After 20 years, Nvidia is shutting down the classic Control Panel for good. Although existing installs will remain functional while Nvidia finishes migrating professional features, most of the original program's functionality has been ported to the unified Nvidia App, and that's where it will focus its efforts moving forward.
Nvidia GeForce gamers have used the Control Panel to adjust their in-game settings for two decades. Forcing resolutions, 3D effects, or anti-aliasing levels in the program meant not having to tweak every title's settings, saving valuable gaming time. However, its time in the sun passed a while ago, and Nvidia has almost finished moving over everything it needs to bin the app for good.
For now, gamers running Game Ready and Studio Drivers will not have the Control Panel installed when they update their drivers, leaving them to use the main Nvidia app for all their driver updates and settings tweaks. However, RTX Pro users will still see the Control Panel when they download updated drivers, while Nvidia finishes porting the final features for professional users.
Nvidia heralded these changes last year with its biggest update to the Nvidia app yet. It migrated 3D features, surround support, Optimus controls, and multi-monitor options, largely completing the feature port from the Control Panel.
It's not like the Nvidia app isn't easier to use (and more useful, too). It has built-in automated driver updates, which preclude the need to download anything manually. It also makes it easier to make per-game setting tweaks and adjust GPU performance all in a single app.
That doesn't mean the old heads don't have some affection for the Control Panel. Its classic interface is very reminiscent of earlier versions of Windows, which, for older gamers and enthusiasts, can feel easier to navigate.
