5 Ways to Fix GeForce Experience Not Detecting Games (2024)

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GeForce Experience is a powerful software that works great with the GeForce GTX gaming graphic card series. Installing this app on your PC will ensure that you never worry about updating your drivers.

Beyond this, it automatically optimizes your game graphics settings for the best gaming experience possible.

That being said, some users have encountered issues with the GeForce Experience software not finding their local games and also not finding Steam games.

As this will hinder your ability to use the full force of your GTX graphics card, the irritation is understandable. Here is what one user had to say about this issue on the Steam forums:

GeForce Experience can not detect any games I own (which is too many to name) when I attempt to scan for them in any way. I recently built a computer with the GTX 1070, which may be the problem, as it worked perfectly fine beforehand on my laptop.

I only have one hard drive, so any solutions/problems I found with multiple hard drives do not affect me. Is this just a bug with my GPU, or am I missing something?

Even though no official fix for this issue has been released, we compiled some of the methods that have proven helpful in other users’ situations in this article. So read along to find out the details.

Why isn’t my game showing up in GeForce Experience?

If your game is not showing up on GeForce Experience, it might be because the game is not supported on the app. So, before checking other potential causes, ensure that your game is supported.

Also, it might be because of outdated graphics drivers or issues with the app. Whatever the cause, we have a fitting solution for you in this guide.

What can I do if GeForce Experience is not finding games?

1. Make sure your game is supported

Some games are not supported by GeForce Experience, and, by default, they will not be recognized or capable of being optimized by this app.

Check the official GeForce Experience supported games list to check if your games can work.

If your games are supported, try the following method.

2. Verifythat the install directory of the game is checked

  1. Open the GeForce Experience app.
  2. Navigate to Preferences.
  3. Click on Games.
  4. See what folders are set to be checked by GeForce Experience and where your games are installed.
  5. If there is any discrepancy between the two options, add the link to the folder in which you installed the games (ex., D:/Games).
  6. After you’ve completed this task, restart your GeForce Experience app and check to see if the issue is resolved.

3. Make sure that all your games are on the same hard drive

The GeForce experience will have issues compiling the information and offer optimization if you have multiple hard drives installed on your PC.

If that is the case, it is recommended that you choose one of the drives and install all games to that location.

4. Update your GeForce Experience GPU drivers

  1. Launch the GeForce Experience application.
  2. Select the DRIVERS tab from the top menu.
  3. Click the CHECK FOR UPDATES button.
  4. If there is any available update, the option to install it will appear in the window.
  5. Install the drivers, and check to see if the issue is resolved. If you can’t find any new drivers, try the following method.

Check out this comprehensive guide if you’re having issues updating your Nvidia drivers on Windows 10.

5. Use the latest GeForce Experience application

5.1. Uninstall the app

  1. Press the Windows key + X and choose Apps and Features.
  2. Please search for the GeForce Experience app in the list and select it.
  3. Click the Uninstall button and follow the simple onscreen instructions to complete the process.

The first step is to uninstall the GeForce Experience app and all its components.

5.2. To reinstall the app

  1. Download the latest version of GeForce Experience.
  2. Run the installer on your PC, and then log into your account.
  3. Check to see if the app is finding your games.

How do I fix GeForce Experience not finding games on Windows 11?

The easiest way to fix the GeForce Experience not finding games on Windows 11 is to run the app as an administrator. This gives the game all the privileges it needs to access your games.

If GeForce Experience is still not finding your games, ensure the games are supported on the app. Lastly, you can use any of the fixes in this guide to solve the problem on Windows 11.

How do I manually add games to GeForce Experience?

  1. Launch GeForce Experience.
  2. Click the menu button (three vertical dots) in the top right corner.
  3. Choose the Optimize all games option.
  4. Now, select the cogwheel icon at the top.
  5. Choose theGAMEStab in the left panel.
  6. Click ADDunder the SCAN LOCATIONsection.
  7. Choose the folder where you have the game.
  8. Select SCAN NOWand wait for the scan to complete.
  9. Finally, go to the Home tab, and the newly added game should be there.

As we understand how frustrating it can be to want to play the latest version of your favorite game, the list above should help you fix this issue.

Don’t hesitate to let us know if you’ve succeeded in fixing the GeForce Experience not finding games issue, and if so, by using what method.

If you want to share this information with us or ask us any other questions, leave a comment in the section below this article.

Vladimir Popescu

Being an artist his entire life while also playing handball at a professional level, Vladimir has also developed a passion for all things computer-related.With an innate fascination for research and analysis, and realizing many other people share his passion for this subject, he delved into writing Windows-related articles, so other people can also benefit from the acquired information.When not writing kick-ass articles, Vladimir likes to spend his time doing Crossfit and creating art.

