Fix V-Sync not working in MSFS 2024: remove driver and FPS-cap conflicts, check refresh rate, VRR and Frame Generation, and stop screen tearing.
V-Sync usually appears not to work in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 because another layer is controlling frame presentation: the graphics driver, G-SYNC or FreeSync, Windows borderless composition, Frame Generation, or a separate FPS limiter. Remove conflicting controls, confirm the monitor's refresh rate, then let one method—not several—handle synchronisation and limiting.
Why does V-Sync look broken in MSFS 2024?
Different V-Sync symptoms point to different causes, so first establish what “not working” means in your case.
- The FPS exceeds the monitor refresh rate: a driver override, Frame Generation or an external limiter is bypassing or changing the in-game behaviour.
- Screen tearing remains visible: the simulator may be running on a different display or refresh rate than expected, or a driver feature such as Fast Sync or Enhanced Sync may be taking control.
- The frame rate is stuck at 30, 60 or another exact value: a half-refresh, fractional or separate FPS limit is probably active.
- Motion judders despite a stable FPS counter: V-Sync may be working, but frame times are uneven or two synchronisation methods are competing.
- The V-Sync control cannot be selected: that is a separate settings-state problem; follow our fixes for a greyed-out V-Sync option.
V-Sync is not a performance boost and does not guarantee a particular frame rate. It controls when completed frames are presented. If the simulator cannot maintain the required cadence, it can still judder without producing tearing.
How do I fix V-Sync in MSFS 2024?
The reliable fix is to build a clean baseline, verify that synchronisation works, and then reintroduce VRR, Frame Generation and frame caps one at a time.
- Check the Windows refresh rate. Open the advanced display settings, select the monitor used by MSFS 2024 and confirm it is running at its intended rate. A 120 Hz monitor accidentally set to 60 Hz makes a 60 FPS ceiling look like a failed or incorrect limit.
- Remove competing limits temporarily. Disable Frame Generation, G-SYNC or FreeSync, driver-level frame caps and caps applied by overlay or monitoring utilities. Set the graphics-driver profile to application-controlled rather than forcing V-Sync, Fast Sync or Enhanced Sync.
- Create a fixed-refresh test. Enable V-Sync inside MSFS 2024 and select the full-refresh or 100% frame-rate option if the menu offers one. Do not apply another cap during this test.
- Restart the simulator. Display-mode and frame-presentation changes are not always fully rebuilt while a flight is running. If necessary, switch between the available windowed and full-screen modes, apply the change, and restart again.
- Test both light and demanding scenes. Use a smooth external-camera pan to look for tearing. If the frame rate falls below the refresh rate at a complex airport, that indicates a performance limit rather than failed V-Sync.
- Try a driver override. If the clean in-game setup still tears, turn in-game V-Sync off and force it on only in the simulator's driver profile. Reset that per-game profile first if it contains old settings.
- Restore features individually. Re-enable VRR, then an FPS cap, and finally Frame Generation. Stop when the fault returns; the last feature or its interaction is the cause.
A mistake we see constantly is enabling the in-game limiter, a driver cap and an overlay cap together. Keep one frame limiter. Our MSFS 2024 frame-cap setup guide explains where to place that limit without creating competing controls.
Which V-Sync settings should I use?
The correct configuration depends on whether the display has variable refresh rate and whether Frame Generation is active.
| Situation | Synchronisation setup | Frame-limit approach |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-refresh monitor | Enable in-game V-Sync and leave the driver application-controlled. | Use full refresh when sustainable, or a stable lower fraction when it is not. |
| G-SYNC or FreeSync display | Enable VRR. A common setup uses driver V-Sync as the upper ceiling with in-game V-Sync off. | Cap a few FPS below the display's maximum refresh rate so the system remains inside the VRR range. |
| Frame Generation enabled | Configure and test synchronisation with Frame Generation off first, then enable it. | Check whether the counter reports rendered or generated output frames before judging the cap. |
| VR headset | The headset runtime controls display cadence; desktop-monitor V-Sync is not the primary control. | Use the headset refresh and reprojection settings rather than diagnosing from the desktop FPS alone. |
For NVIDIA hardware, our recommended MSFS NVIDIA profile settings cover G-SYNC, driver V-Sync and maximum-frame-rate interactions. AMD users should likewise avoid combining FreeSync, Enhanced Sync and multiple caps until each works independently.
These driver instructions apply to PC. Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 or PS5 Pro use the console's display output, supported VRR mode and the graphics options exposed by the simulator; they do not have NVIDIA or AMD per-game driver profiles.
What changes when Frame Generation is enabled?
Frame Generation can make a working V-Sync or cap appear ineffective because displayed frames and conventionally rendered frames are no longer the same measurement.
Some counters show the generated output rate, while another limiter may act on the lower base frame rate. A nominal 40 FPS render limit can therefore be reported closer to 80 displayed frames under suitable conditions. Disable Frame Generation while diagnosing tearing, then enable it only after the basic V-Sync or VRR configuration is stable.
Why is MSFS locked to 30 or 60 FPS?
An exact lock usually comes from a refresh-rate fraction rather than a performance bottleneck.
On a 60 Hz display, half refresh is 30 FPS and one-third is 20 FPS; on a 120 Hz display, half refresh is 60 FPS. Check the in-game V-Sync fraction or percentage, the driver profile and every external limiter. Also confirm that Windows has not changed the monitor to a lower refresh rate.
If FPS merely hovers near one of those values rather than holding it exactly, inspect GPU utilisation and main-thread performance instead. V-Sync cannot raise an underlying 42 FPS workload to 60 FPS.
Why does MSFS still stutter after V-Sync is fixed?
V-Sync removes tearing, but it cannot correct scenery-streaming delays, main-thread spikes, unstable Frame Generation input or a poorly placed FPS cap.
If tearing has stopped but camera movement still judders, watch frame-time consistency rather than the average FPS number. Our guide to fixing MSFS 2024 stutter at high FPS covers VRR range, mismatched caps and Frame Generation pacing without repeating the V-Sync checks above.