Learn what KTX2 does in Microsoft Flight Simulator, when MSFS 2024 add-ons should use it, and why converting DDS files can break packages.
KTX2 is a modern Khronos texture-container format used by the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 asset pipeline. It can store compressed or transcodable texture data, mipmaps and metadata efficiently. Add-on users should not convert files manually; developers should use KTX2 through the official 2024 SDK build process and retain MSFS 2020-compatible outputs where needed.
What does a KTX2 texture contain?
A .ktx2 file is a container for texture data rather than an image-quality upgrade. It can hold multiple mip levels, colour-space information and either GPU-compressed data or a payload designed for transcoding. The extension alone does not reveal which compression method was used.
In an aircraft or scenery package, KTX2 can contain the same types of assets previously associated with DDS: colour textures, normal maps, composite material maps, transparency and emissive details. It does not make a low-resolution source sharper, and converting an already compressed DDS file may introduce another generation of compression loss.
Should you convert MSFS add-on textures to KTX2?
Do not convert an installed add-on merely because KTX2 is newer than DDS. The correct choice depends on the simulator targeted by the package and how its developer project is built.
| Situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| Installing a finished add-on | Use the files supplied by its developer without converting or renaming them. |
| Building only for MSFS 2024 | Let the supported MSFS 2024 SDK tools produce or package KTX2 textures. |
| Supporting MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 | Keep the lossless source assets and create separate, tested build outputs where required. |
| Editing a livery | Edit the source textures, preserve their channel layout and rebuild the complete package. |
| Trying to improve frame rate | Optimise resolution, mipmaps, material count and texture usage before changing containers. |
A mistake we see constantly is treating conversion as a file-extension change. Renaming .dds to .ktx2 does not convert its contents. Replacing files inside a built Community package can also leave material references and layout.json inconsistent with the actual assets.
On Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 versions of MSFS 2024, texture packaging is handled by the add-on creator and distribution system. Console users do not have the PC-style Community-folder workflow required to replace these files manually.
Does KTX2 improve FPS or reduce VRAM use?
KTX2 does not guarantee higher frame rates, lower VRAM consumption or faster loading by itself. Those results depend on the encoded GPU format, texture dimensions, mip chain, number of materials and how aggressively the simulator keeps textures resident.
- Disk and download size: KTX2 may package texture data efficiently, but it is not automatically smaller than every DDS equivalent.
- VRAM: Once loaded, memory use is primarily governed by resolution, mip levels and the GPU texture format rather than the container extension.
- Visual quality: Quality comes from the source asset and encoder settings. Recompressing an existing lossy texture can make it worse.
- Texture streaming: Correct mipmaps and sensible texture dimensions matter more than changing an extension. Missing or poor mipmaps can cause shimmer, delayed detail and unnecessary memory pressure.
Is KTX2 compatible with MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024?
KTX2 should be treated as an MSFS 2024-targeted format unless the package has been explicitly built and tested otherwise. MSFS 2020-era add-ons commonly use DDS, and many properly constructed 2020 packages can work in MSFS 2024, but a native 2024 package containing KTX2 must not be assumed to work backwards in MSFS 2020.
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 the wider checks.
A safe KTX2 workflow for add-on creators
- Choose the target simulator. Decide whether the package is for MSFS 2024 alone or must also support MSFS 2020 before converting any assets.
- Keep lossless masters. Preserve the original layered or uncompressed textures, including normal-map orientation, alpha data and packed material channels.
- Build with the correct SDK. Let the target simulator's package tools create supported texture output, material references and package metadata. Do not rely on a generic converter's default settings.
- Test a clean package. Remove or disable older copies so duplicate packages cannot mask the result. On PC, isolating test packages with MSFS Addons Linker can make this safer.
- Inspect every texture role. Check exterior and cockpit textures at several distances, then verify normal maps, transparency, composite channels and emissive lighting. Watch the developer console or build log for missing assets and package errors.
- Label compatibility precisely. State which simulator version each compiled package targets rather than describing one untested archive as universally compatible.
Fixing missing or corrupted KTX2 textures
Missing, black, flat or incorrectly coloured textures usually indicate a broken reference, unsupported build target or incorrect conversion settings—not a need for another conversion.
- If files were renamed or converted inside an installed package, restore the original add-on or reinstall it.
- If a material still references an old DDS path, rebuild the material and complete package from the creator project.
- If normal or composite maps look wrong, check colour-space handling and packed channels in the source pipeline.
- If only one simulator fails to load the textures, rebuild using that simulator's supported SDK output rather than copying files from the other version.
- If results change between launches, remove duplicate package versions and test with only one copy enabled.