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A modder going by Zortos, working with developer dpadGuy, has found a way to escape GeForce NOW’s restricted game-streaming interface and access the full underlying Windows desktop running on NVIDIA’s cloud hardware. The exploit essentially turns a paid GeForce NOW subscription into a rentable, high-end Windows PC in the cloud, complete with taskbar, start menu, desktop icons, and access to various system tools.
How the Exploit Works
The trick hinges on a clever file-swapping method rather than any deep security flaw in NVIDIA’s infrastructure. It’s all possible thanks to Trove, a free-to-play MMO originally made by Trion Worlds and now operated by gamigo. As an F2P game, it’s available in any GeForce NOW library. After launching the game, the user can open Steam’s built-in web browser during setup and navigate to the local C: drive, digging into the game’s Steamapps folder to find the path of its main executable.
Using a modified executable developed by dpadGuy, the user can then swap out Trove’s real launch file for a decoy. When the “game” is subsequently launched from the GeForce NOW interface, Steam is fooled into thinking it’s starting Trove, but instead of loading the game, the swapped file opens a fully functional Windows desktop running directly on NVIDIA’s remote hardware.
What You Can Actually Do With It
Once inside the desktop environment, the access is surprisingly unrestricted. Zortos demonstrated running Wallpaper Engine for animated desktop backgrounds, as well as more ambitious software like LM Studio, which he used to run the Gemma 4 AI language model locally on NVIDIA’s cloud GPU. Other users have reportedly used the same exploit to install games outside GeForce NOW’s official catalog, including titles like Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V.
The tool that makes all of this possible is SalsaNOW, an open-unauthorized software and games within a GeForce NOW session. According to its documentation, SalsaNOW automates much of the setup work needed to turn a standard cloud session into a customized workstation or gaming environment
The Catches
The exploit isn’t without limitations. It only works with paid GeForce NOW memberships; the free tier is not compatible, and neither are GeForce NOW services offered through third-party Alliance Partners, which effectively cuts off some regions where the service is not offered directly through NVIDIA.
Even within a paid session, some restrictions remain firmly in place. Browser downloads are still limited, session time limits continue to apply as usual, and closing certain core system components, such as File Explorer, will instantly terminate the session. Users who’ve purchased the persistent storage can retain their setup and files between sessions, but those without it start from scratch each time.
Both Performance and Ultimate paid tiers get the same base allowance: 100GB of single-session cloud storage included at no extra cost. However, to get the actual persistent storage mentioned above, you’ll need to pay an extra fee:
| Persistent tiers | Monthly price (US) |
|---|---|
| 200GB | $2.99 |
| 500GB | $4.99 |
| 1TB | $7.99 |
This will allow you, as I’ve confirmed directly with modder Zortos, to install mods, which remains one of the main GeForce NOW limitations. However, Zortos told me that due to the lack of administrative rights, this will only work on games that do not use anti-cheat software such as BattlEye or Easy Anti-Cheat. As such, it is best used for offline games.
NVIDIA’s Silence So Far
Despite the exploit racking up a lot of views across social media, NVIDIA has not issued any official statement or released a patch to close the loophole as of this writing. For now, the method remains functional for those willing to follow the setup process, which is fully detailed in the modder’s Discord channel. Of course, should that change, we’ll let you know and update this article accordingly.
In other GeForce NOW news, NVIDIA recently outlined the lineup of new PC games that will be officially supported in August 2026.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief.
In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech’s gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews.
Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications.
His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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