When using a Game Feature Plugin, one of the settings available in the "GameFeatureData" DataAsset (class UGameFeatureData) is "PrimaryAssetTypesToScan", which is an array of FPrimaryAssetTypeInfo structures. This structure, in turn, contains a property "Directories", which is an array of FDirectoryPath structures.
Since Game Features are always plugins, it makes sense that "GameFeatureData.PrimaryAssetTypesToScan.Directories" is forced to display plugin folders. Otherwise, whether they are displayed or not depends on the default value stored in class UContentBrowserSettings, which cannot be set explicitly by the user and which might be different from the per-instance setting of any Content Browser tabs being used (struct FContentBrowserInstanceConfig inside class UContentBrowserConfig). Currently, it is possible (and actually common) that Plugin folders are being displayed on the Content Browser, but not on the picker for the "GameFeatureData.PrimaryAssetTypesToScan.Directories" property. When this happens, the only in-editor workaround for the user is to click the content browser Settings button, then disable and re-enable the "Plugin Content" checkbox.
Note that CL 44672854 from August 2025 allowed the directory path struct customization to respect the ForceShowPluginContent property meta tag (see function "FDirectoryPathStructCustomization::CustomizeHeader()" in file "DirectoryPathStructCustomization.cpp"). It appears that this tag would be useful here.
1. Edit file "<%LOCALAPPDATA%>/UnrealEngine/<VERSION>/Saved/Config/WindowsEditor/EditorSettings.ini". Under section [/Script/UnrealEd.ContentBrowserSettings], make sure there is NOT a line "DisplayPluginFolders=True". This line does not exist on a fresh engine installation, but it gets added when the user clicks the Settings icon in a Content Browser tab and changes the state of "Plugin Content", which is the effect of the workaround for the issue.
2. Open a project
3. Make sure plugins "Game Features" and "Modular Gameplay" are enabled
4. Create a new plugin of type "Game Feature (Content Only). On subsequent runs of the Editor, make sure that this new plugin is also enabled.
5. Edit the "Game Feature Data" asset that was automatically created on the plugin's content root folder
6. Look for "Game Feature – Asset Manager – Primary Asset Types to Scan – Index[0] – Directories – Index[0]". Create array elements as necessary.
7. Click the three dots next to a directory entry.
8. Note that the "Plugins" folder does not appear, which does not allow the user to select directories from the Game Feature Plugin itself.
9. On the Content Browser, click the Settings Icon, then disable and re-enable the "Plugin Content" checkbox.
10. Repeat steps 5-7. Note that the "Plugins" folder now appears correctly.
11. To test again after having performed step 9, it will be necessary to also repeat step 1.
There's no existing public thread on this issue, so head over to Questions & Answers just mention UE-348448 in the post.