Learn how to install MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 on the same PC with separate folders, safe drive choices and fixes for common setup errors.
Yes. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 can be installed on the same Windows PC. Install each as a separate app, give each simulator its own Packages and Community folders, and make sure the SSD has room for both. Never point them at one shared Packages directory.
They are separate products rather than two editions sharing one installation. Our explanation of how the two MSFS generations differ covers the wider differences in content, storage and add-on handling. Installation order does not matter.
The safe way to install both simulators
Install one version at a time and assign a clearly labelled storage location to each.
- Check your PC entitlements. Sign in to the storefront or launcher through which each simulator was obtained. MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 are separate products, so the account must have access to the PC version of each. They can come from different PC storefronts.
- Plan the storage locations. The same SSD is fine if it has enough free space. Use unambiguous folders such as
D:\MSFS\MSFS2020\PackagesandD:\MSFS\MSFS2024\Packages. If capacity is tight, read our advice on choosing one drive or separate drives for both simulators. - Record any existing installation first. If one version already works, do not move or rename its folders merely to install the other. Identify its application and Packages locations; these are not necessarily the same place. We list the reliable ways to find the active MSFS folders on PC.
- Install the first or missing simulator. Select MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024 in the library where it is owned and install the application. When the installer or first-run installation manager offers a content location, choose that simulator's dedicated Packages folder.
- Complete its first launch. Allow mandatory packages and updates to finish, reach the main menu, then close the simulator normally. Repeat the process for the other version, choosing its separate folder.
- Confirm both Community folders. Launch each simulator once before adding third-party aircraft, scenery or liveries. Note the Community folder actually used by that version rather than assuming a default path from an online example.
Which MSFS folders must remain separate?
The application files, content packages, Community add-ons and caches should remain separate for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024.
| Item | Can it be shared? | Correct approach |
|---|---|---|
| Application files | No | Let each storefront or launcher manage its own app. |
| Packages or content root | No | Give each simulator a dedicated Packages location. |
| Community folder | No | Install a compatible copy of each add-on into the correct simulator. |
| Rolling and manual caches | No | Configure cache storage independently inside each simulator. |
| Controllers | Hardware only | The same controls can be used, but bindings and profiles are maintained separately. |
MSFS 2024's greater use of streamed content does not make the MSFS 2020 package library reusable. Avoid junctions or symbolic links that make both Community folders resolve to the same directory. Even when an add-on supports both simulators, install it separately unless its installer explicitly manages both destinations.
Can MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 use the same drive?
Yes, both simulators can use one SSD as long as their folders are separate and there is adequate free space for packages, updates, caches and add-ons.
Choose one SSD when it has comfortable spare capacity and you want simpler storage management. Choose separate SSDs when one drive is short of space or when you maintain large scenery and aircraft libraries. Installing them on separate drives is not a requirement, and dividing them between two drives does not make incompatible content shareable.
Avoid removable storage whose drive letter may change. If Windows cannot find a configured Packages path, the simulator may request another location or appear to need a large download.
What if both versions point to the same Packages folder?
Correct the paths before installing add-ons or allowing either simulator to update content.
- Close both simulators. Back up any Community content before changing or removing folders.
- Identify the active path used by each version. Do not rely on similarly named folders or desktop shortcuts.
- Create a new empty Packages location for one simulator. Use the simulator's installation or storage controls where available. For the newer version, follow our instructions for correcting or moving the MSFS 2024 package location.
- Let that simulator rebuild or verify its own content. Do not copy the entire mixed folder into the new location because it may contain official packages, caches and add-ons belonging to the other release.
- Test both installations before deleting anything. Confirm that each reaches the main menu and has its own working Community folder.
Why does one simulator or its add-ons not appear?
A missing simulator usually indicates an account or entitlement problem, while a missing add-on is most often in the wrong Community folder or incompatible with that MSFS version.
- Simulator absent from the library: check that the launcher is signed into the account holding that release's PC entitlement.
- Add-on absent from the simulator: confirm it was extracted into the active Community folder, not left as a ZIP file or placed inside an unnecessary extra wrapper folder.
- Add-on works only in one version: check that the developer explicitly supports the target simulator. Never assume an MSFS 2020 aircraft, livery or scenery package is compatible with MSFS 2024, or vice versa.
- Large download requested again: verify that the configured Packages drive is connected, accessible and still using the same drive letter.
- Controls or settings did not carry across: this is normal. Review and save bindings separately in each simulator.
Can I uninstall one without breaking the other?
Yes, provided their package and Community folders were kept separate.
Uninstall only the unwanted simulator through its normal app manager, then remove leftover data only after confirming its exact path. Do not delete a shared parent folder, gaming services or an ambiguously named Packages directory. Launch the remaining simulator once afterwards to verify that its content path and add-ons are intact.