How do I use a second monitor with a flight simulator?

Use the operating system’s extended desktop, not screen duplication, then move a popped-out instrument, map or undocked panel to monitor two, or create a native second simulator view. Connect both displays to the graphics card, arrange them in Windows Display settings, and use the flight simulator’s own pop-out or multi-monitor controls.

How do I set up two monitors for flight simulation?

Configure both monitors as one extended desktop before opening Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D or FSX.

1. Connect both displays. On a desktop with a dedicated graphics card, connect both monitors to that card rather than putting one on a motherboard video output. DisplayPort and HDMI both work; the connector does not change how the simulator handles the screen. Our flight-sim monitor connection guide explains graphics outputs, adaptors and cable choices in more detail.
2. Open Windows Display settings. Right-click an empty part of the desktop and select Display settings, or press Win+I and open the display section under System.
3. Select Extend. Press Win+P and choose Extend. Do not choose Duplicate, which sends the same picture to both screens instead of creating an independent workspace.
4. Arrange the monitor diagrams. Select Identify, then drag the numbered displays so their left, right and vertical positions match the physical monitors. Misaligned diagrams are why the pointer often appears unable to cross the screen edge.
5. Set resolution and scaling. Start with each monitor’s native resolution. Mixed Windows scaling percentages can work, but matching percentages are a useful diagnostic if an older simulator shows blurry panels or offset mouse clicks.
6. Choose the main screen. Make the primary cockpit display the Windows main display if the simulator repeatedly launches on the wrong monitor.
7. Open the simulator in the right display mode. Windowed or borderless mode is usually required when dragging panels between screens. Native multi-monitor render windows may run separately without stretching the main simulator window.

On macOS, disable mirroring and arrange the screens in Displays settings. This is relevant to simulators such as X-Plane; Microsoft Flight Simulator runs on Windows and supported consoles rather than macOS.

A mistake we see constantly is changing ports, resolution or monitor order after saving a cockpit layout. Windows may then identify the display differently, leaving instrument windows off-screen or on the wrong monitor.

Which second-monitor layout should I choose?

Use monitor two for maps or instruments when utility matters most, and choose another 3D view only when side visibility or a wrap-around scene justifies the heavier graphics load.

Can I put maps on the second monitor?

Yes. A map, chart, checklist or planning application can be dragged onto the extended desktop like any other window and usually has far less effect on frame rate than another 3D simulator view.

For a built-in map or toolbar panel, look for an undock or pop-out control on that panel. If the simulator does not expose one, the panel cannot be moved outside the main window through standard Windows dragging.

How do I use multiple monitors in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024?

On PC, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 can place supported cockpit instruments in separate windows and can use render-window controls for additional simulator views.

How do I put MSFS 2024 instruments on a second screen?

Hold Right Alt and left-click a supported cockpit display, then drag the resulting window to monitor two.

1. Extend the Windows desktop and load into the aircraft’s cockpit.
2. Power the aircraft and avionics so you can confirm that the detached display is rendering correctly.
3. Hold Right Alt and left-click the display. Use the physical right-hand Alt key; the left Alt key does not perform the same pop-out command.
4. Drag the new window by its title bar to the second monitor, then resize or maximise it as required.
5. Repeat for other supported displays. Keep in mind that each animated instrument adds some rendering load.

This is what simmers often mean by an MSFS glass pop-out or “glass out”. It normally exports the screen image, not the physical bezel, knobs or surrounding cockpit model. Not every gauge is detachable, and third-party aircraft can expose different pop-out targets.

Our broader guide to exporting flight instruments to another monitor covers the equivalent panel methods used by other simulators.

How do I add a second 3D view in MSFS?

Use the PC simulator’s multi-monitor or additional render-window controls rather than stretching one ordinary cockpit window across both monitors.

Create another render window, place or assign it to the second display, then adjust its horizontal angle, vertical angle and field of view so the scene lines up with the main monitor. The wording and location of these controls differ between MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024, and some MSFS 2020 interfaces label the feature experimental.

