How do I fix screen tearing in MSFS 2020?

To fix screen tearing in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, synchronise the simulator’s output with your display: enable V-Sync on a fixed-refresh monitor, or enable G-SYNC/FreeSync and cap FPS just below the refresh rate. Confirm Windows is using the correct refresh rate, then avoid running multiple frame limiters together.

The quickest reliable setup

Most PC users can remove tearing by matching one synchronisation method to their display and applying a single frame cap.

1. Check the Windows refresh rate. Open Windows display settings, select the monitor used for MSFS, enter Advanced display and choose the highest refresh rate the monitor and connection support. A 144 Hz monitor left at 60 Hz will still behave as a 60 Hz display.
2. For a fixed-refresh monitor, enable V-Sync. In MSFS 2020, open Options > General Options > Graphics, find V-Sync and switch it on. Select a frame-rate target the PC can maintain. On a 60 Hz display, use 60 FPS when stable or 30 FPS when the system regularly falls short.
3. For G-SYNC or FreeSync, enable VRR first. Turn adaptive sync on in the monitor’s controls and in the GPU driver. Leave MSFS V-Sync off initially and cap the frame rate two or three FPS below the display’s maximum refresh rate. If tearing appears only near that upper limit, use the driver’s V-Sync setting as a ceiling.
4. Use only one limiter. Choose the MSFS frame limiter or the GPU driver limiter, not both. An overlay or tuning utility may also impose a hidden cap. V-Sync plus one deliberate cap is valid; several competing caps often produce uneven frame pacing.
5. Test with a steady camera pan. Load a simple flight, pan sideways across buildings and watch for a horizontal split. Change one setting at a time so that tearing is not confused with a hitch caused by scenery loading.

Our guide to how V-Sync behaves in Microsoft Flight Simulator explains the latency and frame-pacing trade-offs. For the available limiter methods, follow our MSFS 2020 frame-cap setup.

Which V-Sync and FPS settings should I choose?

The right setting depends on whether the monitor has variable refresh rate and whether the PC can sustain the chosen target.

A higher cap is not automatically better. A locked 30 or 40 FPS can look cleaner than output jumping between 40 and 60 FPS on a fixed-refresh display, although control response will be slower at the lower target.

Why does MSFS 2020 still tear with V-Sync enabled?

Persistent tearing usually means V-Sync is being overridden, VRR is not active in the selected display mode, or the frame rate is crossing the monitor’s synchronisation range.

• Wrong refresh rate: Check both Windows and the monitor’s information screen. The advertised refresh rate may not be active.
• VRR mode mismatch: Some driver configurations apply G-SYNC or FreeSync only to exclusive full-screen applications. MSFS may be presented differently depending on its display mode, so enable VRR for the relevant full-screen or windowed mode and test both MSFS display options.
• FPS exceeds the VRR ceiling: Adaptive sync cannot prevent tearing once output rises above its supported maximum. A slightly lower cap prevents repeated transitions at that boundary.
• Conflicting driver profile: A per-application MSFS profile can override the simulator’s V-Sync choice. Reset the profile to its defaults, then apply only the intended sync and cap settings.
• Unsupported connection mode: The selected port, cable or monitor input mode may not expose the full refresh rate or VRR capability. Confirm the desired mode appears in Windows rather than relying on the monitor’s specification alone.
• Frame Generation interaction: If Frame Generation is available and enabled, disable it while diagnosing the problem. Establish tear-free output first, then re-enable it and keep the generated frame rate below the VRR ceiling.
• Mixed-refresh monitors: Temporarily disconnect or disable secondary displays, particularly when video or an overlay is running on another monitor. If tearing stops, restore each display and background application separately.

Is it screen tearing or stuttering?

Screen tearing is a horizontal boundary where different parts of the image show different frames; stuttering is a pause or uneven jump affecting the whole picture.

V-Sync fixes the first problem but can expose the second when FPS repeatedly misses the refresh target. Flickering at very low frame rates is usually VRR flicker, while smearing behind moving objects is commonly monitor ghosting. If the image hitches rather than splits, use our separate steps for diagnosing MSFS 2020 stutters and micro-pauses.

Does lowering graphics settings stop tearing?

Lowering graphics settings does not directly remove tearing, but it helps MSFS maintain the frame-rate target required for smooth synchronisation.

Reduce settings that are limiting the GPU first, such as render scaling, resolution and demanding visual effects. When the main-thread indicator is the bottleneck, reducing GPU settings may achieve little; traffic, glass-cockpit refresh demands and object detail can matter more. Our graphics-setting recommendations for stable frame pacing cover those trade-offs without simply turning everything down.

How do I stop screen tearing on Xbox Series X or S?

On Xbox, enable variable refresh rate in the console’s TV and display options and activate VRR or adaptive sync on the television or monitor.

Select a refresh mode the display genuinely supports and use its low-latency game mode. If the display has no VRR support, use a standard 60 Hz output mode; the console version does not provide the same driver-level controls available on PC.