Turn photogrammetry on or off in MSFS 2020 and 2024 with exact menu paths, required online settings, and fixes for greyed-out scenery.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, open Options > General Options > Data and switch Photogrammetry on or off. In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, open Settings > General > Online and change Photogrammetry. Photogrammetry also depends on online world-data settings; enable those when turning it on, apply the change and reload the flight if the existing scenery does not refresh.
How to turn photogrammetry on or off in MSFS 2020
The MSFS 2020 photogrammetry switch is on the Data page within General Options.
- Open General Options: From the main menu select Options, or pause an active flight, then open
General Options. - Select Data: Open the
Datasection from the left-hand menu. - Enable the prerequisites: If you are turning photogrammetry on, set
Online FunctionalityandBing Data World Graphicsto On. - Change Photogrammetry: Set
Photogrammetryto On or Off. - Save the setting: Select
Apply & Save. Reload the flight if scenery already loaded around the aircraft does not change.
Photogrammetry will not work when the simulator is offline, Bing world data is disabled or a configured data limit has stopped online services. Our explanation of MSFS 2020 online settings and data use covers those controls in more detail.
How to change photogrammetry in MSFS 2024
In MSFS 2024, Photogrammetry is found under the General settings' Online section.
- Open Settings: Enter Settings from the main menu or pause menu.
- Open the Online page: Follow
General > Online. - Check online world data: When enabling photogrammetry, make sure Online Functionality and world-scenery streaming are also enabled.
- Set Photogrammetry: Choose On or Off, then apply the setting if an Apply control is shown.
- Refresh the scenery: Return to the main menu and reload the flight if nearby buildings retain the previous appearance.
The setting is available on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, although button prompts differ. Turning photogrammetry off removes one source of scenery traffic, but MSFS 2024 continues streaming other world content; see our methods for reducing MSFS 2024 bandwidth use if data consumption is the main problem.
What does turning photogrammetry off actually change?
Turning photogrammetry off replaces available photo-derived 3D city geometry with the simulator's generated buildings; it does not remove the entire world or automatically disable aerial imagery.
| Setting | What you see | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| On | Photo-derived 3D buildings and terrain in supported areas | Stable, reasonably fast internet and sightseeing in covered cities |
| Off | Generated buildings placed over normal world scenery | Limited bandwidth, slow connections or areas with distorted photogrammetry |
Hand-crafted airports and landmarks are separate from the photogrammetry switch. Disabling it can reduce streaming demand and may help where detailed city geometry is a bottleneck, but it does not guarantee a higher frame rate.
Why is photogrammetry greyed out or not working?
A greyed-out switch or generic-looking city usually means a required online setting is disabled, the scenery has not refreshed or the location has no photogrammetry coverage.
- The switch is unavailable: Enable Online Functionality first. In MSFS 2020, also enable Bing Data World Graphics.
- Nothing changes: Test over a known photogrammetry-covered city. Many towns and rural areas use generated buildings regardless of this setting.
- The old scenery remains: Return to the main menu and load the flight again. Tiles already surrounding the aircraft may not be replaced immediately.
- Buildings are blurry or distorted: Check the connection and any simulator data limit. In MSFS 2020, a damaged cache can also cause stale scenery; use our rolling-cache troubleshooting steps before reinstalling anything.
Should I leave photogrammetry on?
Leave photogrammetry on for the most recognisable supported cities, but turn it off when bandwidth is restricted, streamed buildings repeatedly fail to resolve or you prefer cleaner generated scenery.
Photogrammetry is an online scenery source rather than a normal quality preset. Terrain level of detail, object level of detail and texture settings still affect how the world looks and performs; our recommended MSFS scenery and graphics settings explain those separate controls.