A second render window is suitable for a side view or multi-screen forward scene, but it costs much more performance than a map. Our comparison of MSFS render windows, spanning and instrument pop-outs explains when each method makes sense.

What does MSFS 2024 Home Cockpit Mode do?

Home Cockpit Mode is a camera-behaviour option for fixed physical cockpit installations; it is not the switch that enables a second monitor. It does not pop out glass instruments, create render windows or make a console produce independent displays.

Enable it only when its fixed-cockpit camera behaviour suits your physical rig. For an ordinary desk setup where you still move freely around the virtual cockpit, leave it disabled and use the normal cockpit camera controls.

How do X-Plane, Prepar3D and FSX use a second monitor?

X-Plane has native monitor roles, while Prepar3D and FSX commonly use undocked panels and views in windowed mode.

X-Plane

X-Plane can assign a simulator view to each detected monitor through its graphics configuration. Set the field of view and visual offsets for each display instead of stretching one image across the entire desktop; supported instrument windows can also be popped out and moved separately.

Prepar3D

Open the required panel or view, undock it from the main Prepar3D window, and drag it to monitor two. If it remains confined inside the simulator frame, it has not been undocked.

FSX and FSX: Steam Edition

Run FSX in windowed mode, open the required panel or view, select its Undock Window command, and move it to the extended display. Full-screen mode and mixed display scaling are common causes of trapped panels or inaccurate clicks.

For the older simulator’s specific workflow, see our FSX dual-monitor and undocked-panel instructions.

Can Xbox or PlayStation use a second flight-simulator monitor?

Console editions cannot create a Windows-style extended desktop for independent instruments and views.

This applies to Microsoft Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X|S and to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro, where the simulator launched on 8 December 2025. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was never released for PlayStation.

An HDMI splitter can duplicate the console picture onto two displays, but it cannot show the outside view on one screen and instruments on the other. That requires the PC version and its detachable windows or multi-monitor rendering.

How do I move around the cockpit in MSFS 2024 on PS5?

Use the assigned cockpit camera controls for looking, translating the viewpoint and resetting the view; moving around the cockpit is separate from second-monitor support.

The standard controller preset typically uses a stick for looking around, while camera translation commands can be found and reassigned in the controls screen. Search the control bindings for cockpit look, cockpit translate and reset cockpit view if the default layout does not provide the movement you need. These controls move the camera inside the virtual cockpit but cannot move an instrument onto another PS5 display.

Why can I not move a simulator panel to monitor two?

A panel normally refuses to move because Windows is duplicating the desktop, the simulator is using an incompatible full-screen mode, or the panel has not been popped out or undocked.

• Both monitors show the same picture: press Win+P and choose Extend.
• The pointer stops at an edge: open Display settings and reposition the monitor diagrams so their edges meet in the correct place.
• The panel is trapped inside the simulator: use the simulator’s pop-out or undock command first, and test windowed or borderless mode.
• The window has disappeared: select it from the taskbar and press Win+Shift+Left Arrow or Win+Shift+Right Arrow to retrieve it.
• Text is blurry or clicks miss controls: test the same Windows scaling percentage on both displays, then restart the simulator.
• An MSFS glass window is blank: close and recreate the pop-out. If only one aircraft or gauge fails, that instrument may not support the built-in detachment method.
• The DisplayPort monitor has no signal: check the monitor’s selected input, cable, adaptor and graphics-card socket. A motherboard output may be inactive when a dedicated GPU is installed.

Does a second monitor reduce flight-simulator FPS?

An extended desktop has little graphics cost by itself, but an extra 3D view or animated glass-cockpit window can reduce frame rate substantially.

If performance drops, close additional 3D render windows first, then compare the simulator with instrument pop-outs closed. Reduce the secondary view’s resolution where supported, and avoid rendering a wider scene when the second screen only needs maps or charts.

Mixed refresh rates can also cause uneven frame pacing on some systems. Before lowering every graphics setting, test both monitors at a conventional matching refresh rate and check that no unused render window remains open off-screen.