Learn what KTX2 contains, how it differs from DDS, why KTX2-to-DDS conversion fails, and the safe workflow for MSFS 2020 and 2024 add-ons.
KTX2 (Khronos Texture 2.0) is a modern texture container used by the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 asset pipeline. It can carry compressed or transcodable texture data, mipmaps and metadata. Users should keep add-on files unchanged; creators should let the supported SDK build KTX2 and retain separate MSFS 2020 outputs where required.
What does a KTX2 texture contain?
A .ktx2 file contains texture data rather than providing an image-quality upgrade by itself. It can hold GPU block-compressed data, a transcodable Basis Universal payload, multiple mip levels and information describing colour space and how the texture should be interpreted. The extension alone does not reveal the compression method.
In aircraft and scenery packages, KTX2 can carry base-colour textures, normal maps, composite material channels, transparency and emissive details. These roles are familiar from DDS-based packages; our explanation of how BMP and DDS containers behave in flight-sim add-ons provides the underlying context.
How does KTX2 differ from DDS?
KTX2 is a more flexible delivery container, while DDS is the established texture format in the MSFS 2020 add-on workflow. DDS commonly stores GPU-ready compressed data and mipmaps; KTX2 can store similar GPU data or a payload intended for transcoding.
Neither format automatically creates sharper textures or lower memory use. Source resolution, compression settings, mipmaps and the handling of colour, normal and packed material data matter more than the filename extension. Re-encoding an already compressed DDS or JPEG can compound its artefacts.
Can you convert KTX2 to DDS for MSFS?
Texture data can sometimes be extracted or transcoded from KTX2 to DDS, but there is no universally safe one-step KTX2-to-DDS conversion for an MSFS add-on. Some compatible block data may be repackaged without recompression; other payloads must be decoded and encoded again, which can reduce quality or lose metadata.
For an MSFS 2020 build, return to the lossless master artwork and rebuild it through the supported 2020 toolchain. If no master exists, conversion must preserve the mip chain, alpha, channel packing and correct colour-space treatment, followed by a complete material and package rebuild. Renaming .ktx2 to .dds never converts the contents.
Should add-on creators use KTX2?
Creators should use KTX2 when the MSFS 2024 SDK and package builder support the required texture type and the resulting package can be tested in its target simulator.
| Situation | Recommended choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Installing a finished add-on | Keep the supplied files unchanged | Materials, filenames and package metadata were built for those assets. |
| Building only for MSFS 2024 | Let the supported SDK produce KTX2 where appropriate | The pipeline can apply the expected encoding and package references. |
| Supporting MSFS 2020 and 2024 | Keep lossless masters and create separate builds | A 2024 KTX2 package should not be assumed to work in MSFS 2020. |
| Editing a repaint | Edit the source and follow the existing build workflow | This preserves normal, alpha and packed material channels. |
| Trying to improve performance | Optimise resolution, mipmaps and texture usage first | Changing containers alone does not guarantee a benefit. |
A mistake we see constantly is replacing individual textures inside a built package. Loose KTX2 files do not become an add-on merely by being placed in the Community folder, and replacing a DDS without rebuilding its references can produce an untextured aircraft or an inconsistent layout.json. For the underlying folder checks, see our MSFS aircraft installation checks.
On Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 consoles, MSFS 2024 texture packaging is handled by the creator and distribution system. Console users do not have the PC-style Community-folder workflow needed to replace package textures manually.
Does KTX2 improve FPS, VRAM use or texture quality?
No container extension guarantees higher frame rates, lower VRAM use or better image quality. Runtime results depend on the encoded GPU format, dimensions, mip chain, material count and how many textures the simulator keeps resident.
- Package size: KTX2 may package or distribute data efficiently, but it is not automatically smaller than every equivalent DDS.
- VRAM: Loaded memory use is governed mainly by resolution, mip levels and GPU format. These practical ways to reduce VRAM use in MSFS 2024 address the settings and assets that have a direct effect.
- Visual quality: Excessive compression can create colour blocks, damaged alpha edges, noisy normal maps and poor material reflections.
- Texture streaming: Missing or unsuitable mipmaps can cause shimmer, delayed detail, textures that soften too early and unnecessary memory pressure.
If the whole simulator looks blurred rather than one add-on, inspect render scaling, Texture Resolution, anisotropic filtering, level of detail and VRAM pressure. Our blurry MSFS scenery troubleshooting guide covers those wider causes.
Is KTX2 compatible with MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024?
KTX2 should be treated as an MSFS 2024-targeted format unless a package has explicitly been built and tested otherwise. MSFS 2020 add-ons normally use a DDS-centred workflow, and a native 2024 package containing KTX2 must not be assumed to work backwards.
Texture format is only one part of compatibility. Models, behaviours, gauges and package definitions can also differ; our guide to moving add-ons from MSFS 2020 to MSFS 2024 covers those wider checks.
What is the safe KTX2 workflow?
The safe workflow starts with the intended simulator and the original lossless textures, not an already compressed file taken from a finished package.
- Choose the target. Decide whether the package is for MSFS 2024 alone or also needs a separate MSFS 2020 build.
- Preserve master artwork. Keep layered or lossless sources, including alpha data, normal-map orientation and packed material channels.
- Identify each map type. Configure base colour, normal, emissive, transparency and composite maps according to their data. Our aircraft repaint workflow explains the associated naming, channel and package checks.
- Build with the correct SDK. Let the target simulator's tools produce the supported texture output, complete mip chain, material references and package metadata.
- Make a clean test build. Check the build log for rejected formats, unresolved paths and material errors. Disable older copies; isolating test packages with MSFS Addons Linker can prevent a stale duplicate from masking the result.
- Inspect and label the result. Test cockpit and exterior textures close up and at a distance, under different lighting, then state precisely which simulator each compiled package supports.
Why do converted KTX2 textures fail?
Most failures come from the wrong build target, incorrect material treatment or an incomplete package rebuild rather than from KTX2 itself.
- Wrong simulator target: an MSFS 2024 texture output is not automatically backwards-compatible with MSFS 2020.
- Colour-space mistakes: treating normal maps or packed PBR data as ordinary sRGB colour corrupts shading and reflections.
- Double compression: converting a low-quality JPEG or previously compressed DDS adds another generation of artefacts.
- Broken references: the material still points to the former DDS path, or the package metadata no longer matches its files.
- Missing mipmaps or alpha: faults may appear only at a distance, around transparent edges or under particular lighting.
- Duplicate packages: another installed copy may load instead of the version being tested.
If an installed add-on became black, flat, incorrectly coloured or untextured after manual changes, restore or reinstall the original package. Creators should return to the source project, correct the map settings or references, and rebuild with the SDK intended for the simulator being tested.