Fix MSFS 2024 FPS locked at 30, 60 or another limit by checking V-Sync, refresh rate, driver caps, Frame Generation and real bottlenecks.
FPS in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is usually locked because V-Sync, an in-game frame target, a graphics-driver limit or an external limiter is enforcing a ceiling. Confirm that the rate is genuinely fixed, then remove each limiter one at a time. Fluctuating low FPS indicates a CPU, GPU or streaming bottleneck instead.
How can I tell an FPS lock from low performance?
A real frame-rate lock stays at one repeatable value despite changes in location, aircraft or graphics load. Use the Developer Mode FPS display and its bottleneck readout rather than judging smoothness by eye.
| Observed behaviour | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Exactly 30 FPS on a 60 Hz display | A 30 FPS target or half-refresh V-Sync |
| Exactly 60 FPS on a 60 Hz display | V-Sync, a driver cap or an external limiter |
| Matches 75, 90, 120 or 144 Hz | Synchronisation to the display refresh rate |
| Half or one-third of a VR headset's refresh rate | Motion reprojection |
| Varies continuously and reports MainThread or GPU limitation | A performance bottleneck rather than a cap |
A common mistake we see is reducing every graphics setting before checking for a limiter. Lower settings cannot break an intentional cap; they only create more unused performance below it.
How do I unlock FPS in MSFS 2024 on PC?
- Record the exact ceiling. Test in the foreground with the same aircraft and location. Note whether the rate is mathematically fixed or merely stays near a number.
- Disable the in-game limit temporarily. In the graphics or display settings, turn off V-Sync and remove the target frame rate. Apply the change and test again.
- Check the Windows refresh rate. Under the advanced display settings, confirm that Windows is using the refresh rate you expect. A high-refresh monitor left at 60 Hz will produce a 60 FPS V-Sync ceiling.
- Inspect both graphics-driver profiles. Check the global and MSFS-specific settings for Vertical Sync, Max Frame Rate, Radeon Chill or equivalent controls. A per-game profile set to inherit the global configuration can still inherit its cap.
- Close external limiters. Overlay, tuning, laptop power-management and frame-pacing utilities can impose their own 30, 40 or 60 FPS limits. Battery-saving modes are a frequent cause on laptops.
- Test without Frame Generation. Temporarily disable it so that native rendered FPS and generated output frames are not being confused. Developer Mode and graphics overlays may report different figures when Frame Generation is active.
- Restart and retest. Change one source of frame control at a time. This identifies the cause and avoids replacing one cap with another.
Do not leave several synchronisation methods competing with each other. The simulator, graphics driver and an external utility should not all be controlling the ceiling. Our V-Sync conflict checklist explains how V-Sync, variable refresh rate, Frame Generation and driver overrides interact.
Why is MSFS 2024 locked to 30 or 60 FPS?
A precise 30 or 60 FPS lock normally comes from a selected frame target, the display refresh rate or a driver-level limit. Thirty FPS is especially common when a 30 FPS target is selected or synchronisation is operating at half of a 60 Hz refresh cycle.
If you want tear-free output rather than unlimited benchmark FPS, removing every control is not always the best result. Choose one frame-control method and set an appropriate ceiling; our explanation of MSFS 2024 frame-rate caps in the simulator and GPU driver covers those options.
In VR, a stable 45, 40 or 30 FPS can be motion reprojection rather than an ordinary cap. Change the reprojection setting in the active VR runtime, or reduce the workload enough to reach the headset's next refresh-rate threshold. Desktop V-Sync settings generally do not solve a VR reprojection lock.
What if FPS stays low after every cap is removed?
If the rate moves with scenery, weather, traffic or camera direction, it is not truly locked. A MainThread limitation points towards CPU-heavy settings and simulation complexity; a GPU limitation calls for lower resolution, render scaling or graphics load.
Use our broader CPU, GPU, VRAM and streaming performance diagnosis rather than continuing to alter V-Sync. Add-ons, detailed airports and traffic can reduce performance, but they rarely create an exact numerical ceiling.
Can FPS be unlocked on Xbox or PlayStation?
Console users cannot remove frame limits through graphics-driver profiles or PC utilities. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 uses the performance modes and frame-pacing behaviour provided by its Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 or PS5 Pro build.
Enable the console and television's supported high-refresh, VRR and Game Mode options, then verify that the display reports the expected signal. Those settings may improve presentation where the simulator's console profile supports them, but they cannot override a deliberate engine or platform cap.