The best MSFS 2024 settings for FPS depend on the limiting component. Use DLSS or FSR, render scaling, clouds, and shadows for a GPU limit; use terrain/object detail, traffic, simulation complexity, and Glass Cockpit Refresh Rate for a CPU or main-thread limit.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has no universal best preset. Resolution, aircraft, airport density, weather, traffic, VRAM, scenery streaming, and updates can change the result, so test every adjustment in a repeatable demanding flight.
Key takeaways
- There is no single best MSFS 2024 settings for FPS profile because simulator workload changes by aircraft, airport, weather, traffic, resolution, VRAM, and updates.
- Render scaling and upscaling are usually the fastest GPU-side levers, but Quality, Balanced, and Performance modes trade image clarity for speed.
- Terrain LOD, Object LOD, traffic, simulation complexity, and Glass Cockpit Refresh Rate are the main CPU-side candidates.
- Clouds, shadows, reflections, ambient occlusion, and ray-traced shadows are useful settings to reduce when the GPU is full.
- Frame generation affects displayed FPS, not the simulator’s underlying rendered FPS, and should be evaluated for latency, artifacts, VRAM use, and stability.
How to increase FPS in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
To increase FPS in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, establish a realistic target, identify the CPU or GPU limit, and change one major setting at a time. Use native fullscreen resolution as the baseline, begin with 100 render scaling, and then choose CPU-focused or GPU-focused adjustments based on frame-time evidence.
A stable 30 FPS may be preferable to fluctuating 45–60 FPS during a demanding airliner flight or dense-airport approach. Test in the same aircraft, location, weather, camera position, and simulator version so that one setting change is the main difference.
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![Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Standard Edition (Pre-Purchase/Launch Day) – Play on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51wzIlxO80L._SL160_.jpg)
- CONTENT IS PLAYABLE AT 6AM PST ON NOV-19-2024.**
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How do you identify the MSFS 2024 bottleneck?
Open the simulator’s developer performance display or use another frame-time monitor. The monitor helps distinguish a main-thread/CPU limit from a GPU limit.
| Frame-time result | Settings to test | Best use case |
|---|---|---|
| CPU or main thread is slower | Terrain LOD, Object LOD, traffic, simulation complexity, cockpit refresh | Dense airports, urban scenery, advanced airliners |
| GPU is slower | DLSS/FSR, render scale, clouds, shadows, reflections, ambient occlusion, ray tracing | High resolution, heavy weather, demanding visual effects |
| VRAM is constrained | Texture resolution and memory-heavy options | Texture streaming problems or memory pressure |
CPU-limited versus GPU-limited MSFS 2024 performance requires different fixes. Lowering resolution on a CPU-limited PC may produce little improvement, while lowering traffic on a GPU-limited PC may sacrifice simulation activity without enough FPS benefit.
What should you lower first in MSFS 2024?
Lower the settings that correspond to the measured limit rather than lowering the entire preset blindly.
CPU-limited settings
Lower Terrain Level of Detail and Object Level of Detail from extreme values when distant scene management is holding back the main thread. Reduce air traffic, road traffic, sea traffic, airport traffic, and fauna in busy areas. Lower Glass Cockpit Refresh Rate from High when a complex airliner or advanced aircraft is the problem.
Traffic settings change the simulation experience, so disabling traffic is a choice between world activity and smoother performance. A simple general-aviation aircraft is not a reliable performance proxy for a study-level airliner with complex displays.
GPU-limited settings
Use DLSS or FSR at Quality or Balanced, then reduce render scaling if necessary. Lower Volumetric Clouds from Ultra to High or Medium, especially when flying in overcast or storm conditions. Disable ray-traced shadows and reduce shadow maps, terrain shadows, contact shadows, reflections, and ambient occlusion.
Keep textures higher when VRAM is sufficient because textures often preserve more visible detail than expensive lighting effects. Reduce texture resolution when VRAM pressure or texture streaming problems appear.
What are the best DLSS settings for MSFS 2024?
DLSS Quality is the most conservative starting point for image quality, while Balanced or Performance can provide additional GPU headroom at the cost of sharper fine detail and potentially more shimmer or ghosting.
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![Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Premium Deluxe Edition (Pre-Purchase/Launch Day) – Play on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51p9VlYT7TL._SL160_.jpg)
- CONTENT IS PLAYABLE AT 6AM PST ON NOV-19-2024.**
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A 2024 community performance guide on the Microsoft Flight Simulator Forums reported 52.6 FPS with DLSS Quality, 55.1 FPS with Balanced, 57.3 FPS with Performance, and 61.1 FPS with Ultra Performance in a controlled GPU-bottleneck test. The guide also reported 42.2 FPS with DLAA and 43.4 FPS with TAA. These measurements show the direction of the trade-off but are not universal results.
