The interface lived for nearly two decades and served us well, but now it's time to switch to the latest NVIDIA App.
NVIDIA Announces the Official Retirement of Control Panel, One of the Most Popular Tools for NVIDIA GPU-Based Systems
The popular NVIDIA GPU tool, NVIDIA Control Panel, launched in February 2026. It has been just over two decades since the tool went live and has remained the most used utility on NVIDIA GPU-based systems. From offering simple settings to change refresh rate, resolution, and multiple-display setups to manage 3D settings, the Control Panel remained one of the easiest to use and most versatile solutions for NVIDIA GPUs.
NVIDIA has already been recommending using its latest App for tweaking these settings, as it previously announced that the retirement of NVIDIA Control Panel is imminent. In the latest GeForce Driver for 007 First Light blog, NVIDIA has officially announced the retirement of the Control Panel after 20 years of "dedicated" service. The company informed a few things about the retirement, which should clear the confusion.
After 20 years of dedicated service, the classic NVIDIA Control Panel is officially retiring for Game Ready and Studio Drivers. For NVIDIA RTX PRO users, the NVIDIA Control Panel will continue to be supported until we have migrated professional features to the NVIDIA app.
Existing installs of the NVIDIA Control Panel will remain on users’ systems, unless they perform a clean installation, and users who still need the NVIDIA Control Panel can continue to download it from the Microsoft Store, but we won’t be adding features, fixes, or other changes.
- NVIDIA
First of all, users with NVIDIA Control Panel installations won't see their software suddenly disappearing from their systems. The Control Panel will remain on their computers, but if they perform a clean installation of NVIDIA drivers, the Control Panel will be removed. Moreover, the Control Panel can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store even though it has been officially discontinued. This keeps it alive for Control Panel fans who find it easier to work with Control Panel than the NVIDIA App.
Secondly, NVIDIA has recommended that NVIDIA GPU users install its NVIDIA App that offers all the modern functionality of the Control Panel, but with a somewhat different interface. For instance, the Graphics > Program Settings replaces the NVIDIA Control Panel's 3D settings > Manage 3D Settings. Every other display option and setting will now be under NVIDIA's App System tab.
News Source: NVIDIA
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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