Does MSFS 2024 support PC mods, and how do you install them?

Yes. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 supports third-party mods on PC, including aircraft, liveries and scenery. Install most manual add-ons by extracting each package into the active Community folder while the simulator is closed, then restart it. Use an add-on's own installer when one is supplied; consoles cannot sideload PC mods.

Which MSFS 2024 mods use the Community folder?

Aircraft, liveries, airports and scenery supplied as simulator packages normally belong in Community, but installers, external utilities and Marketplace content use different methods.

How do I install an MSFS 2024 mod manually?

1. Check compatibility. Confirm that the download explicitly supports Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. When browsing our MSFS freeware and add-on library, do not assume every MSFS 2020 package will work unchanged.
2. Extract the archive. Unpack ZIP, RAR, 7z or other compressed downloads into a temporary folder outside the simulator. Never copy the compressed archive directly into Community.
3. Find the package root. Open the extracted folders until you reach the directory that directly contains files such as manifest.json and layout.json. If the download contains several package roots, copy each required folder separately.
4. Copy the package into Community. The finished structure should resemble Community\addon-name\manifest.json, not Community\download-name\addon-name\manifest.json. Extra category folders inside Community can prevent detection.
5. Restart and test. Keep MSFS 2024 fully closed while copying or replacing files. Start it again and check the aircraft selector, livery list, affected airport or companion utility before installing another batch.

Airport and landmark downloads often contain several interdependent packages or optional variants. Use our detailed scenery package installation instructions when the archive has a more complicated structure.

Where is the MSFS 2024 Community folder?

The active Community folder depends on the PC platform and any custom Packages location selected during setup. Installing into the simulator's application directory, an abandoned folder from another installation or an MSFS 2020 folder will not work.

The reliable method is to locate UserCfg.opt and read its InstalledPackagesPath entry. That value identifies the active Packages directory, with Community beneath it. Our instructions for finding the active Packages path through UserCfg.opt avoid relying on guessed default locations.

How should I organise and update MSFS 2024 mods?

Keep a master add-on library outside Community and activate only the packages needed for a particular aircraft, region or flight. This makes updates and conflict testing much easier.

• Separate simulator versions: never point MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 at one shared Community folder, even when a download claims to support both.
• Organise outside Community: category folders are useful in the master library, but actual package roots should sit directly inside Community.
• Replace updates cleanly: remove the old package before copying the new release. Merging folders can leave obsolete models, scripts or configuration files behind.
• Track dependencies: retain and update every required library or base package. Missing dependencies can cause invisible objects, blank avionics or loading errors.
• Avoid duplicate editions: do not leave old and new copies of an airport, livery or aircraft installed under different folder names.
• Test after simulator updates: begin with a reduced set of third-party packages, then restore them gradually if a problem appears.

Two packages that alter the same airport, aircraft or core resource can conflict even when both work independently. Renaming a folder with a prefix such as zzz is not a dependable cure; disable one package or use the priority method explicitly supported by the add-ons.

Why is an MSFS 2024 mod not showing or working?

Most missing mods are caused by the wrong Community folder, an unextracted archive, an extra nested directory, a missing dependency or an incompatible MSFS 2020 package.

• Confirm that the package is in the active MSFS 2024 folder rather than an MSFS 2020 or abandoned installation path.
• Open the installed package and check that its manifest and layout files are near the top level, not inside a second identically named folder.
• Remove older or duplicate copies of the same add-on.
• Confirm that every required library, base package or companion application is installed.
• Use a shorter temporary extraction path if Windows reports long-path or file-copy errors.
• Disable another package covering the same aircraft or location.

For an unknown conflict, close the simulator, move all third-party packages out of Community, and confirm that MSFS 2024 starts cleanly. Return half the packages at a time until the fault reappears, then repeat with that group. Our Community-folder and package-detection checks cover path, nesting and manifest problems in more detail.

Do MSFS 2020 mods work in MSFS 2024?

Some straightforward MSFS 2020 liveries and scenery packages work in MSFS 2024, but compatibility is not guaranteed. Complex aircraft systems, custom avionics, flight-model changes, external utilities and scenery tied to altered default assets are more likely to require a dedicated 2024 release.

Choose the MSFS 2024 edition whenever one exists. If separate 2020 and 2024 packages are supplied, install only the 2024 version rather than combining them.

Can Xbox and PlayStation install MSFS 2024 mods?

No. Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro cannot access a Community folder or sideload arbitrary PC mods. Console users must install compatible add-ons distributed through the simulator's supported Marketplace or library system, and availability can differ between platforms.