Judge the upscaler using cockpit instrument labels, thin lines, runway markings, distant buildings, and moving scenery. Performance mode is not automatically better if the cockpit becomes difficult to read.
How should you tune clouds, shadows, and reflections?
GPU-heavy effects should be tuned with representative weather and lighting, not only clear skies.
| Effect | Starting recommendation | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Volumetric Clouds | Medium or High | Storm and overcast frame time |
| Ray-traced shadows | Off | Whether the visual benefit justifies GPU cost |
| Shadow maps and terrain shadows | Reduce before textures | Aircraft and runway shadow quality |
| Contact shadows | Reduce selectively | Local depth around the aircraft |
| Reflections | Reduce selectively | Glass, water, and shiny surfaces |
| Ambient occlusion | Reduce if still GPU-limited | Grounding and nearby shading |
One tested Ultra configuration in the cited guide used 8,216 MB of VRAM, including a reported 2,777 MB increase in that comparison. The VRAM figure belongs to that test configuration and should not be interpreted as a universal MSFS 2024 requirement.
Does frame generation increase real simulator performance?
Frame generation can increase displayed FPS, but generated frames are not equivalent to additional underlying simulator-rendered frames. The base CPU and GPU frame time still determines responsiveness and input cadence.
Enable frame generation only after the non-generated image feels responsive. Compare cockpit readability, panning, latency, artifacts, VRAM use, and stability. MSFS 2024 release notes from the simulator team document stability implications for frame-generation options. Updates can change DLSS support and dynamic frame-generation behavior, including differences between NVIDIA and AMD hardware.
Which baseline settings should you test?
| Control | Baseline | If performance remains low |
|---|---|---|
| Fullscreen resolution | Native monitor resolution | Keep native and lower internal resolution through scaling/upscaling |
| Render scaling | 100 | Reduce for a GPU limit |
| Upscaler | Quality or Balanced | Try Performance after checking image quality |
| Terrain/Object LOD | Moderate | Lower for a CPU limit |
| Clouds | Medium or High | Lower for a GPU limit in heavy weather |
| Ray-traced shadows | Off | Leave off unless GPU headroom is substantial |
| Traffic | Reduced or moderate | Lower further for dense-airport CPU limits |
| Motion blur | Off | Change for clarity preference, not as a major FPS fix |
Record both frame time and visual quality after every major change. The best setting is the one that improves the demanding scenario you actually fly, not the one that produces the highest number in an easy scene.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why can MSFS 2024 stutter with high FPS?
MSFS 2024 can stutter with high FPS when frame times are uneven, even if the average FPS looks strong. Main-thread spikes, scenery streaming, traffic, VRAM pressure, power-management software, drivers, simulator updates, and frame-generation artifacts can all contribute.
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Check Windows and graphics-driver updates, simulator updates, and power-management settings before rebuilding the graphics preset. Microsoft’s support guidance advises against overclocked systems during troubleshooting. Microsoft Flight Simulator Support recommends checking the system requirements first and following its full-shutdown procedure where instructed.
When is a hardware upgrade the better answer?
A hardware upgrade is more useful when settings changes cannot meet the target without unacceptable image or simulation compromises. CPU capability is particularly important for dense airports and complex aircraft, while GPU capability and VRAM matter more for high resolution, clouds, and visual effects.
Use Microsoft Flight Simulator’s official hardware setup guide to match a gaming desktop to resolution, target FPS, CPU/GPU balance, VRAM, and aircraft type. A HOTAS, yoke, throttle, rudder pedals, or game copy improves immersion or access but does not increase FPS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I lower first in MSFS 2024?
Start by checking the developer performance display. Lower terrain/object detail, traffic, and cockpit refresh for a CPU limit; use DLSS/FSR, render scaling, clouds, shadows, and reflections for a GPU limit.
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What are the best DLSS settings for MSFS 2024?
DLSS Quality is the best image-quality starting point for a GPU-limited system. DLSS Balanced or Performance can increase FPS further, but inspect cockpit readability, shimmer, and ghosting before keeping the change.
Why is MSFS 2024 stuttering with high FPS?
MSFS 2024 can stutter with high FPS when frame times spike because of main-thread work, streaming, traffic, VRAM pressure, drivers, or frame generation. Average FPS does not fully describe smoothness.
The Bottom Line
The reliable MSFS 2024 performance method is diagnostic: check frame time, apply CPU-side or GPU-side reductions, and retest in a difficult repeatable flight. Treat DLSS, FSR, and frame generation as tools with image-quality, latency, VRAM, and stability trade-offs.
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