Enable AMD FSR 2 in MSFS 2020, choose the right quality mode, fix a missing option, and learn when it will or will not improve FPS.
On PC, open Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and go to Options > General Options > Graphics. Set Anti-Aliasing to AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2, choose a Quality preset, then select Apply & Save. FSR 2 works on compatible AMD, Nvidia and Intel GPUs; it is an upscaler, not AMD frame generation.
How to turn on AMD FSR 2 in MSFS 2020
FSR 2 is enabled inside the simulator's anti-aliasing controls, not through AMD Software or another graphics-driver utility.
- Update the simulator and graphics driver. An old MSFS 2020 installation may pre-date FSR 2 support. Restart the PC if the driver installer requests it.
- Open the PC graphics menu. From the main screen or pause menu, select
Options > General Options > Graphics. Our walkthrough of the graphics menu and saved settings explains the surrounding display controls. - Find Anti-Aliasing. Open its list and select
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2. This replaces TAA, DLSS or any other active anti-aliasing method. - Choose the FSR mode. Start with Quality. Move to Balanced or Performance only if the GPU still cannot maintain the desired frame rate.
- Apply and test the change. Select
Apply & Saveand return to the flight. A simulator restart is not normally required.
An AMD Radeon card is not mandatory: FSR 2 is a cross-vendor technology. Xbox versions manage their rendering settings differently and do not expose this PC graphics option.
Which FSR quality mode should I use?
Quality is the best starting point because it preserves cockpit text and distant scenery better than the more aggressive modes.
| Mode | Best use | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | Normal use at 1440p or 4K | Smallest performance gain among the FSR modes |
| Balanced | GPU-limited flying where Quality is not enough | Softer instruments and distant detail |
| Performance | High output resolutions with a severe GPU limit | Visible reconstruction artefacts and reduced clarity |
| Ultra Performance | Last resort, if offered by the installed build | Lowest image quality, especially in glass cockpits |
| TAA instead of FSR | 1080p or situations where clarity matters more than FPS | Higher GPU load |
A mistake we see often is combining a low display resolution with an aggressive FSR mode. That lowers the internal rendering resolution twice over and can make labels, runways and terrain noticeably soft.
Will FSR improve FPS in MSFS 2020?
FSR improves performance primarily when MSFS 2020 is limited by the graphics card. It renders at a lower internal resolution and reconstructs the image to the selected output resolution, reducing GPU workload.
If the Developer Mode FPS display says Limited by GPU, FSR is likely to help. If it says Limited by MainThread, the processor is the bottleneck and lowering rendering resolution may produce little or no gain. Our MSFS 2020 FPS diagnosis and optimisation steps cover the settings that matter for each limit.
V-Sync or a frame-rate cap can also conceal an improvement. Compare the same aircraft, airport, weather and camera view before and after changing the setting rather than judging two different flights.
Why is FSR missing or making the image blurry?
A missing FSR option usually points to an outdated simulator installation or the wrong menu, while blur is normally caused by an aggressive preset or a low output resolution.
FSR does not appear in the menu
- Confirm that MSFS 2020 has completed all simulator updates, not just the launcher update.
- Look under
Anti-Aliasingin the PC Graphics settings; FSR is not an AMD driver-panel switch. - Install a suitable graphics driver if the simulator is up to date but the option is absent or unstable.
- Do not try to force FSR through
UserCfg.opt. Editing the configuration file cannot add support missing from the installed simulator build or hardware.
Cockpit text looks soft or objects leave trails
- Change the FSR mode to Quality.
- Make sure MSFS is using the display's native output resolution.
- At 1080p, compare FSR Quality with TAA; TAA often produces clearer glass-cockpit displays.
- Expect some temporal ghosting around propellers, aerials, moving traffic and rapidly changing digits. If it remains distracting, use TAA.
For softness that remains after disabling FSR, work through our checks for blurry textures and cockpit displays, since render scaling, texture resolution or data-streaming problems may be responsible instead.
Is FSR 2 the same as AMD frame generation?
No. FSR 2 reconstructs each rendered frame at a higher output resolution; it does not create additional frames between rendered ones. AMD frame generation is a separate driver-level feature with its own hardware requirements and latency trade-offs. See our separate AMD frame-generation setup and caveats rather than expecting the FSR setting to enable it.