Learn when MSFS 2020 scenery works in MSFS 2024 unchanged, when an SDK rebuild is required, and how to test airport packages safely.
Yes, but many Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 scenery packages do not need conversion: they can run in MSFS 2024 unchanged. If a package shows terrain, material, object or airport conflicts, its developer must usually rebuild and correct it with the MSFS 2024 SDK. End users cannot properly convert an encrypted package.
The key distinction is between transferring an existing compiled package and converting its source project. Copying compatible scenery into the correct MSFS 2024 Community folder is a transfer; correcting and rebuilding it through the SDK is a conversion.
Does MSFS 2020 scenery work in MSFS 2024?
Simple landmarks, model libraries and conventional airports have the best chance of working without modification. Compatibility becomes less predictable when scenery changes terrain, replaces a default airport, relies on animated SimObjects or includes custom modules and dependencies.
| Scenery type | Likely outcome in MSFS 2024 | Best action |
|---|---|---|
| Static landmarks and object libraries | Often work unchanged | Test the original package |
| Basic airport scenery | May work, but can conflict with revised default scenery | Check runways, parking, exclusions and objects |
| Terrain, aerial imagery and terraforming | More prone to elevation seams or blending faults | Use an author-supplied update if faults appear |
| Animated jetways, SimObjects or external modules | Higher compatibility risk | Install a native MSFS 2024 build where available |
| Encrypted Marketplace package | Cannot be converted manually | Obtain the compatible version through the original content system |
| Editable SDK source project | Can be rebuilt and corrected | Use the MSFS 2024 SDK and test every affected feature |
Static scenery generally transfers more successfully than aircraft, avionics and code-driven products. Our wider MSFS 2020 add-on compatibility breakdown explains why those other package types require different checks.
How should I test MSFS 2020 scenery in MSFS 2024?
Test one package at a time in a separate MSFS 2024 setup, rather than sharing a Community folder with MSFS 2020.
- Back up the package. Work with a copy and leave the known-good MSFS 2020 installation untouched.
- Check for an official update. Prefer a build explicitly labelled for MSFS 2024 or for both simulators. Do not overwrite a native 2024 release with the older package.
- Use the correct Community folder. MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 should have separate add-on folders because compatible files, updates and load-order requirements can differ. Follow our safe Community-folder installation and testing method if the package is supplied for manual installation.
- Install only that scenery. Temporarily remove other packages covering the same airport or area. This exposes a package fault instead of confusing it with a scenery conflict.
- Inspect the whole airport. Check runway elevation, taxiway joins, parking positions, terminal placement, vegetation exclusions, night lighting, jetways and approach alignment. Also test from the air because terrain seams may not be visible at ground level.
- Restore other add-ons gradually. If the scenery works alone but fails after another package returns, the problem is likely overlapping exclusions, shared model libraries or package priority rather than conversion.
If the package passes these checks, it has transferred successfully and does not need conversion. A mistake we see constantly is changing package metadata or folder names and calling that a conversion; neither action repairs incompatible scenery data.
What commonly breaks after transferring scenery?
Terrain deformation and duplicate default objects are the most common visible problems, but materials, dependencies and nested folders also cause failures.
- Sunken or raised runways: the package's terraforming no longer matches the base terrain. This normally requires the author to revise the source project.
- Duplicate terminals, windsocks or vegetation: an exclusion may not cover revised default scenery, or two airport packages may be active. Test with every overlapping package disabled.
- Pink, black or missing textures: texture paths, material definitions or compiled assets need correction. Confirm that every accompanying model-library package was installed before assuming conversion is required.
- Missing scenery: check that the package is not nested one folder too deep and that its expected manifest and layout files remain at the package root.
- Broken jetways or animation: the visual model may load while its supporting SimObject, behaviour or module does not. Use an updated release rather than deleting random files.
- Loading failures or crashes: remove the package immediately and test again. If MSFS 2024 starts normally without it, the package or one of its dependencies needs developer attention.
When does scenery require an SDK rebuild?
An SDK rebuild is required when the compiled MSFS 2020 package cannot be made reliable through correct installation and conflict removal.
The creator needs the editable source project, not merely the installed package. They can then build a separate MSFS 2024 version, review validation messages, inspect airport exclusions and terrain polygons, correct materials or asset references, and retest the result in a clean installation. Recompiling without fixing the underlying fault may reproduce exactly the same problem.
This is different from rebuilding legacy FSX or Prepar3D scenery. MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 share a much closer package lineage, so compatible scenery often needs testing or updating rather than a ground-up conversion.
Can I convert purchased scenery myself?
Usually not, because purchased scenery is commonly distributed as a compiled or encrypted package without the editable SDK source.
Do not extract, alter or redistribute protected assets. Use the publisher's MSFS 2024-compatible release where one exists; access and entitlement can also depend on the platform and store through which the scenery was obtained.
On PC, manually installed freeware can be tested in the Community folder, subject to its licence. On Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 or PS5 Pro, arbitrary PC-style Community-folder packages cannot simply be copied across, so scenery must be supplied through the console's supported content system. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was never released for PlayStation, so there is no PlayStation MSFS 2020 scenery installation to transfer.