If you’re a passionate PC gamer, giving your desktop a personal touch can enhance your overall experience. A simple yet effective way to do this is by changing the game icons on your desktop. Swapping out the default icons for custom ones is an easy process, but it adds a unique and fresh aesthetic to your setup. Whether you’re bored of the standard icons or want to highlight a game shortcut from platforms like Steam, changing the icon brings a personalized vibe to your desktop. In this guide, brought to you by Empire Magazines, we’ll show you how to change a game icon on desktop and share some useful tips to make it seamless.
Why Change a Game Icon on Desktop?
Game icons on your desktop are a quick gateway to your favorite games. Over time, you may find the default icons monotonous or unattractive. Or, if you organize your desktop with a lot of shortcuts, it can be challenging to differentiate between different games at a glance. By learning How to Change a Game Icon on Desktop, you can personalize your desktop, ensuring that your most-played games are easy to identify. Moreover, you can pick icons that reflect your personal style or aesthetic preferences.
Changing the icon of a game on your desktop also allows you to match the icons to a theme you’ve set for your system. If you use specific desktop backgrounds or custom themes, icons play a significant role in making your desktop appear cohesive and polished. For gaming enthusiasts, this adds a layer of personalization that can make the desktop both functional and visually appealing.
Step-by-Step: How to Change a Game Icon on Desktop
Here is a detailed guide to help you easily change the icon for your favorite game shortcut on your desktop:
Create a Desktop Shortcut (if necessary)
Before you can change the icon, you need a desktop shortcut for the game. If you’ve downloaded a game from platforms like Steam, Epic Games, or other services, it’s likely you don’t have a shortcut by default. In this case, you’ll need to create one:
- For Steam games, right-click the game in your library.
- Select Manage and then choose Add Desktop Shortcut.
Once you have the shortcut on your desktop, you’re ready to customize its icon.
Right-Click on the Game Shortcut
Now, locate the game shortcut on your desktop. Right-click the icon and select Properties from the context menu. This will open a window that allows you to modify the game’s shortcut properties. You’ll find a tab where you can change the icon.
Navigate to the “Shortcut” Tab and Change the Icon
In the Properties window, switch to the Shortcut tab if it’s not selected by default. Once you’re in the Shortcut tab, look for the Change Icon… button near the bottom. Click on this button to proceed.
Select or Upload a New Icon
After clicking Change Icon…, a new window will pop up, displaying some default Windows icons. However, if you want to personalize it further, you can upload a custom icon. Icons need to be in .ico format, so if you have an image you’d like to use (such as a logo or a customized image), you’ll first need to convert it into this format using an online converter. Once you have the .ico file, click on Browse to upload it.
Confirm and Apply the Changes
Once you’ve selected the new icon, click OK to confirm your choice. Then click Apply in the Properties window to save the changes. You should now see your custom icon replacing the default game icon on your desktop. If at any point you want to revert to the default icon, you can follow the same steps and click Restore Default in the icon change window.
Where to Find Custom Icons
While Windows offers a few default icons, they are usually generic and not tailored for specific games. To make your desktop truly unique, you can find or create custom icons. Websites such as Flaticon, IconArchive, or DeviantArt have a huge collection of custom icons available for free download. Once you find an image you like, you can convert it to .ico format using free online tools like ConvertICO.
Another option is to create your own icons. You can use tools like Photoshop, GIMP, or even Microsoft Paint to design your own personalized icons. After designing the icon, you can use the same steps mentioned above to replace the default game icon with your custom design.
Troubleshooting Common Issues When Changing Game Icons
Occasionally, users may encounter issues when trying to change a game icon on their desktop. Let’s go over some of the most common problems and how to fix them.
1. Icon Doesn’t Appear or Reverts to Default
Sometimes, after you change the icon, the new icon doesn’t appear or reverts to the default game icon. This usually happens because of cached data in Windows. To fix this, you may need to restart your computer or manually refresh your desktop. You can refresh your desktop by right-clicking on an empty area of the screen and selecting Refresh.
2. Invalid Icon Format
If the icon doesn’t change, the issue could be with the file format. Remember that Windows requires .ico files for desktop icons. If you are uploading an image in .png or .jpg format, you’ll need to convert it to .ico using an online converter or software like Photoshop.
3. Icon Doesn’t Match the Rest of the Desktop
If you’ve changed your icon but it looks too small or doesn’t fit in with other icons, you can try adjusting the size of all desktop icons. To do this, right-click on your desktop, go to View, and then choose between Small, Medium, or Large icons depending on your preference.
Advanced Customization: Matching Icons to Themes
Once you’ve learned How to Change a Game Icon on Desktop, you might want to take customization a step further by matching all your desktop icons to a theme. For example, if you’re using a space-themed background, you could download icons with a futuristic or galaxy aesthetic. Many websites offer icon packs that are already designed to match certain themes, such as retro, minimalist, or nature.
By customizing all your game icons, you can make your desktop a visually cohesive space that enhances the gaming experience every time you turn on your computer.
Conclusion
Customizing your desktop by learning How to Change a Game Icon on Desktop is a fun and easy way to personalize your computer and make it more functional. Whether you want to add a touch of creativity or make your games easier to identify at a glance, changing the game icons can refresh your desktop and make it more enjoyable. By following the steps provided by Empire Magazines, you’ll be able to change your game icons in just a few minutes.
From choosing a new icon to troubleshooting common issues, we’ve covered everything you need to know about this customization feature. Now, go ahead and change your game icons to give your desktop a new and personalized look.
