If you've ever wanted to tweak how your Nvidia GPU works, there's a very good chance you've used one of its apps. Whether you were tweaking how the GPU handled applications via the Nvidia Control Panel or updating your drivers via the GeForce Experience, gamers have become very familiar with this suite of apps.
Now, Nvidia is bringing its library of GPU apps under one roof with the aptly-named "Nvidia App". It's a one-stop shop for all of your graphics setting needs, and comes with some neat additional features to boot.
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The Nvidia App: A new home for all of your GPU needs
You can check out the app yourself via the official Nvidia GeForce blog. Right now, the app is still in a beta phase; however, if you're willing to put up with any bugs and strange behaviors, you can download it and run the app right away.
You'll also find the Nvidia App included with the GeForce Game Ready Driver Version 551.61. This also includes some good fixes for RTX Video HDR, which can convert SDR games into HDR on the fly.
The different sections of the Nvidia App
Once you've downloaded and opened the Nvidia App, you'll notice that the app combines both the GeForce Experience app and the Nvidia Control Panel into one.
If you visit the "Drivers" section within the app, you'll find everything you need to update your driver, as you would expect from GeForce Experience. This screen lets you instantly download and install the latest drivers for your GPU, while also listing the patch notes relevant for your graphics card. You can also view the details of your currently-installed graphics driver here, and reinstall them if need be.
Once you arrive in the "Graphics" setting, you'll notice that things work very similarly to the Nvidia Control Panel. You can get a list of all the programs on your system and tweak individual settings for each, such as antialiasing and max framerate. If you accidentally tweak something bad and want to go back, the "Restore" button reverts everything back to its defaults.
Nvidia App also comes with a "Settings" page. This gives you a quick run-down on your computer's hardware, plus options for automatic driver downloads and the Nvidia overlay.
A new design and performance tweaks for the Nvidia Overlay
If you're a fan of the Nvidia Overlay, this new app also brings a new version of it. Once you install the Nvidia App, you'll find that the Nvidia Overlay no longer hogs all of your screen and keeps to the side. The overlay's UI has received a touch-up to make it easier to use, and Nvidia has added some performance tweaks to run faster and make less of a dent in your performance. If you weren't a fan of the overlay before, now's a good time to get re-acquainted with it.
Nvidia account sign-ins are no longer required
And finally, to the relief of a lot of gamers out there, the Nvidia App will no longer demand that you log in with an Nvidia account to use its features. You can download the app and start tweaking your games without ever needing to sign in. Of course, there is the option to sign in with your account if you want to, which is particularly handy if you want to redeem a code via the app's "Redeem" window; however, it's not necessary to do so if you just want to use the app.
During the Nvidia App beta, the company will still allow people to download and use GeForce Experience and Nvidia Control Panel. However, the company does mention that it wants everyone to solely use the Nvidia App in the future, and there's a chance that it will remove support for all its other apps once this app has come out of beta. As such, it's a good idea to make the jump now and get used to the new features before Nvidia axes support for the older apps.