Compare MSFS 2020 vs 2024 VR performance, visuals, hardware demands, OpenXR support and platforms, then choose the right version for your setup.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the better VR choice for a powerful PC because it delivers the newer world, aircraft and simulation platform. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is usually better on modest hardware or for a mature add-on setup. Both support PC VR through OpenXR; Xbox editions do not support VR.
MSFS 2020 vs 2024 VR at a glance
For most simmers, the choice is mature consistency in MSFS 2020 versus richer detail and longer-term support in MSFS 2024.
| Criterion | MSFS 2020 | MSFS 2024 | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| VR performance | Usually easier to tune predictably on a mid-range PC. | Denser scenes and heavier streaming can cause larger frame-time swings. | 2020 for limited headroom |
| World detail | Strong visuals with lower scene complexity in many locations. | Richer low-level ground detail and a denser world representation. | 2024 for VFR and helicopters |
| Add-ons | Mature aircraft, scenery and utility ecosystem. | Native selection is growing, but 2020 product compatibility remains product-specific. | 2020 for an existing collection |
| Internet dependence | Streams world data but retains more content locally. | Relies more heavily on cloud-streamed content. | 2020 on an unreliable connection |
| Long-term platform | Established but older release. | Newer simulator and the better base for a new setup. | 2024 |
There is no universal frame-rate winner. A complex airliner at a busy airport may be CPU-limited, while a rural flight at high headset resolution may be GPU-limited. At the same output resolution, MSFS 2024 does not automatically make cockpit text sharper; headset resolution, anti-aliasing, upscaling and frame timing still determine readability.
Which version runs more smoothly in VR?
MSFS 2020 is usually easier to tune predictably on the same mid-range PC, while MSFS 2024 rewards extra CPU, GPU and network headroom but must be configured from scratch.
The preset names are misleading when comparing versions: Ultra in 2020 and Ultra in 2024 do not represent an identical workload. Terrain and object detail, clouds, traffic, glass-cockpit avionics and headset render resolution can each become the limiting factor.
Consistent frame time matters more than the highest momentary frame rate. A stable reprojection cadence often feels better during head movement than a higher rate that repeatedly drops and recovers, and the desktop mirror window is not a reliable guide to headset smoothness.
Our side-by-side settings baseline for MSFS VR provides a sensible starting point. If one version performs markedly worse, follow the MSFS 2020 OpenXR tuning sequence or the MSFS 2024 frame-time tuning sequence; changing several sliders together hides the real bottleneck.
Which Microsoft Flight Simulator should I choose for VR?
Choose MSFS 2024 for visual ambition and the newer platform; choose MSFS 2020 for established compatibility and lower-risk tuning.
Choose MSFS 2024 when:
MSFS 2024 is the stronger choice for a new, capable VR system with a dependable internet connection.
- You have enough performance headroom to reduce settings without making the cockpit difficult to read.
- You mainly fly helicopters, bush aircraft or low-level VFR routes where ground detail is conspicuous.
- You want the newer aircraft, activities and simulation platform.
- You are building a new add-on collection around products made or explicitly updated for 2024.
Choose MSFS 2020 when:
MSFS 2020 remains the practical choice when consistency matters more than having the latest world technology.
- Your PC already struggles to maintain stable VR frame times.
- You own complex 2020 aircraft, scenery or utilities whose 2024 compatibility has not been confirmed.
- You have a tuned OpenXR configuration that already provides clear instruments and smooth head movement.
- Your broadband connection is slow, capped or prone to interruptions.
How do I compare VR performance fairly?
A fair comparison requires both simulators to render the same flight under matching headset conditions.
- Match the headset configuration. Use the same OpenXR runtime, refresh rate, render resolution and reprojection mode. Automatic resolution can otherwise alter the workload between sessions.
- Use a controlled flight. Select the same location, time, weather and comparable default aircraft. Avoid testing one simulator at an empty airfield and the other at a detailed hub.
- Remove add-on variables. Start with default aircraft and scenery, then add third-party content after establishing a baseline.
- Identify the bottleneck. Use the simulator's performance display to determine whether the main thread or GPU is limiting frame time. Lowering headset resolution will not cure a traffic-driven CPU bottleneck.
- Add load one item at a time. Introduce traffic, higher terrain detail, clouds and add-ons separately. Repeat the flight after streamed scenery has loaded; a single first-run stutter is not a dependable result.
Does the headset or console change the answer?
On PC, both simulators use OpenXR, so headset software, connection method and the active OpenXR runtime can matter as much as the simulator version.
Buying through Steam does not by itself mean SteamVR must be the active runtime. Using the wrong runtime, stacking unnecessary translation layers or allowing two tools to control resolution can waste performance before the simulator renders a frame.
Neither MSFS 2020 nor MSFS 2024 supports VR on Xbox. MSFS 2024 was released for PS5 and PS5 Pro on 8 December 2025, with PSVR2 support delivered through a free 2026 update; make sure that update is installed. MSFS 2020 was never released for PlayStation.
Why can MSFS 2024 look worse in VR?
MSFS 2024 can look worse than 2020 when upscaling, reprojection or streaming problems outweigh its additional world detail.
- DLSS can soften cockpit lettering and leave trails around glass displays; TAA may look clearer but demand more GPU time.
- Reprojection can create doubled propellers, warped wings or ghosted terrain during turns. Test briefly without it to identify the source.
- Slow or interrupted streaming can leave terrain and objects at reduced detail, particularly in 2024.
- An older aircraft may load in 2024 yet still have broken displays, interactions or performance behaviour. Loading successfully is not proof of full compatibility.
Persistent image artefacts need diagnosis rather than another graphics preset; our VR ghosting, flickering and freezing checks separate reprojection faults, driver problems and streaming stalls.
Our recommendation: choose MSFS 2024 for a new VR build with ample performance headroom and reliable broadband. Keep or choose MSFS 2020 for modest hardware, predictable tuning or an established add-on collection. If you own both, the better version is the one that maintains stable frame times while keeping instruments readable on your headset.