Should V-Sync be on or off in Microsoft Flight Simulator? Find the right setting and FPS cap for fixed-refresh, G-SYNC, FreeSync and VR.
Turn V-Sync on in Microsoft Flight Simulator if you see screen tearing or want a steady 30/60 fps on a fixed-refresh display. Turn it off when using a properly configured G-SYNC/FreeSync setup, VR, or when minimising input lag; then use one sensible frame-rate cap to stabilise frame pacing.
V-Sync prevents tearing by synchronising completed frames with the monitor’s refresh cycle. It does not increase performance, and it can make uneven frame rates more obvious when MSFS cannot maintain the selected target. The same principles apply to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, although their available frame-limit options can differ.
When should you turn V-Sync on or off?
Turn V-Sync on for a fixed-refresh monitor, but normally leave the in-simulator setting off when variable refresh or a VR runtime is controlling frame delivery.
| Display setup | Recommended starting point | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-refresh monitor | V-Sync on with a sustainable target | Stops horizontal tearing and produces consistent frame presentation. |
| G-SYNC or FreeSync monitor | In-game V-Sync off, VRR on, FPS capped below the refresh ceiling | Preserves variable-refresh operation and usually reduces latency. |
| VR headset | Desktop V-Sync off | The headset runtime manages refresh timing and motion reprojection. |
| Lowest possible input latency | V-Sync off | Avoids waiting for the next refresh, at the cost of possible tearing. |
On a console, PC-style driver overrides do not apply. If the console and television support variable refresh rate, enable VRR at system and display level and use the simulator’s available display mode.
How do you configure V-Sync for smooth frame pacing?
Configure V-Sync around the frame rate your computer can hold in a demanding airport, not the much higher number seen while cruising over simple terrain.
- Confirm the display refresh rate. Check that the operating system is actually running the monitor at its intended rate, such as 60, 120 or 144 Hz.
- Measure a demanding scenario. Use the aircraft, weather and airport type you normally fly. Cockpit avionics and busy scenery can make MSFS main-thread limited even when the GPU has spare capacity.
- Choose a sustainable target. On a fixed-refresh screen, use a clean divisor of its refresh rate: 30 or 60 fps at 60 Hz, 40 or 60 fps at 120 Hz, or 48 or 72 fps at 144 Hz.
- Use one frame-rate limiter. Do not run competing caps in the simulator and graphics driver. Test the final configuration by panning around the cockpit and watching for tearing, judder and delayed control response.
If the target collapses at complex airports, V-Sync is not the underlying fix. Adjust the CPU- and GPU-heavy options using our guide to balancing MSFS graphics settings and bottlenecks, then set the cap from the new worst-case frame rate.
With frame generation enabled, the displayed FPS includes generated frames and does not represent the same control latency as native rendering. Judge smoothness and responsiveness rather than choosing a cap from the counter alone.
Should V-Sync be on with G-SYNC or FreeSync?
With G-SYNC or FreeSync, enable variable refresh, leave V-Sync off inside MSFS and cap the frame rate a few frames below the monitor’s maximum refresh rate.
If performance is far below that ceiling, a lower sustainable cap such as 40, 45 or 60 fps can produce steadier camera motion and leave GPU headroom. NVIDIA configurations commonly use driver-level V-Sync as a safety ceiling while keeping the in-game option off; our monitor-specific NVIDIA Control Panel recommendations explain the correct combinations.
Avoid enabling every synchronisation option at once. An in-game cap, driver cap, monitor limiter and V-Sync override can fight one another, causing erratic frame times or an unexpected FPS ceiling.
Why does V-Sync cause stuttering or a 30 fps lock?
V-Sync can stutter or fall to 30 fps when MSFS cannot sustain a 60 Hz refresh target, when a half-refresh option has been selected, or when multiple frame controls are active.
- Locked at exactly 30 fps: check whether the simulator is set to half-refresh V-Sync or a 30 fps limit. A strict 60 Hz synchronisation mode can also fall back when 60 fps cannot be maintained.
- Regular judder: choose a frame target that divides evenly into a fixed refresh rate, and remove duplicate caps.
- Tearing with V-Sync enabled: check for a graphics-driver override, confirm the correct monitor and refresh rate, and retest using the same window or full-screen mode.
- Stutters at busy airports: this is commonly a CPU, scenery-streaming or shader problem rather than V-Sync. Work through our frame-pacing and micro-pause troubleshooting checks before changing synchronisation again.
- Noticeable control lag: use VRR with a cap, or turn V-Sync off and accept some tearing. Lowering the cap can also help if the GPU is continuously saturated.