Find the best VR add-ons for MSFS 2020 and 2024, from kneeboards and maps to cockpit tools, aircraft, scenery and performance utilities.
The best VR add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator are OpenKneeboard for charts and checklists, FSDesktop for viewing PC windows in the headset, Sky4Sim NG or Navigraph Charts for navigation, and VR-friendly aircraft such as FlyByWire’s A32NX. Compatible eye-tracked PC headsets may also gain performance from quad-view foveated rendering.
Which MSFS VR add-ons are worth installing?
OpenKneeboard is our first-choice VR utility because it puts charts, checklists, PDF documents and notes where they can be read without removing the headset. The other recommendations solve more specialised problems.
| Need | Best choice | Why it works in VR | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charts and checklists | OpenKneeboard | Displays documents as adjustable OpenXR overlays and supports multiple tabs. | PC only; it is an external utility rather than a Community package. |
| Normal PC applications | FSDesktop | Brings desktop windows into the cockpit, useful for planning tools and documents that lack a VR panel. | Consumes some performance and requires a release compatible with the chosen simulator. |
| VFR navigation | Sky4Sim NG | Provides a tablet-style map and flight information through the simulator toolbar. | Toolbar panels can be awkward to operate with motion controllers; a mouse is often easier. |
| IFR charts | Navigraph Charts | Places procedures, airport charts and moving-map information inside the simulator. | Best suited to IFR flying and requires the relevant subscription. |
| Free VR aircraft | FlyByWire A32NX or Van’s RV-7 | Both provide useful 3D cockpits without depending on a stack of floating 2D windows. | Use a build explicitly compatible with MSFS 2020 or 2024. |
| Low-level scenery detail | We Love VFR | Adds visible objects that make helicopter and low-level VFR flying more convincing. | Extra objects can increase CPU load in already dense areas. |
| Eye-tracked rendering | Quad-view foveated rendering | Reduces detail away from the point of focus on supported headsets and runtime combinations. | Not a universal MSFS performance fix; unsupported hardware gains nothing. |
Aircraft and scenery do not need a special VR label, but they should have usable 3D controls, readable displays and sensible performance. Our shortlist of VR-friendly freeware aircraft and scenery covers the strongest no-cost choices without treating every ordinary livery as a VR mod.
Do VR add-ons work in both MSFS 2020 and 2024?
No—an add-on working in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 does not guarantee full compatibility with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. External OpenXR overlays are often less dependent on the simulator version, while aircraft, toolbar panels, scenery packages and utilities that read simulator data require closer checking.
- MSFS 2020 on PC: has the broadest established selection of VR utilities and Community packages.
- MSFS 2024 on PC: use releases that explicitly name MSFS 2024. Legacy content may load yet still have broken controls, displays, toolbar panels or performance behaviour.
- Xbox Series X|S: does not support MSFS headset VR or external Windows utilities.
- PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro: only MSFS 2024 is available. PSVR2 support belongs to a free 2026 update, but PC-only OpenXR tools and Community-folder installations cannot run on PlayStation.
Before moving an older package into the new simulator, follow our 2020-to-2024 add-on compatibility checks. A common mistake is assuming that appearing in the aircraft or scenery list proves full compatibility.
Will VR add-ons increase frame rate?
Most VR add-ons do not increase frame rate; cockpit tablets, traffic, detailed aircraft and scenery usually add workload. The biggest gains normally come from correct OpenXR configuration, sensible render scaling and simulator graphics settings rather than another Community package.
Establish a clean headset connection first using our OpenXR runtime setup checklist, then adjust the options covered in our VR settings guide for clarity and performance. Change one setting at a time and repeat the same aircraft, airport, weather and view when comparing results.
Quad-view or eye-tracked foveated rendering is worthwhile only when the headset, OpenXR runtime and rendering path all support it. Fixed foveated rendering can help some systems, but blurred instruments at the edge of the lenses may be a poor trade for cockpit flying.
OpenXR Toolkit still appears in older MSFS guides, but it is no longer actively maintained and is not our default recommendation for MSFS 2024. If an existing MSFS 2020 installation depends on it, keep a record of the working configuration and disable the API layer first when VR stops launching after an update.
How should I install MSFS VR add-ons?
Install and verify one VR add-on at a time, because several overlays or toolbar panels can fail in ways that look like a headset problem.
- Test unmodified VR first. Confirm that Microsoft Flight Simulator enters VR and completes a short flight without third-party utilities.
- Identify the add-on type. Aircraft, scenery and toolbar packages normally belong in the simulator’s active Community folder. OpenKneeboard and similar OpenXR tools are separate Windows applications and should be installed through their own installer.
- Use the correct simulator build. Keep MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 packages separate unless the developer explicitly supplies one package for both.
- Check the package level. For a conventional Community add-on, files such as
manifest.jsonandlayout.jsonshould be at the package root, not hidden inside a second identically named folder. - Restart the simulator. New toolbar panels and aircraft packages may not be detected reliably when copied during a running session.
- Add the next utility only after testing. This makes a conflicting toolbar panel, OpenXR layer or outdated package easy to identify and remove.
Why is an in-game panel blank in VR?
A blank panel usually points to an incompatible package, a failed sign-in window or a conflict with another toolbar add-on. Test the panel in normal 2D mode, complete any browser authentication on the monitor, then reopen it after entering VR.
If it works in 2D but not in the headset, remove other toolbar modifications temporarily. For missing OpenXR overlays, confirm that the headset software is using the intended OpenXR runtime; reinstalling aircraft or scenery will not fix a runtime-layer problem.
What should I install first?
Start with OpenKneeboard, then add either Sky4Sim NG for VFR flying or Navigraph Charts for IFR operations. Add aircraft and scenery individually once performance is stable. FSDesktop is most useful when a required Windows application lacks its own VR panel, while quad-view tools should be the final step, reserved for compatible eye-tracked PC hardware.