NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready Driver 617.70

NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready Driver is NVIDIA's free graphics driver for GeForce RTX and GTX 16 cards on Windows 10 and 11, adding DLSS, G-SYNC and launch-day game tuning, managed automatically by the NVIDIA App if you like.

Updated: Oct 16, 2026
Size: 938MB
Downloads: 72.4K
This week: 66See the Top 20 downloads this week

The NVIDIA GeForce driver is the software that lets Windows and your games get the full speed out of a GeForce graphics card.

This page carries two builds: Game Ready 617.42, the tested WHQL release, and Hotfix 617.70, a quick fix for two monitor problems.

For most people 617.42 is the right download, and the hotfix is only worth it if you have one of the problems it fixes.

What the Driver Does

Windows installs a basic display driver on its own, but it is slow and misses most of what a GeForce card can do. NVIDIA's driver unlocks full 3D speed, the latest DirectX and Vulkan support, and features such as DLSS, G-SYNC and NVIDIA Reflex.

Each Game Ready release is also tuned for the newest big games on their launch day. If a new game crashes or runs badly, updating the driver is usually the first fix to try.

617.42 or 617.70 - Which to Install

Driver	What it is	Install it if
Game Ready 617.42 (WHQL)	The full release from 6 October 2026, tested and signed by Microsoft	You want a stable, up-to-date driver. This is the default choice.
Hotfix 617.70	617.42 plus two monitor fixes, released quickly without full testing	You have a 360 Hz G-SYNC Pulsar monitor stuck near 320 fps, or a 360 Hz 1440p screen with black flashes

Both are 64-bit installers for Windows 10 and 11. The 617.42 file here is the desktop version; the hotfix covers desktops and laptops in one installer.

The hotfix is not offered through the NVIDIA App's automatic updates, so you install it by hand if you need it.

What Is New in 617.42 and 617.70

Game Ready 617.42 adds launch-day support for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and STAR WARS: Galactic Racer. It is also ready for Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Sim Update 7.

DLSS 4.5. Super Resolution on all RTX cards in the new games, Frame Generation on RTX 40 Series, and Dynamic Multi Frame Generation up to 6X on RTX 50 Series.
NVIDIA Reflex. Lower input delay in Modern Warfare 4 on every GeForce RTX card.

Hotfix 617.70 removes an unwanted frame cap of about 320 fps on 360 Hz G-SYNC Pulsar monitors, which also added input delay. It partly fixes random black flashes on 360 Hz 1440p monitors, seen mostly on RTX 30 and RTX 40 cards.

Still not fixed:

Some black flashes remain, and G-SYNC can switch off after the monitor wakes from sleep. NVIDIA is still working on both, with no date yet.

Which Graphics Cards Are Supported

The 617 drivers support GeForce RTX 50, 40, 30 and 20 Series cards and the GTX 16 Series, on desktops and laptops.

GTX 10 Series and older:

GTX 750, 900 and 10 Series cards stopped getting Game Ready drivers in October 2025 and will not install these versions. They now get separate security-only drivers every few months until October 2028.

Not sure which card you have? GPU-Z shows the exact model and the driver version you are running.

How to Install It Cleanly

Download the driver for your version of Windows and run it.
Choose the graphics driver alone if you want the lightest install, or include the NVIDIA App for automatic updates.
Tick Perform a clean installation under the custom options if you have had crashes or odd behaviour, which resets old settings.
Restart when the installer asks.

If something still goes wrong, many gamers remove the old driver completely with Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Safe Mode, then install again. To tidy up leftover old driver packages afterwards, Driver Store Explorer shows what is stored and what is safe to delete.

Anti-cheat games after a hotfix:

Some competitive games with kernel-level anti-cheat can refuse to start right after a new hotfix, until the anti-cheat catches up. If that happens, go back to 617.42.

Keeping Drivers Up to Date

The NVIDIA App checks for new Game Ready drivers, optimises game settings and records gameplay. You can skip it and update by hand from this page instead.

For the other parts of your PC, Snappy Driver Installer Origin and IObit Driver Booster find outdated drivers in one scan.

On laptops with Intel graphics as well, keep the Intel Graphics Driver current too.

Getting More From Your GeForce Card

Every recent GeForce card has an NVENC video encoder built in. OBS Studio uses it to record and stream with almost no hit to your frame rate.

The same encoder speeds up conversions in HandBrake.

DaVinci Resolve and Blender use the card to render and export faster.

For video playback, VLC Media Player can use RTX Video Super Resolution to sharpen low-resolution video on RTX cards. To watch temperatures and clock speeds while you play, MSI Afterburner adds an on-screen display.

No GeForce card at all? GeForce NOW streams games from NVIDIA's servers instead. The Other Tools category has more system utilities.

Quick questions

Should I install 617.42 or the 617.70 hotfix?

617.42 for almost everyone. Take 617.70 only if you have a 360 Hz G-SYNC Pulsar monitor capped near 320 fps, or black flashes on a 360 Hz 1440p screen.

Does this driver work with a GTX 1060 or 1080?

No. GTX 10 Series and older cards left the Game Ready program in October 2025 and use separate security-only drivers.

Do I need the NVIDIA App?

No. The driver works on its own. The app is optional and adds automatic updates, game settings and recording.

Is the driver free?

Yes. NVIDIA drivers are free for every GeForce owner.

Does it support Windows 10?

Yes. Both 617.42 and 617.70 are built for 64-bit Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Download the NVIDIA GeForce driver 617.42 or 617.70 and get your games running at full speed, or be the first to tell us how you got on.