Use DLSS Swapper safely with MSFS 2020: back up the original DLL, apply a compatible version, test image quality and undo a bad swap.
To use DLSS Swapper with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, close the simulator, select its PC installation in DLSS Swapper, back up the original nvngx_dlss.dll, apply a compatible signed library, then enable NVIDIA DLSS in the graphics options. Test one version at a time, and restore the original if crashes, ghosting or menu errors appear.
DLSS Swapper works only with the Windows PC edition. You cannot use it on an Xbox console, and the PC must have an NVIDIA RTX GPU capable of running DLSS.
How do I swap the MSFS 2020 DLSS file safely?
- Confirm native DLSS works first. Update Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and the NVIDIA driver, then check that NVIDIA DLSS appears under
Options > General Options > Graphics > Anti-Aliasing. If it is missing, use our RTX hardware, driver and GPU-selection checks before changing any files. - Close the simulator and launcher. Exit MSFS 2020 completely, including Steam or the Xbox application where practical. Do not replace a DLL while the simulator is running.
- Select the correct installation. Open DLSS Swapper and choose Microsoft Flight Simulator. Confirm that it has found the installation containing
FlightSimulator.exeandnvngx_dlss.dll, not the separateCommunityorOfficialpackage folders. - Protect the original DLL. DLSS Swapper normally keeps the original file for restoration. Confirm that a restore option is available; for extra insurance, copy
nvngx_dlss.dllto a folder outside the simulator installation. - Choose a Super Resolution library. A recent NVIDIA-signed version offered inside DLSS Swapper is a sensible first test. Do not use an unverified loose DLL, and do not assume the highest version number will suit MSFS 2020 best.
- Apply the swap. Let the application replace the detected DLSS library. If Windows reports access denied, close all related applications and run DLSS Swapper with administrator privileges once rather than changing ownership of protected Windows folders.
- Enable DLSS in MSFS 2020. Start the simulator and select NVIDIA DLSS as the anti-aliasing method. Begin with Quality mode, then use our recommended MSFS 2020 DLSS settings and comparison method before trying lower-quality performance modes.
- Test a repeatable flight. Use the same aircraft, airport, weather, camera position and graphics settings. Examine glass-cockpit text, moving map labels, runway markings, aircraft edges and panning behaviour as well as frame rate.
Which DLSS library should I choose?
There is no single best DLSS DLL for every MSFS 2020 system, so choose according to whether stability or experimentation matters most.
| Priority | Best starting point | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum reliability | The original simulator-supplied DLL | It is the version distributed and serviced with that MSFS build. |
| Image-quality testing | A recent signed Super Resolution DLL offered by DLSS Swapper | It may alter ghosting, sharpening or motion handling, but results depend on the scene and settings. |
| Troubleshooting | The last known-good version or the original | This establishes whether the swap caused the fault. |
A library swap often changes image quality more noticeably than raw performance. If MSFS is limited by its main CPU thread, replacing the DLSS DLL may produce little or no frame-rate gain.
Will DLSS Swapper add Frame Generation or newer DLSS features?
Replacing nvngx_dlss.dll changes the DLSS Super Resolution component; it does not unlock features that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, the GPU, driver or selected rendering mode does not support.
Frame Generation uses a separate component and remains dependent on compatible hardware and simulator support. A newer DLL number alone also does not prove support for every feature carrying the same DLSS generation label, as explained in our breakdown of DLSS 5 support in MSFS 2020.
Why does DLSS Swapper not detect MSFS 2020?
Detection usually fails because the application has found the wrong library, lacks permission to read the installation, or is looking at the package folder instead of the executable folder.
- Launch MSFS 2020 once through Steam or the Xbox application, close it, then rescan installed games.
- Check for old or duplicate simulator entries left by a previous installation.
- If your DLSS Swapper build provides a manual game option, select the directory containing both
FlightSimulator.exeandnvngx_dlss.dll. - Do not point it at
Community,Officialor the user configuration folders; the DLSS runtime is not stored there. - For a protected Microsoft Store installation, try elevated privileges rather than taking ownership of
WindowsApps. Changing that folder's permissions can break application updates.
What should I do if the swapped DLL causes problems?
Restore the original first, because that immediately separates a DLL problem from a driver, add-on or graphics-setting problem.
| Symptom | Likely action |
|---|---|
| Crash or error during startup | Restore the original DLL, restart Windows and verify the simulator files if the error remains. |
| Blurry displays or severe ghosting | Try DLSS Quality, compare the previous DLL, or return to TAA if cockpit readability is the priority. |
| No frame-rate improvement | Check whether the flight is CPU-limited; a DLL swap does not remove a main-thread bottleneck. |
| DLSS still does not appear | Check the RTX GPU, driver, active graphics adapter and simulator update. Swapping the file cannot enable DLSS on unsupported hardware. |
| The original version returns | An MSFS update or launcher repair probably replaced the modified file. Test the official version before deciding whether to swap it again. |
How do I undo a DLSS swap?
Close MSFS 2020 and use DLSS Swapper's restore or reset command for the simulator. If that backup is unavailable, copy your saved original nvngx_dlss.dll back into the executable directory.
As a final recovery method, use the launcher's file verification or repair function to download the official file again. This may inspect far more than the single DLL, so restoring the Swapper backup is normally faster.