How do I enable frame generation in Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Enable frame generation in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, fix a greyed-out DLSS option, and choose the right multiplier.
On a supported PC, open Microsoft Flight Simulator's Graphics settings and enable NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation or select a frame-generation multiplier. In MSFS 2020, first choose DirectX 12 and restart; MSFS 2024 uses DirectX 12 already. NVIDIA's built-in option requires an RTX 40- or 50-series GPU, HAGS and a compatible driver.
How do I turn on frame generation in MSFS 2024 and 2020?
The menu route differs slightly between the two simulators, but the hardware and Windows requirements are the same.
- Enable Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling: In Windows, open the system's Graphics or Default graphics settings, turn on Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling (HAGS), then restart the PC. The wording and location vary between Windows builds.
- Update the NVIDIA driver: Install a driver that supports your GPU and DLSS Frame Generation. Restart Windows if the installer requests it.
- In MSFS 2024: Open Settings > General > Graphics, find NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation, and select the available setting. RTX 40-series cards normally receive standard x2 generation; supported RTX 50-series cards can also expose x3 and x4 Multi Frame Generation.
- In MSFS 2020: Open Options > General Options > Graphics, select DirectX 12, apply the change and restart the simulator. Return to Graphics and switch NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation on.
- Apply and test: Load a flight, compare the same cockpit view with frame generation off and on, and check both smoothness and control response. Our explanation of how to distinguish rendered performance from generated FPS helps avoid misleading comparisons.
Do not confuse DLSS Super Resolution with frame generation. DLSS upscaling can work on RTX 20- and 30-series cards, but those GPUs cannot use NVIDIA's hardware frame generation. The separate Frame Generation control must be enabled.
Why is frame generation missing or greyed out?
A missing frame-generation option usually means that one of its hardware, Windows or graphics-API requirements has not been met.
- Unsupported GPU: NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation requires an RTX 40- or 50-series card. AMD, Intel and older NVIDIA cards cannot enable this particular option.
- DirectX 11 is selected: This applies to MSFS 2020. Change to DirectX 12, apply it and restart the whole simulator.
- HAGS is disabled: Turn on Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling and reboot Windows. Returning to the main menu is not enough.
- The driver is unsuitable: Install a compatible NVIDIA driver, then relaunch MSFS.
- The integrated GPU is being used: On a laptop, make sure Windows and the NVIDIA driver assign MSFS to the high-performance discrete GPU.
- You are in VR: DLSS Frame Generation is not used for the simulator's VR output, so the setting may disappear or become unavailable in VR mode.
- You are playing on a console: Xbox Series X|S and the PlayStation 5 versions of MSFS 2024 do not expose this PC graphics control. Console rendering is managed by the simulator and platform.
Which frame-generation multiplier should I use?
Use x2 first; x3 and x4 are intended for supported RTX 50-series hardware and high-refresh displays where the underlying rendered frame rate is already stable.
| Setting | Typical support | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Off | All systems | You prioritise minimum latency, use VR, or already meet the monitor's refresh rate. |
| x2 | RTX 40 and RTX 50 | You want the best general balance between smoothness, latency and visual quality. |
| x3 | Supported RTX 50 systems in MSFS 2024 | You have a high-refresh display and x2 remains comfortably below its refresh ceiling. |
| x4 | Supported RTX 50 systems in MSFS 2024 | You need very high presented FPS and accept a greater chance of generated-frame artefacts. |
MSFS 2020 normally presents a simpler on/off control. More generated frames do not make the flight model, avionics or controls update three or four times faster; responsiveness remains tied mainly to the genuinely rendered frame rate.
Does frame generation fix low FPS and stuttering?
Frame generation makes motion look smoother, but it does not repair a weak or unstable base frame rate.
If MSFS is stalling on the main thread, the generated frames are built around those stalls. Traffic, glass-cockpit displays, terrain detail and a busy airport can therefore remain troublesome even when an FPS overlay shows a much larger number. As a practical rule, do not use frame generation to rescue a base rate in the teens or low twenties; a stable native rate around 30 FPS or above is a more sensible starting point.
Fast camera movement can reveal artefacts around cockpit displays, propellers, aircraft edges, nameplates and the mouse pointer. If those distractions outweigh the extra smoothness, reduce the multiplier or switch frame generation off. For severe stuttering, stabilise MSFS 2024's underlying CPU and GPU performance before generating extra frames.
Should I use V-Sync or an FPS cap with frame generation?
Frame generation works best when its presented output stays inside the monitor's refresh range without competing frame limiters.
With G-SYNC or FreeSync, keep the generated output below the display's maximum refresh rate and avoid applying several caps in the simulator, driver and external tools at once. The number reported by an overlay may include generated frames, so account for that when choosing a limit; our frame-cap guidance for generated-frame setups explains the distinction.
V-Sync can prevent tearing, but the correct location and setting depend on whether variable refresh is active. Use our MSFS V-Sync guidance for fixed-refresh and VRR displays rather than enabling it indiscriminately in both the simulator and NVIDIA driver.