SimConnect in MSFS 2020/2024: install, enable or repair?
SimConnect is built into MSFS 2020 and 2024. Learn when a download is needed, how to connect local or network apps, and how to repair failures.
SimConnect is built into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 on PC, so most users need no separate download or installation and no switch to enable. Install a compatible companion app, load a flight, then launch the app. Use a supplied legacy runtime only when that app explicitly requires it.
SimConnect is an application programming interface rather than a visible programme. The simulator provides the server, while flight planners, moving maps, trackers, hardware utilities and aircraft companion apps provide the client. Our explanation of how local and networked SimConnect connections work covers what happens between them.
Do I need a SimConnect download for MSFS?
No separate SimConnect download is required for ordinary MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024 use, including Microsoft Store, Xbox app and Steam installations on PC.
| Use case | What is required |
|---|---|
| Modern companion app on the MSFS PC | Install the app; MSFS already supplies the SimConnect server |
| Older FSX-derived application | Possibly the specific legacy runtime named by that application |
| Application on another PC | Matching server and client configuration plus private-network firewall access |
| Developing your own client | The MSFS SDK, documentation and development tools |
| Xbox or PlayStation console | Ordinary Windows SimConnect clients cannot be installed |
SimConnect is not a normal Community-folder add-on. Do not place loose SimConnect.dll or SimConnect.msi files there. Some products contain both a simulator package and a separate Windows app: follow the correct structure for installing MSFS mods in the Community folder, then install or launch the external component separately.
How do I connect a SimConnect app to MSFS 2020 or 2024?
A local SimConnect app normally connects automatically once the correct application version and simulator profile are selected.
- Confirm compatibility. Check that the app explicitly supports MSFS 2020, MSFS 2024 or both. An FSX or Prepar3D utility does not become MSFS-compatible merely because a legacy runtime is installed.
- Install the complete companion app. Use its normal Windows installer rather than copying DLL files manually. If the installer includes a named SimConnect redistributable, allow that supplied prerequisite to install.
- Start Microsoft Flight Simulator. Load into the cockpit before testing. Some clients connect from the main menu, but aircraft, position and flight-state data may not be available until the flight has loaded.
- Launch the app. Select the correct MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024 profile if it offers a choice. Some apps have a connect button; others detect the simulator automatically.
- Check live data. Confirm that the programme can read the loaded aircraft, position or simulator state. Starting MSFS first avoids initial timeouts in clients that do not keep retrying.
Automatic launching is optional. Test the app manually first; once it works, our instructions for editing exe.xml without damaging existing launch entries explain how to start it with the simulator.
Why will my SimConnect app not connect?
Most failures come from an incompatible or damaged client, a missing legacy dependency, or incorrect network configuration—not from SimConnect being disabled.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Best first action |
|---|---|---|
| One app remains on “waiting for simulator” | Wrong simulator profile, unsupported version or damaged app | Check MSFS compatibility, then update or repair that app |
| Every local SimConnect app fails | No flight loaded, custom configuration or damaged simulator files | Load a flight, remove custom configuration and verify MSFS |
Missing SimConnect.dll or side-by-side error | Incomplete client installation or missing named runtime | Reinstall the app and its supplied prerequisites |
| Local connection works but remote connection fails | Address, port, protocol, XML/CFG or firewall mismatch | Compare both configuration files and the private-network rule |
| Connection stopped after an MSFS update | Companion app compatibility problem | Install the app's matching update before repairing MSFS |
Work through repairs in this order:
- Restart a clean test. Close the companion app fully, restart MSFS, load a flight and reopen the app. This clears stale processes and removes menu-state timing from the test.
- Check the selected simulator. Choose MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024 rather than FSX, Prepar3D or the wrong MSFS generation. Complete mandatory simulator updates and install the app release intended for that simulator.
- Use matching Windows privileges. Run both programmes under the same Windows account, normally without administrator privileges. Mixed privilege levels can interfere with process detection and supporting plug-ins.
- Repair the companion app. Use its installer and check whether Windows Security quarantined a trusted component. Do not disable security software globally.
- Install only the documented legacy runtime. If the app includes a
SimConnect.msior explicitly requests an FSX-era assembly, install that exact package and restart Windows. - Remove custom connection files temporarily. Rename any
SimConnect.cfgorSimConnect.xmlfiles you created, then test locally with the defaults. A malformed file can break an otherwise valid connection. - Repair the simulator last. Use Steam's installed-file integrity check or the Repair or Verify facility provided by the Xbox app, Microsoft Store or Windows. The detailed steps for repairing MSFS 2020 installation files cover both principal PC editions. Avoid Reset unless other repairs fail, because it may remove local data or trigger a substantial download.
When should I install a legacy SimConnect runtime?
Install a legacy runtime only when the affected programme explicitly requires that version or reports that its expected SimConnect assembly is missing.
Older FSX-derived tools may depend on an earlier side-by-side assembly even when used with MSFS. Several legitimate runtime versions can coexist, so installing the named package does not replace the SimConnect server built into MSFS. Removing old runtimes at random may break another utility.
A missing SimConnect.dll, failed side-by-side configuration or absent assembly usually points to the client installation or its prerequisites. Do not download a loose DLL, copy it into the MSFS directory, Windows system folders or Community, or run regsvr32 against it.
How do I use SimConnect over a network?
A remote client requires matching configuration on both computers; installing the app on the second PC is not enough.
- Test locally first. Confirm that a SimConnect app works on the simulator PC. This separates client and simulator faults from network problems.
- Use a trusted local network. Connect both PCs to the same private network and identify the simulator PC by a reliable local address or hostname.
- Configure the simulator PC. Place a valid
SimConnect.xmlin the per-user location specified by the app. MSFS 2020 and 2024 use different locations, and paths can also differ between Store and Steam installations. - Configure the client PC. Put the matching
SimConnect.cfgwhere the remote app expects it. Its address, protocol and port must agree exactly with the server configuration. - Allow private-network traffic. Permit the selected app and port through the Windows firewall on the private profile. Never expose or forward a SimConnect port to the public internet.
- Keep the address stable. Reserve the simulator PC's local address in the router or update the client file whenever that address changes. Restart MSFS and the client after editing either configuration file.
Some utilities generate the files automatically, so use their supplied template rather than combining examples from unrelated products. The mistakes we see most often are malformed XML, mismatched ports and an old IP address left behind after the router reassigned the simulator PC.
Do I need the MSFS SDK to use SimConnect?
You need the MSFS SDK only to develop, compile or debug your own SimConnect client—not to run a finished companion application.
The SDK provides documentation, definitions and samples, while the simulator already supplies the service used by normal clients. Developer Mode is also unnecessary for ordinary SimConnect utilities, and reinstalling the SDK will not repair an incompatible consumer app.
Can SimConnect be installed on Xbox or PlayStation?
No ordinary Windows SimConnect client can be installed on an Xbox or PlayStation console.
MSFS 2020's console release is Xbox only; MSFS 2024 is available on Xbox and PlayStation 5. Neither console environment permits users to install Windows MSI or DLL files, run desktop companion executables or edit desktop SimConnect configuration files. Use only integrations specifically supported by the console and product concerned.