Use time acceleration in Microsoft Flight Simulator, choose a safe sim rate, return to 1x and fix shortcuts that do nothing.
To use time acceleration in Microsoft Flight Simulator, press R on the standard PC keyboard profile, then press Ctrl + Plus to speed up or Ctrl + Minus to slow down. Each press changes sim rate by one step. Return to 1x before descent, approach or landing.
How do I speed up and slow down Microsoft Flight Simulator?
The safest method is to change sim rate only after the aircraft is stable in cruise.
- Stabilise the aircraft: level off, engage the autopilot if appropriate and confirm that the route is tracking correctly.
- Select sim rate: press
Ron the standard PC keyboard profile. - Accelerate time: tap
Ctrl + Plusonce, then observe the aircraft before increasing it again. - Monitor the flight: watch airspeed, altitude, fuel, the next waypoint and distance to top of descent. Do not leave a fast rate running unattended.
- Slow down: press
Ctrl + Minusuntil the simulator is back at normal speed.
Keyboard layouts and control profiles can change these shortcuts. The top-row Plus key may require Shift, while the numeric-keypad Plus key can be treated as a different input. Our complete MSFS keyboard-command reference lists the Sim Rate and Plus/Minus controls.
How do I bind sim rate on Xbox, PS5 or a laptop?
Assign dedicated sim-rate commands when your controller or compact keyboard has no usable default shortcut.
- Open the simulator's controls settings and select the device profile you actually use.
- Search for
Sim Rate. If nothing appears, change the control filter from assigned commands to all commands. - Bind the increase and decrease actions to two distinct buttons or button combinations. Some profiles also expose a separate Sim Rate selector.
- Check for conflicts, then save or apply the active profile.
On Xbox, and on PlayStation 5 in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, a controller combination is usually more practical than sacrificing a primary flight button. Avoid any control that repeats while held, as an accidental long press can push the rate several steps higher. A connected keyboard has its own profile and does not automatically inherit controller assignments.
MSFS 2024 users can compare their profile against our guide to checking the default keyboard controls.
What sim rate should I use?
Use 1x for critical phases of flight, 2x for most accelerated cruising and higher rates only when the aircraft and route are exceptionally stable.
| Sim rate | Suitable use | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| 1x | Taxi, take-off, climb changes, descent, approach and landing | None from time acceleration |
| 2x | Stable cruise with regular supervision | Waypoints and descent points arrive twice as quickly |
| 4x | Long, straight cruise segments | Autopilot hunting, overshot turns and late descent preparation |
| Above 4x | Only simple, stable cruise when the aircraft tolerates it | Flight-model instability, missed events and add-on system errors |
Time acceleration advances the aircraft dynamics and simulation clock; it is not merely a faster day/night animation. Live traffic, multiplayer and live-weather data rely partly on external real-time services, so they may not remain perfectly synchronised with an accelerated flight.
Complex aircraft may limit sim rate or behave poorly beyond 2x or 4x. A mistake we see constantly is increasing the rate until the autopilot starts oscillating, then treating the oscillation as an aircraft fault. Reduce to 1x first and let the aircraft stabilise before troubleshooting anything else.
How do I return sim rate to normal?
Return to 1x by stepping the rate down carefully rather than guessing from the apparent speed of the scenery.
Microsoft Flight Simulator does not always provide a persistent, obvious sim-rate readout. With the usual rate ladder, a reliable method is to decrease all the way to the 0.25x minimum and then increase twice: 0.25x → 0.5x → 1x. You can confirm it by comparing ten seconds on the simulation clock with ten real seconds.
If the simulator remains too fast or too slow, follow our dedicated 1x sim-rate reset procedure.
Why are the sim-rate controls not working?
Sim-rate controls usually fail because the active device profile has different bindings or the simulator is reading a different Plus key.
- Wrong profile: confirm that you are editing the active keyboard or controller preset, not another saved profile.
- Unassigned command: search with the controls filter set to show all commands, then assign the increase and decrease actions manually.
- Keyboard-layout mismatch: try the numeric keypad or create simpler bindings. On some layouts, Plus is entered as
Shift + Equals. - Input focus: close any EFB search box, text field or pop-out window that may be capturing keyboard input.
- Paused simulation: leave Active Pause or ordinary pause before testing acceleration.
- Aircraft or activity restriction: test a default aircraft in a normal free flight. Some activities and sophisticated add-ons restrict or override accelerated simulation.