Learn what Microsoft Flight Simulator V-Sync does, when to enable it, and how to avoid tearing, input lag, VRR conflicts and stutter.
V-Sync in Microsoft Flight Simulator synchronises completed frames with your monitor’s refresh cycle, preventing horizontal screen tearing. Enable it on a fixed-refresh display if tearing bothers you; leave it off when minimising input lag, or use a properly configured G-SYNC/FreeSync setup with an FPS cap below the display’s maximum refresh rate.
What does V-Sync actually do?
V-Sync controls when Microsoft Flight Simulator presents each completed frame to the display. Without synchronisation, the monitor can begin showing a new frame part-way through a refresh, producing a horizontal split known as screen tearing.
It does not create performance or raise FPS. V-Sync can cap output at the display’s refresh rate, and it may add latency while frames wait to be presented. If the simulator cannot maintain the selected cadence, repeated frames can make camera pans look uneven even though tearing has disappeared.
Should V-Sync be on or off in Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Use V-Sync when eliminating tearing matters more than achieving the lowest possible latency, but match the setting to your display technology.
| Display or use case | Recommended starting point | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-refresh monitor | V-Sync on | Removes tearing when the system can hold a stable rate matched to the display. |
| Fixed-refresh monitor with unstable FPS | V-Sync plus a sustainable lower cap, or V-Sync off | A stable 30 FPS on a 60 Hz display can look better than output fluctuating between 35 and 55 FPS. |
| G-SYNC or FreeSync display | Enable VRR and cap FPS slightly below the maximum refresh rate | Keeps output inside the variable-refresh range and avoids repeatedly hitting the V-Sync ceiling. |
| VR headset | Usually leave desktop V-Sync off | The VR runtime controls headset refresh, frame pacing and reprojection separately. |
| Xbox or PlayStation | Use the console and television’s VRR options | The console versions generally manage presentation at platform level, so an in-game V-Sync toggle may not be exposed. |
For a PC with G-SYNC, a common arrangement is G-SYNC enabled, driver-level V-Sync enabled as a ceiling, in-game V-Sync disabled and an FPS limit a few frames below maximum refresh. FreeSync users can normally keep the in-game setting off while VRR and a suitable cap handle presentation. NVIDIA users should coordinate the Control Panel, G-SYNC and in-game settings rather than allowing unrelated options to compete.
How do I configure V-Sync without causing stutter?
Measure performance first, then choose a refresh strategy your PC can sustain in demanding cockpit and airport scenes.
- Confirm the monitor’s refresh rate. Check the operating system’s advanced display settings. A 144 Hz monitor configured to run at 60 Hz will make V-Sync cap the simulator at 60 FPS.
- Measure native performance. Temporarily disable V-Sync and frame generation, then test at a demanding airport in the aircraft you normally fly. Our explanation of how to show and interpret the built-in MSFS FPS counter helps separate a main-thread limit from a GPU limit.
- Choose one presentation method. Use in-game V-Sync for a conventional fixed-refresh monitor, or VRR with an appropriate frame cap for G-SYNC and FreeSync displays.
- Set a rate the system can hold. When MSFS offers a frame-rate limit alongside V-Sync, choose one sustainable during the heaviest part of a flight—not the peak FPS seen in cruise. See our guidance on choosing a stable flight-simulator FPS cap.
- Retest camera movement and controls. Pan across cockpit frames and airport buildings while watching frame time, tearing and control response. Keep the arrangement that produces the most consistent motion, not simply the largest FPS number.
A mistake we see constantly is stacking an in-game limiter, a driver limiter and V-Sync without knowing which one controls the final output. Use one deliberate cap and one synchronisation strategy; additional limits make diagnosis needlessly difficult.
Why does MSFS still stutter with V-Sync enabled?
V-Sync only controls frame presentation, so it cannot repair pauses caused by terrain streaming, shader compilation, add-ons, storage access, insufficient VRAM or main-thread spikes.
- Regular judder: the simulator may be missing the refresh deadline repeatedly. Lower the graphics load or choose a lower sustainable cap.
- Brief isolated pauses: investigate scenery streaming, add-ons, CPU load and storage rather than V-Sync.
- High FPS but uneven panning: inconsistent frame times or a refresh mismatch may be responsible. Use our guide to diagnose choppy motion despite high FPS.
- Extra latency with frame generation: generated output may reach the display ceiling even when native rendered FPS appears lower. Reduce the cap and compare with frame generation disabled.
Does V-Sync improve Microsoft Flight Simulator FPS?
No. V-Sync may reduce the reported frame rate by holding output to the monitor’s cadence, but it can make motion look cleaner by removing tearing and producing more even delivery. Judge it by frame-time consistency and visible smoothness rather than FPS alone.