5 Ways to Fix GeForce Experience Not Detecting Games (2024)

FAQs

5 Ways to Fix GeForce Experience Not Detecting Games? ›

You can tell GeForce Experience where to look for your games in Settings —> Games tab. Add the location where your game is installed and click "Scan now" to re-scan.

Why is GeForce Experience not finding my games? ›

You can tell GeForce Experience where to look for your games in Settings —> Games tab. Add the location where your game is installed and click "Scan now" to re-scan.

Why is GeForce NOW not detecting Steam games? ›

Your privacy settings on Steam must be set to Public for the games to be recognized by the Backbone App. You can give us permission to change the settings for you by clicking "Update for me" button in your settings. If you prefer to do them manually, head to Steam to update your privacy settings.

How to fix GeForce Experience not working? ›

Has Your GeForce Experience Service Stopped?
  1. Open the run menu by pressing the windows icon + r buttons on your keyboard.
  2. Type in “services. ...
  3. Look for “NVIDIA GeForce Experience Service” in the list and select it.
  4. Once selected, right-click the option and click either the start or restart options.

Why is GeForce Experience not loading game settings? ›

In this case, it could be because GeForce Experience doesn't have administrator rights. To solve the problem, you just need to open the Windows search tool. Once opened, look for GeForce Experience and right-click on it. This will open some settings block where you must select the “Run as administrator” option.

How do I see hidden games on GeForce Experience? ›

To unhide it, please go to your "Owned games" view, then select Filter -> Status -> Hidden. Right click on a game you want to unhide, relevant option will be located there.

Why is GeForce Experience not picking up Steam games? ›

GeForce Experience not finding Steam games may be caused by insufficient permissions. If the games are installed in a folder that cannot be accessed without enough permissions, GeForce Experience may encounter problems with loading games. To fix it, you can try running this program as an administrator.

Does Steam allow GeForce NOW? ›

Check out our step-by-step guides to setting up games to play on GeForce NOW with Steam, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft. At each store, you can get Free-to-Play games, or purchase games you want to play. Once your games are in your chosen store library, you're ready to play them on GeForce NOW!

Is it OK not to install GeForce Experience? ›

Short answer: No, you do not need NVIDIA GeForce experience. Choosing not to install the extra drivers could be useful if you are a big nerd and like to adjust your graphics settings yourself, or tinker with the hardware.

How to fix Nvidia GeForce Experience something went wrong? ›

How to Fix the “Something Went Wrong Try Restarting GeForce” Error
  1. Solution 1: Kill NVIDIA Processes. ...
  2. Solution 2: Activate NVIDIA-Related Services. ...
  3. Solution 3: Run GeForce Experience in Compatibility Mode. ...
  4. Solution 4: Update Your Graphics Card Driver. ...
  5. Solution 5: Restart Various NVIDIA-Related Services.

How do I force GeForce Experience to update? ›

How to Update NVIDIA GeForce Cards
  1. Start the GeForce Experience Installation and click "Agree & Install"
  2. Open GeForce Experience and Sign In or select "Create an Account"
  3. Click the "Drivers" tab and then click "Check for Updates" on the right.
  4. Select "Download" on the driver update that will appear.

How do I enable GeForce in games? ›

Press Alt+Z to bring up the Share overlay and go to Settings: NOTE: If the Share overlay does not appear it may be turned off. You can turn it on inside GeForce Experience by going to Settings > GENERAL > SHARE and toggling the switch.

How to manually add games in GeForce Experience Reddit? ›

FIX I FOUND:
  1. Open GeForce experience.
  2. Click settings.
  3. Click SHIELD.
  4. Click ADD.
  5. Click .exe of the game you wish to use.
  6. It now appears under your GAMES & APPS on your GeForce experience home page and badabing badaboom send me a post card from athens.
Jan 14, 2024

Why is my GeForce Experience not scanning? ›

What Causes the GeForce Experience Scanning Issue? There are many reasons why your game isn't visible in GeForce Experience. Some of the major causes contributing to this error include outdated NVIDIA graphics card drivers, corrupted game files, insufficient permissions, etc.

Why is my Nvidia graphics card not being detected? ›

Solution 1: Enable the Graphics Card. Solution 2: Install the Latest Nvidia Drivers Manually. Solution 3: Make Sure the Discrete GPU Is Enabled in BIOS. Solution 4: Check Graphics Card Slot.

How do I enable GeForce Experience in games? ›

Launch your game and press Alt + Z . If the overlay doesn't come up, open the GeForce Experience application, go to settings, open the “General” tab, and turn on “Share.”

Why can't i play on GeForce? ›

To play games on GeForce NOW, you will need to sign in to your existing game store or publisher accounts to verify game ownership. Click here to check first if your games are supported on GeForce NOW! Some games aren't accessed through a game store, like League of Legends or Genshin Impact.

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