Show the MSFS 2024 or 2020 FPS counter on PC, fix a missing overlay, and read MainThread, GPU, frame-time and frame-generation results.
On PC, enable Developer Mode in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or 2020, then select Display FPS from the Developer menu bar. The overlay shows frame rate, frame time and the active CPU or GPU bottleneck. The built-in counter is not available in the standard Xbox or PlayStation console versions.
How to show the FPS counter in MSFS 2024 and 2020
Both simulators use Developer Mode, but the settings path and FPS menu differ slightly between versions. For more detail on the switch and its other tools, see our MSFS 2024 Developer Mode instructions.
- Open the developer setting. In MSFS 2024, open
Settings > Advanced Options. In MSFS 2020, useOptions > General Options > Developers. If an update has moved the category, search the settings for Developer Mode. - Enable Developer Mode. Set it to On and apply or save the change if prompted.
- Open Display FPS. Return to the simulator and move the pointer to the top edge if the Developer menu bar is hidden. In MSFS 2024, choose
Debug > Display FPS. In MSFS 2020, chooseOptions > Display FPS. - Close the overlay when finished. Select Display FPS again, then disable Developer Mode if you no longer need the toolbar.
Take readings after loading into an aircraft and allowing the scene to settle. Main-menu performance does not represent a busy cockpit or airport. There is no default one-key shortcut for the native panel, and leaving Developer Mode active can interfere with achievement, logbook or activity tracking, particularly in MSFS 2020.
Why is the MSFS FPS counter not showing?
A missing FPS counter usually means Developer Mode was not applied, the wrong version-specific menu was opened or the simulator is running on a console.
- No Developer menu bar: confirm Developer Mode is On, apply the setting and return to the flight. Move the pointer to the top edge; if that fails, reload the flight or restart the simulator.
- No Display FPS command: check
Debugin MSFS 2024 andOptionsin MSFS 2020. - The panel disappears: confirm Display FPS remains selected and close any full-screen window covering the overlay.
- The reading is unrepresentative: wait for aircraft initialisation, scenery streaming and view changes to finish before diagnosing it.
- Xbox or PlayStation: retail Xbox Series X|S builds and the PS5 and PS5 Pro versions of MSFS 2024 do not expose the PC Developer Mode overlay. MSFS 2020 was not released on PlayStation.
What do MainThread and GPU mean on the FPS display?
The limiter label identifies the stage taking longest to prepare each frame. Watch it for several seconds during normal flight because a brief change while loading scenery or switching views is not a persistent bottleneck.
| Reading | What it means | What to investigate |
|---|---|---|
| FPS | Frames produced each second | Judge it alongside frame-time consistency rather than a brief maximum |
| Frame time | Time required to produce one frame | Lower and steadier is better: 33.3 ms is about 30 FPS, 25 ms is 40 FPS and 16.7 ms is 60 FPS |
| Limited by MainThread | The main CPU simulation thread is taking longest | Terrain and object detail, traffic, complex airports, aircraft systems and cockpit displays |
| Limited by GPU | The graphics card is taking longest | Resolution, render scaling, clouds, shadows, reflections and anti-aliasing |
| Other thread labels | Narrower rendering, interface or cockpit-interaction tasks | Investigate only when the same label remains dominant during normal flight |
CPU and GPU work overlaps, so do not add their displayed times together. The slower stage normally controls the delivered frame rate, although a frame cap can leave part of the pipeline deliberately waiting.
What does Limited by MainThread mean?
Limited by MainThread means the main CPU thread cannot prepare frames as quickly as the graphics card could display them. Overall CPU utilisation may still appear low because one heavily loaded logical processor can hold back the simulation.
Reduce Terrain Level of Detail first, then test Objects LOD, road and airport vehicles, ships, AI or live traffic, and glass-cockpit workload. Complex aircraft and detailed airports can impose a CPU load that lowering resolution will not solve. Our settings guide matches individual options to CPU, GPU and VRAM pressure.
What does Limited by GPU mean?
Limited by GPU means the graphics card is taking longer than the CPU to complete each frame. Lower render scaling or output resolution first, then test clouds, shadows, reflections, ambient occlusion and anti-aliasing.
If graphics memory is close to its available budget, reduce texture demands and test without high-resolution aircraft or scenery add-ons. VRAM exhaustion can cause stutters and unstable frame times even when average GPU utilisation does not explain the whole problem.
What do RdrThread, CoherentGT and Manipulators mean?
RdrThread concerns render submission, while CoherentGT and similar interface labels usually relate to cockpit displays or toolbar windows. Manipulators concerns cockpit interaction. Close unused toolbar panels and pop-out instruments, stop moving the pointer, then compare cockpit and external views before changing global graphics settings.
What FPS and frame time should you aim for?
Stable frame delivery matters more than the highest average: a consistent 30 FPS can feel better than 45 FPS interrupted by repeated frame-time spikes.
- 30 FPS: approximately 33.3 ms per frame; usable for slower flying when frame pacing remains steady.
- 40 FPS: 25 ms per frame; a useful target with a compatible variable-refresh display or frame-generation configuration.
- 60 FPS: approximately 16.7 ms per frame; smoother camera movement and control response, but much more demanding.
- VR: match the target to the headset's refresh and reprojection modes rather than applying desktop targets directly.
If V-Sync or another limiter holds the simulator at exactly 30, 40 or 60 FPS, the bottleneck label becomes less useful because the pipeline may be waiting deliberately. Disable the cap while diagnosing performance, then restore it once you have found the limiting setting.
Frame generation can also make counters disagree. An external overlay may count generated or presented frames, while the Developer Mode panel reflects the simulator's native rendering workload. Generated output can look smoother without reducing the underlying MainThread time, so use one counter consistently when comparing changes.
How should you test an MSFS performance change?
A valid comparison uses the same demanding scene and changes only one setting at a time.
- Choose a repeatable scene. Keep the aircraft, airport, runway, weather, time and camera view unchanged.
- Let the scene settle. Aircraft initialisation, scenery streaming and shader work can distort the first readings.
- Record FPS and frame time. Check both the parked cockpit and an external view because they can expose different limits.
- Change one setting. Several simultaneous changes make it impossible to identify what helped.
- Retest a demanding arrival. A quiet cruise result does not represent a large airport with traffic and detailed scenery.
For a controlled baseline and repeatable comparison method, follow our guide to benchmarking Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC.
Can I show FPS without Developer Mode?
Yes. A PC platform or graphics-driver overlay can show FPS without Developer Mode, but it normally lacks MSFS-specific MainThread, GPU and frame-time diagnostics.
Press Win+G in Windows, open the Performance widget and pin its FPS reading over the simulator. First use may require permission followed by a restart. The Steam edition can also use Steam's small FPS overlay; our guide to alternative flight-simulator FPS counters covers the available approaches.
A television or monitor's output information is not a dependable substitute. It may report refresh rate or a VRR signal rather than the simulator's true rendered frame rate, and it cannot identify a CPU or GPU bottleneck.