Manually digging through every game's settings menu to enable upscaling gets tedious, especially if you own dozens of titles. Nvidia's own software – the newer Nvidia App, which is replacing GeForce Experience – includes a feature that can apply DLSS and image scaling overrides system-wide or per-game, without you having to open each game individually. It is not magic, but it is a genuinely useful shortcut for RTX laptop and desktop owners.
Key takeaway: the Nvidia App's driver-level override can force DLSS or Nvidia Image Scaling on in games that do not otherwise offer a menu option, but results vary by title, so treat it as a starting point, not a guarantee.
Nvidia App versus GeForce Experience
Nvidia has been phasing out GeForce Experience in favour of the Nvidia App, which combines driver updates, game optimisation, and overlay features in one lighter tool. If your laptop still has GeForce Experience installed, it still works for driver updates and basic optimal settings, but the Nvidia App is the one with the more capable upscaling override tools going forward, so it is worth switching if you have not already.
Setting up automatic optimal settings
- Download and install the Nvidia App from Nvidia's official website (search "Nvidia App download" and confirm the nvidia.com domain).
- Open the app and sign in with an Nvidia account, or continue without one if you prefer.
- Go to the Drivers tab first and make sure you are on the latest Game Ready driver.
- Open the Library or Games tab, select an installed game, and look for "Optimal Settings" or "Recommended Settings".
- Apply the recommendation, then check in-game whether DLSS or scaling has been enabled and adjust the quality mode to taste.
Using the driver-level override for older games
For games that never received an official DLSS update, the Nvidia App's driver settings include a per-game override that can inject DLSS frame generation or Nvidia Image Scaling at the driver level, effectively upscaling the whole rendered output regardless of what the game itself supports. This is found under the app's per-game settings alongside options like Image Sharpening. Results are more hit-and-miss than a native in-game implementation, since the driver cannot always distinguish UI elements from the game world, so text can occasionally look slightly soft.
Tip: pair the driver-level Nvidia Image Scaling override with the Image Sharpening slider in the same menu – a small increase (around 30–50%) often restores crispness that scaling alone can soften.
What it will not do
The Nvidia App cannot add true DLSS support to a game that has no DLSS integration at all – the driver-level scaling override is a simpler resolution-stretching technique, not the full AI reconstruction that in-game DLSS provides. It also cannot exceed what your specific RTX generation supports; an older RTX 20-series card will not gain access to newer DLSS 3 frame generation features that require a 40-series card's dedicated hardware.
| Feature | Works via Nvidia App |
|---|---|
| Enabling native DLSS already built into a game | Yes, usually automatic with optimal settings |
| Driver-level image scaling on games with no DLSS support | Yes, via per-game override |
| Adding true AI-based DLSS to a game with zero DLSS code | No, only basic scaling is possible |
| DLSS 3 frame generation on a non-40-series RTX card | No, hardware-limited |
Before you start: only install Nvidia software from the official nvidia.com domain, and decline any bundled offers during installation – third-party download sites sometimes repackage this software with unwanted extras.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need an Nvidia account to use these features?
- No, most driver and scaling features work without signing in, though some cloud-based recommendations may require an account.
- Does GeForce Experience still get driver updates?
- Nvidia has been directing users to the Nvidia App for new features, and GeForce Experience is being retired, so switching over is worthwhile.
- Will this work on a GTX laptop without RTX?
- The Nvidia Image Scaling override still works on GTX cards since it does not require Tensor cores, but true DLSS remains RTX-exclusive.