Install and use ReShade in MSFS 2020: select the right executable, load presets, limit FPS loss, and fix missing overlays or shader errors.
To install ReShade in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 on PC, run the ReShade setup program, select the actual FlightSimulator.exe, choose DirectX 10/11/12, and install the required effects. Launch MSFS, press Home to open the overlay, then select or create a preset. ReShade cannot be installed on Xbox.
ReShade is not a Community-folder mod. It injects post-processing effects into the Windows graphics output beside the simulator executable; aircraft, scenery and most other add-ons use the separate Community-folder installation process.
How do I install ReShade in MSFS 2020?
Install ReShade against the simulator program itself, not the folders containing downloaded world content or add-on packages.
Which FlightSimulator.exe should I select?
Select the executable that Windows launches for your active MSFS 2020 installation; its location depends on where the simulator was purchased and installed.
| MSFS installation | Correct target | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Steam | FlightSimulator.exe in the game folder opened through Steam's local-files browser | Selecting the Steam launcher or the Community folder |
| Microsoft Store or Game Pass | The Flight Simulator packaged application offered by ReShade, or FlightSimulator.exe exposed through the Xbox app's installation management | Using InstalledPackagesPath, which contains simulator content rather than the program |
Store installations can place the executable inside the protected WindowsApps directory. If ReShade cannot enumerate the packaged app and Windows will not expose its executable, the normal side-by-side installation cannot proceed safely. Do not take ownership of WindowsApps merely to copy ReShade files; doing so can interfere with package updates.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. Obtain the ReShade installer from its official publisher, and avoid preset bundles containing unknown DLL files.
- Run the setup program. Choose the option to select a game or application, then point it to the active
FlightSimulator.exe. If Windows reports access denied on an ordinary Steam installation, rerun setup with administrator approval. - Select the DirectX option. Choose DirectX 10/11/12; ReShade groups MSFS 2020's DX11 and DX12 renderers under this option.
- Install the required effect packages. The standard effects are enough for basic colour, contrast and sharpening adjustments. When using a downloaded preset, install every shader collection named by its author.
- Complete setup and launch MSFS. A ReShade banner at the top of the window confirms that it loaded. Press Home to open the overlay and complete its short configuration tutorial.
Before judging a preset, tune MSFS's native graphics settings. ReShade can alter the finished image, but it cannot repair low terrain detail, weak anti-aliasing or a GPU bottleneck.
How do I load and use a ReShade preset?
Open the ReShade overlay with Home, select the preset's .ini file from the preset field, and enable only the effects you need.
- Extract the preset. A lone
.inifile normally contains settings, not the shader effects themselves. Store it in a user-writable folder so ReShade can save changes. - Install its dependencies. If the preset includes shader or texture files, their standard locations are
reshade-shaders/Shadersandreshade-shaders/Textures. Prefer installing named effect packages through ReShade setup rather than copying random files over existing ones. - Select the preset. Use the preset selector at the top of the overlay. Red compile messages usually mean an effect package is missing, outdated or outside ReShade's configured search paths.
- Adjust effects in the simulator. ReShade saves most preset changes automatically. Assign an effect-toggle key under the Settings tab so you can compare the processed image with the original.
- Close the overlay. Closing it does not disable effects. If your ReShade release provides Performance Mode, enable it only after finishing your adjustments.
On compact keyboards, Home may require the Fn modifier. The overlay key can also be changed in ReShade's Settings tab once the panel is open.
Which ReShade effects work best in MSFS 2020?
Subtle colour, tone and sharpening effects are the safest choices because they do not depend on MSFS's depth buffer.
- Colour and tone: Small adjustments to levels, curves and colour temperature can help a monitor without crushing cockpit shadows or blowing out clouds.
- Sharpening: Apply it lightly. Excessive sharpening exaggerates shimmering, glass-panel text and artefacts from TAA, DLSS or render scaling.
- Bloom, depth of field and ambient occlusion: These can cost more performance and may affect cockpit displays, menus, clouds or objects behind glass incorrectly.
- HDR: Presets authored for SDR can produce grey blacks, clipped highlights or extreme saturation under HDR. Use effects designed for the same output mode, or disable the incompatible shaders.
- VR: A preset that works on the monitor may not process the headset view correctly, and depth effects can render differently between eyes. Treat desktop and VR configurations separately.
For a broader comparison of these trade-offs, see our guide to MSFS graphics mods and post-processing options.
Why is ReShade not opening or showing effects?
A missing overlay usually means ReShade was attached to the wrong executable, removed by a simulator update or blocked from loading its graphics DLL.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No startup banner | Wrong executable, replaced installation files or blocked DLL | Run setup again against the active FlightSimulator.exe. Check security-software quarantine records without disabling protection permanently. |
| Banner appears, but Home does nothing | Keyboard mapping or laptop function layer | Try Fn+Home and check the overlay-key setting. |
| Preset loads with red errors | Missing shaders, wrong effect paths or an obsolete preset | Rerun setup and install the preset's named effect packages. |
| FPS remains low after closing the overlay | Effects are still running | Use the effect-toggle key, then disable expensive shaders one at a time. |
| MSFS crashes during startup | Conflicting graphics injectors, damaged shader files or an incompatible effect | Uninstall ReShade, confirm that MSFS starts cleanly, then reinstall with only the basic effects. |
A major MSFS package update can move or replace the executable and remove ReShade's loader. If its banner disappears immediately after an update, rerun the installer against the new active executable rather than copying old DLL files manually.
How do I uninstall ReShade from MSFS 2020?
Run the same ReShade setup program, select the correct FlightSimulator.exe, and choose its uninstall option.
Keep any preset files you want to reuse in a separate folder, then launch MSFS and confirm that the ReShade banner no longer appears. Using the installer is safer than deleting files by name because loader filenames can differ between releases and graphics configurations.