Enable AMD frame generation in MSFS 2020 using AFMF or an FSR-based mod, with the correct V-Sync, display mode and FPS checks.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 does not include native AMD FSR frame generation. On a supported Radeon GPU, enable AMD Fluid Motion Frames in the simulator’s AMD Software game profile, then run MSFS with V-Sync off and fullscreen or borderless display. A compatible FSR-based mod is the alternative, but it carries update and stability risks.
How do I enable AMD Fluid Motion Frames in MSFS 2020?
AMD Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF) is the safest AMD method because it works at driver level and does not replace any simulator files.
- Install a compatible Radeon driver. AFMF must be supported by both the installed driver and your particular Radeon GPU. If the option is absent from AMD Software, changing MSFS settings will not make it appear.
- Establish stable native performance. Reduce settings that cause sustained MainThread or GPU limitation before adding generated frames. Our recommended MSFS graphics baseline covers the settings that usually matter most.
- Open the MSFS game profile. In AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, open Gaming, select Microsoft Flight Simulator and find AMD Fluid Motion Frames. If MSFS is missing, rescan for games or add its executable where the installation permits it.
- Enable AMD Fluid Motion Frames. Do this in the MSFS-specific profile rather than globally, so other applications are unaffected.
- Turn off V-Sync in MSFS. Open General Options, Graphics and disable V-Sync. Use the simulator's Full Screen mode or a borderless full-screen window. FreeSync can remain enabled on a compatible display.
- Restart and test the simulator. Closing and relaunching MSFS ensures that the driver profile attaches to the correct process.
AFMF can operate independently of MSFS's anti-aliasing choice. Selecting AMD FSR 2 inside the simulator is therefore not required, and FSR 2 by itself does not generate frames. Driver support can cover DX11 or DX12, so use whichever renderer gives your system the steadier native frame rate.
Why is the MSFS frame generation setting missing or greyed out?
The in-game Frame Generation switch is not an AMD control, so its absence or greyed-out state on a Radeon card is expected. MSFS 2020's integrated frame-generation path was designed around supported NVIDIA hardware; the simulator's AMD FSR 2 setting provides upscaling and anti-aliasing, not FSR frame generation.
A mistake we see constantly is enabling FSR 2 and assuming the higher frame rate must be frame generation. FSR 2 can improve performance by rendering at a lower internal resolution, but every displayed frame is still rendered normally.
If AFMF itself is unavailable or inactive, check these points:
- The Radeon GPU and installed driver explicitly support AFMF.
- MSFS is using the discrete Radeon GPU rather than an integrated graphics processor.
- The AMD game profile points to the process that is actually running.
- V-Sync is disabled and the simulator is not running in an ordinary window.
- No frame limiter, capture utility or conflicting overlay is preventing AFMF from engaging.
Should I use AFMF or an FSR frame-generation mod?
Choose AFMF first when your GPU supports it; use an FSR-based replacement only when you accept file changes, DX12 requirements and the possibility that a simulator update will break it.
| Method | Best choice when | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| AMD Fluid Motion Frames | You want simple driver-level frame generation without changing MSFS files | Generated after the final image, so cockpit displays and UI can show artefacts |
| FSR-based frame-generation mod | The package explicitly supports AMD GPUs and your MSFS 2020 build | May require DX12, managed game files and reinstallation after updates |
| MSFS FSR 2 setting | You need upscaling to improve the native frame rate | Does not provide frame generation |
FSR-based replacements vary considerably. Some mods described as DLSS-to-FSR frame generation only unlock older NVIDIA RTX cards and will not work on a Radeon GPU. Check for an explicit AMD compatibility statement rather than assuming that the letters FSR guarantee support. Our explanation of how MSFS frame-generation replacements work covers their latency, artefact and update risks.
Most replacements use the simulator's DX12 rendering path. Change the renderer, apply the setting and restart MSFS before installation; our MSFS graphics-menu instructions explain that process. Many packages also require Windows Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling.
Follow the selected package's instructions exactly. These replacements commonly belong beside the simulator executable rather than in the Community folder, but their files and activation controls are not universal. Back up anything being replaced, and do not take ownership of a protected Windows installation folder merely to force a mod into it. Remove the replacement first when diagnosing crashes, visual corruption or problems after an update.
How can I tell whether AMD frame generation is working?
Use AMD Software's metrics overlay to verify AFMF because the MSFS Developer Mode counter normally reports rendered simulation frames rather than all driver-generated display frames.
The AMD overlay should identify AFMF as active and show a higher presented frame rate when generation is operating. Compare the same parked cockpit view with AFMF off and on; menus, loading screens and rapidly changing scenes make poor tests. Our guide to checking FPS and identifying MainThread or GPU limits explains what the simulator's own counter is actually measuring.
Frame generation improves visual fluidity, not the underlying simulation rate. If MSFS is running at an unstable native rate, generated frames will reproduce its stutters and add latency rather than cure them. Get the base frame rate steady first, then enable AFMF or a compatible mod as the final smoothing step.