How do I set up and optimise VR in MSFS 2020?
To set up VR in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, connect the headset to the PC, make its OpenXR runtime active, start the simulator in 2D, then switch to VR and centre the cockpit view. Optimise it by lowering VR render scale, terrain LOD, clouds and traffic until frame times remain stable.
VR in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is available only on PC. The Xbox version does not support VR, and the simulator uses OpenXR rather than a headset-specific mode built into MSFS.
How do you enable VR in MSFS 2020?
You must establish a working PC VR session and select the correct OpenXR runtime before asking MSFS 2020 to enter VR.
- Prepare the headset. Install its PC software, complete any room or seated-position setup, and confirm that an ordinary PC VR application runs correctly.
- Select the OpenXR runtime. Use the headset vendor's software or OpenXR settings to make the appropriate runtime active. The store from which you bought MSFS does not decide this: owning the Steam edition does not automatically mean SteamVR must be the active runtime.
- Connect the headset. Establish the wired, wireless or native PC connection before starting the simulator. With a streamed headset, make sure the headset has entered its PC link environment rather than remaining in standalone mode.
- Check the VR controls. In MSFS Controls Options, search for and bind Toggle VR and Reset VR Camera. The default toggle is commonly
Ctrl+Tab, but custom control profiles can replace or remove it. - Load a simple test flight in 2D. Use a default aircraft, clear weather and a quiet airport. Once seated in the cockpit, toggle VR and reset the camera so the viewpoint aligns with the pilot's seat.
- Confirm cockpit interaction. Check that the mouse pointer, primary flight controls and view reset work before changing graphics settings.
If the headset is not detected, the usual causes are an inactive OpenXR runtime or a PC link session that was established after MSFS started. Close the simulator, activate the correct runtime, reconnect the headset and try again. Our full PC VR connection and OpenXR setup walkthrough covers that sequence in more detail.
Which MSFS 2020 VR settings should you lower first?
VR render scale is the strongest GPU control, while terrain LOD, object LOD, traffic and glass-cockpit refresh rate are the main settings to reduce when the simulator is limited by the CPU's main thread.
Begin with the headset application's resolution close to its default and tune one resolution control at a time. Stacking a high headset supersampling value with a high in-game render scale is a common cause of poor performance.
| Setting | Conservative starting point | What it mainly affects |
|---|---|---|
| VR render scale | 70–80, then raise gradually | GPU load and overall image clarity |
| Terrain LOD | 80–100 | Main-thread load, especially near cities and airports |
| Object LOD | 80–100 | CPU load and distant building detail |
| Volumetric clouds | Medium | Heavy GPU load in layered weather |
| Traffic | Low or off while testing | Main-thread load and airport stutters |
| Glass-cockpit refresh rate | Medium or low | CPU cost in display-heavy airliners |
| Reflections, shadows and ambient occlusion | Low or medium | GPU cost with less effect on instrument readability |
| Texture resolution | High if VRAM permits | VRAM use and surface clarity |
These are diagnostic starting points, not universal best settings. A high-resolution headset, complex airliner and large handcrafted airport can demand far more than a light aircraft over rural terrain. Our breakdown of MSFS 2020 graphics settings by CPU, GPU and VRAM cost helps identify which controls match your bottleneck.
Enable the simulator's developer FPS display temporarily if you need a clearer diagnosis. A MainThread limitation points towards LOD, traffic, aircraft systems and glass displays; a GPU limitation points towards render scale, clouds, anti-aliasing, shadows and effects.
Should you use TAA, DLSS or motion reprojection?
Use TAA when cockpit sharpness matters most, try DLSS Quality on compatible hardware when GPU performance is insufficient, and use motion reprojection only when the simulator can hold a stable fraction of the headset refresh rate.
- TAA: usually gives crisp text and instruments, but rendering enough pixels for a high-resolution headset is expensive.
- DLSS Quality: can reduce GPU load on supported NVIDIA hardware, though small displays may look softer and moving digits can ghost. Lower DLSS presets sacrifice more cockpit clarity.
- Motion reprojection: synthesises intermediate frames when the simulator cannot match the headset refresh rate. It can make head movement smoother, but propellers, wing edges and glass displays may show distortion.
At 90 Hz, for example, a stable 45 rendered frames per second can work better with half-rate reprojection than performance fluctuating between 40 and 60. If the simulator repeatedly crosses the reprojection threshold, reduce settings enough to remain on one side of it. Do not enable overlapping motion-smoothing systems in multiple runtime tools.
Why is MSFS 2020 VR blurry or stuttering?
Blur normally comes from low render resolution, aggressive upscaling or headset optics; stuttering usually comes from unstable frame times, CPU-heavy traffic, exhausted VRAM, scenery streaming or third-party add-ons.
- Only the centre or edges are blurred: adjust the headset position, lens spacing and physical fit. Graphics settings cannot correct an eye that is outside the lens sweet spot.
- The whole cockpit is low-resolution: raise VR render scale gradually, check the headset application's resolution and compare TAA with DLSS Quality.
- Displays smear while moving: test TAA and disable motion reprojection temporarily. DLSS and generated frames can both create artefacts around changing digits.
- Head turns judder: lower render scale and clouds first. If VRAM is tight, reduce texture-heavy settings; if scenery appears late when looking sideways, try higher off-screen terrain pre-caching only when enough VRAM is available.
- Pauses occur near airports: reduce AI, live and ground traffic, then test a default aircraft without third-party scenery. Complex avionics and busy hubs often expose a main-thread limit.
- Wireless VR looks compressed or lags despite a smooth monitor view: test a cable to separate simulator performance from network or video-encoding problems. For wireless use, connect the PC by Ethernet and keep the headset close to an uncongested access point.
For repeated pauses rather than consistently low performance, follow our MSFS 2020 stutter and micro-pause diagnostic checks, including rolling cache, add-ons, traffic and frame limiting.
How should you test VR changes?
Change one group of settings at a time and judge performance in a repeatable flight rather than chasing the highest frame-rate reading in an empty menu.
- Create a clean baseline. Use a default aircraft, clear weather, a quiet airport and no traffic. Temporarily remove third-party packages if unexplained pauses remain.
- Set a conservative resolution. Leave the headset runtime near its default and begin around 70–80 VR render scale.
- Identify the limit. Reduce render scale to test the GPU; reduce LOD and traffic to test the main thread.
- Add workload gradually. Restore clouds, traffic, your normal aircraft and the airports you actually use.
- Raise clarity last. Increase render scale in small steps until frame timing starts to deteriorate, then return to the last stable setting.
The best MSFS 2020 VR configuration is the one that stays stable during head movement, approaches and turns over detailed scenery. A slightly softer image with consistent frame delivery is usually more comfortable than sharper instruments accompanied by judder.