut or your launcher’s own feature. Steam also has an Add a Non-Steam Game option, but that is a Steam shortcut feature—not a way to create an NVIDIA optimization profile.
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You may not need the game to appear in the NVIDIA game library at all. Use one of these alternatives:
- NVIDIA App: configure the title from the Graphics area if the executable can be added there.
- NVIDIA Control Panel: open Manage 3D settings → Program Settings → Add, select the executable, and assign per-program GPU settings. NVIDIA documents this workflow in its Control Panel help.
- In-game settings: adjust resolution, quality, ray tracing, upscaling, frame limits, and other options directly in the game.
- Launcher repair: verify or repair the files before troubleshooting NVIDIA detection further.
Adding a game for legacy SHIELD/GameStream streaming
Older articles may use “manually add a game” to mean adding an application for legacy SHIELD/GameStream streaming. That is a different operation from adding a scan location for optimization.
In legacy GeForce Experience, the workflow was:
Settings → SHIELD → Game and Apps → Add → browse to the launcher or application
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- Open GeForce Experience and select Settings.
- Open SHIELD.
- In Game and Apps, select Add.
- Browse to the game launcher or application you want to stream.
- Use Edit, where available, to change its display name or artwork.
This creates a launchable streaming entry. NVIDIA’s documentation notes that manually added GameStream titles did not receive automatic optimal-settings configuration. Treat this as a legacy workflow, not a method for adding an unsupported game to the optimization library. See NVIDIA’s GameStream documentation for the distinction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add a game installed on another drive?
Yes. Add the game’s library or installation folder on that drive, such as D:SteamLibrary or E:Games, then rescan.
Should I select the game’s .exe or its folder?
For detection, start with the actual installation folder or relevant library directory. Select the executable directly only when using a manual-program option or when you have identified the file that launches the game.
Why does the game appear without optimization settings?
NVIDIA may recognize the program without having an Optimal Settings profile for that title, version, or executable. Manual addition cannot create a profile that NVIDIA does not provide.
Is NVIDIA App replacing GeForce Experience?
NVIDIA launched the NVIDIA App as its successor and is directing remaining GeForce Experience users to upgrade. GeForce Experience may still work on existing systems, but NVIDIA says critical web servers will be switched off in the near future.
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How do I add a game for GameStream?
In legacy GeForce Experience, use Settings → SHIELD → Game and Apps → Add. This adds a streamable application and is separate from the scan-location workflow used for game detection and optimization.
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