Fix MSFS 2024 frame generation that is missing, disabled or flickering with checks for GPU support, HAGS, drivers, V-Sync, VRR and add-ons.
Frame generation in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 usually fails because the GPU is unsupported, Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling is off, the graphics driver is faulty, or VR is active. Flickering more often comes from unstable base frame times, V-Sync/VRR conflicts, overlays, add-ons or upscaling artefacts. Test one variable at a time.
Is frame generation really causing the problem?
Frame generation is the cause only if disabling it makes the fault disappear under the same aircraft, location, weather and camera view. Restart the flight after changing it so that cached frames or a graphics-profile problem do not confuse the comparison.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Best first test |
|---|---|---|
| Option is missing or greyed out | Unsupported GPU, HAGS disabled, incompatible renderer or VR mode | Check eligibility and Windows graphics settings |
| Option is enabled but FPS appears unchanged | Counter reports source frames, output is capped, or the base frame rate is unstable | Remove FPS limits and compare camera motion |
| Whole screen pulses or changes brightness | VRR operating near the bottom of its range | Temporarily disable VRR |
| Trees, wires or distant buildings shimmer | Upscaling, anti-aliasing or low render resolution | Use TAA at native output resolution |
| Cockpit text or displays leave trails | Interpolation artefacts around rapidly changing elements | Disable frame generation and compare |
| Black flashes or corrupted polygons appear | Driver, overclock, injector or GPU instability | Return the GPU to stock settings and remove injectors |
If the flicker continues with frame generation off, diagnose it as a rendering problem instead. Our targeted checks for scenery and screen flickering cover anti-aliasing, VR reprojection, add-ons and GPU instability.
Why is the MSFS 2024 frame generation option missing?
A missing frame generation switch normally means one of its hardware, Windows or rendering prerequisites has not been met.
- Confirm GPU support. Native NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation in the simulator requires a GeForce RTX 40-series or newer GPU. RTX 20- and 30-series cards support DLSS upscaling, but that does not unlock native DLSS Frame Generation. Other frame-generation methods have their own eligibility rules.
- Use a compatible renderer. Frame generation requires a DirectX 12 rendering path. If the installed simulator build presents a renderer selector, select DirectX 12 and restart MSFS 2024.
- Enable Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling. Turn on HAGS in Windows graphics settings, then restart Windows. Changing the switch without rebooting is a common reason the option remains unavailable.
- Test outside VR. Desktop frame generation and VR motion reprojection are different systems. The normal frame-generation option is not available in MSFS 2024 VR, so test on a monitor before treating the missing switch as a fault.
- Check the active GPU. On a laptop or multi-GPU PC, make sure MSFS 2024 is running on the supported discrete GPU rather than integrated graphics.
- Install a suitable graphics driver. Reboot after installation. If the problem began immediately after a driver change, reinstall that driver cleanly or return to the previous stable package.
Our frame-generation eligibility and setup checklist covers these requirements in more detail. The Windows and driver steps apply to PC; console graphics modes do not expose the same DLSS Frame Generation control.
How do you stop frame generation flickering?
The reliable fix is to establish a clean, stable image without frame generation, then re-enable it before adding other graphics features back.
- Prove the trigger. Turn frame generation off while leaving every other setting unchanged. If the flicker remains, frame generation is not the root cause.
- Create a clean baseline. Use TAA at native output resolution, disable motion blur and any dynamic-resolution feature, and remove temporary FPS caps. Once the image is stable, enable frame generation by itself.
- Disable overlays and injectors. Shut down performance overlays, colour filters, ReShade-style injectors, recording hooks and driver-level frame interpolation. Do not run driver-generated frames on top of the simulator's own frame generation.
- Remove add-on variables. Test a default aircraft at a default airport after temporarily disabling Community add-ons. Aircraft displays, scenery materials and post-processing add-ons can create an artefact that looks like a frame-generation fault.
- Return the GPU to stock operation. Remove overclocks and undervolts, including settings that appear stable in other games. Frame interpolation can expose marginal GPU or video-memory stability.
- Rebuild the graphics baseline. Reset the simulator's graphics options to defaults and clear the Windows DirectX shader cache if the fault survives driver and add-on tests. Expect the first flight to stutter while shaders are rebuilt.
- Restore settings individually. Add the upscaler, render scaling, motion blur, overlays and synchronisation controls one at a time. The last change that restores the flicker identifies the conflict.
Should V-Sync or VRR be enabled with frame generation?
Frame generation works best when only one deliberate synchronisation strategy controls the final output. Stacking the simulator's limiter, a driver limiter, an overlay cap and V-Sync can produce uneven pacing even when the FPS counter looks high.
For diagnosis, temporarily remove all caps and switch off V-Sync and VRR; tearing during this test is acceptable. Then restore one method. With a VRR monitor, keep the generated output inside the display's operating range and below its maximum refresh rate. If brightness pulses appear as the frame rate moves through the lower VRR range, lower the workload to stabilise the source frames or disable VRR.
Our V-Sync and frame-pacing conflict guide explains how driver overrides, external limiters and variable refresh can interfere with one another.
Why does MSFS 2024 still feel choppy at high generated FPS?
Generated FPS cannot repair slow or uneven source frames, main-thread stalls or scenery-loading pauses. It inserts intermediate images between rendered frames; it does not make the flight model, cockpit instruments or control response update at the generated rate.
Switch frame generation off and judge the underlying frame-time consistency. If camera movement is already jerky, reduce CPU-heavy settings such as terrain detail, traffic and complex airport workloads before enabling frame generation again. A stable lower source rate usually looks better than a higher average that repeatedly stalls.
Some in-simulator and developer counters may also emphasise rendered frames rather than every frame presented to the display. Judge camera motion and input response as well as the number. We explain the distinction in our guide to choppy simulation despite a high FPS reading.
Leave frame generation off when it makes cockpit text hard to read, causes persistent display artefacts, or adds noticeable latency during rapid camera movement. Use it when the base simulation is stable and the extra visual smoothness outweighs minor interpolation errors.