Learn why FSX aircraft and add-ons fail in MSFS 2020 or 2024, what can be converted, and how to identify the correct simulator package.
No. FSX aircraft and add-ons do not work natively in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. The simulators use different aircraft, gauge, material, sound and package systems. Limited assets can be rebuilt by skilled developers, but ordinary users need an MSFS-specific release rather than copying files or rerunning the FSX installer.
Why are FSX add-ons incompatible with MSFS?
Flight Simulator X and the newer Microsoft Flight Simulator platforms use different model pipelines, cockpit technologies, rendering systems and software development kits. Some configuration names may look familiar, but that does not make the underlying formats interchangeable.
FSX aircraft commonly depend on legacy model files, panel definitions and gauges written for the older simulator. Compiled FSX gauge DLLs target its 32-bit environment and cannot simply load inside 64-bit MSFS. Modern aircraft also require an MSFS package definition, compatible materials, behaviours, flight-model data and cockpit systems.
A mistake we see constantly is assuming that anything labelled “Microsoft Flight Simulator” works across the whole series. An FSX installer normally searches for an FSX folder or registry entry. Pointing it at the MSFS Community folder does not convert the add-on and may leave an unusable collection of files with no valid package structure.
| FSX add-on type | Direct MSFS compatibility | What is required |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | No | The model, cockpit, systems, flight model, materials and package must be rebuilt or properly converted. |
| Panels and gauges | No | Legacy gauges must be replaced with systems supported by MSFS. |
| Liveries | Usually no | The repaint must match the exact MSFS model, texture mapping and package structure. |
| Scenery | Not as a direct install | Models, ground layers, materials, lighting and placement data normally need conversion and rework. |
| Sound packs | No as a complete package | Authorised source audio may be reusable, but FSX sound definitions and triggers are not a drop-in MSFS package. |
| External utilities | Only with explicit MSFS support | The developer must support the newer simulator and its connection interfaces. |
Can FSX aircraft or scenery be converted to MSFS?
Yes, but conversion is a development project rather than an installation shortcut. Importing a visual model is only one part of the work; a usable release may require new materials, animations, cockpit behaviours, instruments, sounds, effects, flight dynamics and package metadata.
Best results usually require the original source files and an author familiar with the MSFS SDK. Automated conversion may produce a recognisable exterior shell, but that does not mean the aircraft is complete or suitable for normal flying.
Typical failed ports show one or more of these problems:
- Blank or frozen instruments because the FSX gauges cannot run in MSFS.
- Dead switches and broken animations because the cockpit behaviours were not rebuilt.
- Black textures, excessive reflections or invisible parts because the materials and model definitions are incompatible.
- Missing or incorrectly triggered sound because the sound configuration was not recreated for MSFS.
- Incorrect handling because copying legacy configuration values does not produce a properly tuned MSFS flight model.
- No aircraft in the selection menu because the copied FSX folder is not a valid MSFS package.
Conversion also requires attention to licensing. Owning an FSX add-on does not automatically grant permission to unpack, modify or redistribute its models, textures, gauges or sounds. Payware should never be repackaged for MSFS unless its licence and developer explicitly permit that use.
What about FSX liveries, flight plans and external utilities?
An FSX livery is tied to the texture mapping of the aircraft for which it was painted. Even when the same real aircraft exists in MSFS, its model may use entirely different texture sheets, channels and material properties.
Simple data formats are a possible exception. Some flight-plan files may be readable by both simulators, but that does not make the aircraft, scenery or installer surrounding them compatible. External utilities can also support more than one simulator when their developer supplies an MSFS-compatible version; check the supported platforms rather than assuming an FSX utility will connect.
What should you use instead of an FSX add-on?
Use a native MSFS release when you want to fly or install scenery in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024. Keep the original add-on in FSX when no authorised MSFS version exists and retaining its original features matters more than changing simulator.
Our MSFS add-ons and mods library keeps modern packages separate from the aircraft and scenery in our dedicated FSX downloads collection. This platform separation is significant: two downloads depicting the same aircraft may have completely different files and installation methods.
For manually installed freeware, a genuine MSFS package normally contains package metadata such as manifest.json and layout.json at the correct level. Marketplace or developer-managed products may use their own installation system, so an executable installer is not automatically wrong. Our guide to recognising and installing MSFS aircraft packages covers the correct workflow and the common problem of folders being nested too deeply.
Does MSFS 2024 make FSX add-ons compatible?
No. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 does not add general compatibility with FSX aircraft, scenery, gauges or installers. Although MSFS 2024 is closely related to MSFS 2020, both belong to a different technical generation from Flight Simulator X.
Keep the two compatibility questions separate: moving an add-on from FSX to either modern simulator normally requires a native rebuild, while moving an MSFS 2020 add-on to MSFS 2024 may work depending on its type and developer support. We explain those distinctions in our MSFS 2020-to-2024 compatibility assessment.
How can I check an add-on before installing it?
Treat the stated simulator support and package structure as decisive evidence. The aircraft name, screenshots or presence of a familiar aircraft.cfg file are not enough.
- Read the supported-platform label. Look for an explicit reference to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, MSFS 2024 or both. If the listing only names FSX or FSX and Prepar3D, treat it as incompatible with MSFS.
- Check the release itself. A developer may sell separate FSX and MSFS editions of the same aircraft. Downloading the wrong edition cannot be fixed by changing its destination folder.
- Inspect the installation instructions. A manual MSFS package is normally placed in the appropriate
Communityfolder. An installer that searches specifically for FSX or its registry entry is a legacy installer. - Match expansions to the exact base aircraft. Liveries, sound packs, panels and modifications must support the particular MSFS aircraft and edition you have installed.
- Do not force-install incompatible files. Copying FSX folders into MSFS will not repair the model or gauges; remove the invalid files and obtain a native or developer-approved conversion instead.