Enable or disable photogrammetry in MSFS 2020, set its online dependencies correctly, and fix greyed-out, blurry or slow 3D scenery.
To enable or disable photogrammetry in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, open Options, select General Options, then Data, and switch Photogrammetry on or off. Select Apply & Save. Photogrammetry also requires Online Functionality and Bing Data World Graphics to be enabled; otherwise the switch alone will not produce streamed 3D cities.
How do I turn photogrammetry on or off?
The Photogrammetry switch is under Options > General Options > Data on both PC and Xbox Series X|S.
- Open General Options: Select Options from the main menu, followed by General Options. During a flight, open the pause menu and use the same route.
- Check the online dependencies: To use photogrammetry, set Online Functionality and Bing Data World Graphics to On.
- Choose the photogrammetry setting: Set Photogrammetry to On for streamed 3D city geometry or Off to replace it with generated buildings. You can leave Bing Data World Graphics on when disabling photogrammetry.
- Save the change: Select Apply & Save, then return to the flight. If an existing scene does not refresh after a short wait, reload the flight or move away from the area and return.
Do not disable Online Functionality merely to remove photogrammetry: that master switch also affects other internet-based features. Our explanation of what the Online Functionality switch controls covers the wider consequences.
What changes when photogrammetry is disabled?
Disabling Photogrammetry replaces scanned 3D city geometry with the simulator's generated buildings, while Bing aerial ground imagery can remain active.
| Configuration | Scenery result | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Photogrammetry on | Streamed 3D buildings and terrain in covered areas | Best representation of distinctive cities, but uses additional bandwidth and processing |
| Photogrammetry off, Bing on | Generated buildings over streamed aerial imagery | Less 3D scenery data and often more consistent geometry |
| Online Functionality off | No live Bing or photogrammetry streaming | Reduces online data use but also disables other online services |
Photogrammetry coverage is not worldwide. A town looking like ordinary autogen does not prove the setting has failed; many locations simply have no scanned 3D coverage.
Why is MSFS photogrammetry greyed out or not working?
Photogrammetry usually fails because a required online setting is off, the connection cannot deliver the scenery, or the selected location has no photogrammetry coverage.
- Check both parent settings: Online Functionality and Bing Data World Graphics must be on before photogrammetry can work.
- Inspect the data limit: A configured Data Consumption Limit can stop further streaming after its allowance is reached.
- Test another covered city: This separates a local coverage limitation from a global settings problem.
- Allow scenery to stream: Low-detail blocks, melted buildings and delayed refinement usually indicate slow or interrupted delivery rather than a disabled switch.
- Check the rolling cache: Corrupt or stale cached scenery can sometimes preserve visual faults. Rebuilding the cache is a troubleshooting step, not something that should be required routinely.
If photogrammetry is enabled but remains soft or malformed, work through our checks for blurry or low-quality streamed scenery, including bandwidth limits, Bing data and cache problems.
Should I keep photogrammetry enabled?
Keep photogrammetry on for urban VFR flying when your connection and PC or Xbox can process streamed scenery cleanly; switch it off for lower data consumption, steadier loading or cleaner generated buildings.
Disabling it can reduce stuttering caused by scenery delivery and processing, but it is not a guaranteed frame-rate fix. Terrain Level of Detail, traffic and other graphics options may still be the limiting factors; our guide to the scenery settings that matter most for performance explains where to adjust next.
Does photogrammetry work offline?
Photogrammetry is fundamentally an online streaming feature. The rolling cache may retain some previously downloaded scenery, but it is not a dependable way to preserve complete cities for offline use. If bandwidth or a monthly allowance is the concern, see how much internet data MSFS 2020 can consume before deciding whether to leave it enabled.