Turn V-Sync on or off in Train Simulator Classic, select the correct RailWorks executable, remove FPS caps and fix settings with no effect.
To turn V-Sync on or off in Train Simulator Classic, use its graphics option if your installation shows one. If you do not see it, close the simulator and set Vertical sync in a per-program GPU driver profile for the RailWorks executable you actually launch, then apply the change and restart the game.
V-Sync synchronises completed frames with the monitor's refresh cycle. Enabling it removes horizontal screen tearing, but may add presentation delay or make drops below the refresh rate feel less smooth. Disabling it can reduce delay and remove the refresh-rate ceiling, although other frame limiters may remain active.
I don't see it - where is the V-Sync setting?
If you do not see a V-Sync control in Train Simulator Classic, that can be normal for the menu and rendering mode you are using. Create a game-specific graphics-driver profile instead of changing the global setting for every program.
- Check the simulator first. Open its graphics or display settings and look for V-Sync or Vertical Synchronisation. If the control exists, choose On or Off, apply the change and restart the simulator.
- Find the RailWorks folder. Open Train Simulator Classic's properties in Steam and use the installed-files browsing command. The usual folder ends in
steamapps\common\RailWorks, although it may be on another drive. - Identify the executable in use. Launch the exact 32-bit, 64-bit or alternative renderer mode you normally play. Check the process name in Windows Task Manager, then close the simulator.
- Create a per-game profile. Add that RailWorks executable to the graphics software supplied with your GPU. Do not attach the profile only to Steam or the Train Simulator launcher.
- Set the synchronisation mode.
- NVIDIA: open NVIDIA Control Panel, choose Manage 3D settings and then Program Settings. Add the RailWorks executable and set Vertical sync explicitly to On or Off rather than leaving it application-controlled.
- AMD: add the executable to a game profile and use Vertical Refresh or the equivalent V-Sync control if the installed driver exposes one. Enhanced Sync is a different presentation mode, so disable it while testing conventional V-Sync. Some AMD packages cannot force this setting for every rendering API.
- Intel: add the executable under the per-game graphics settings and change V-Sync if that control is available. Intel's menu names vary between driver packages.
- Apply and relaunch. Start the same rendering mode again and test it in a route where the frame rate is high enough to reveal a difference.
Which RailWorks executable should I select?
Select the executable belonging to the launch mode you actually use.
RailWorks64.exenormally runs the 64-bit edition.RailWorks.exeis associated with the older 32-bit edition.- An alternative renderer may run through another executable and therefore require its own profile.
A common mistake is configuring RailWorks.exe and then launching RailWorks64.exe. If you switch between modes, it is safe to make matching profiles for both. Task Manager's process details provide the clearest answer when the launcher's wording is ambiguous.
Resolution, anti-aliasing, shadows and scenery options can reduce performance enough to conceal the result. Our guide to balancing Train Simulator Classic graphics settings explains how those controls interact.
How do I turn off V-Sync and uncap FPS?
To uncap Train Simulator Classic, disable V-Sync and every independent frame-rate limit; changing only one control may leave the simulator capped.
- Set Vertical sync to Off in the profile for the correct RailWorks executable.
- Disable any driver option named Max Frame Rate, frame-rate target or similar.
- Inspect Train Simulator Classic's Steam Launch Options. If you previously added an option beginning with
-FPSLimit=, remove it. If no such option is present, leave the field alone. - Temporarily disable Fast Sync, Enhanced Sync and other alternative presentation modes while diagnosing the cap.
- Restart the simulator and compare the same route, train, weather and camera position.
A frame limiter and V-Sync are not interchangeable. For example, limiting a 60 Hz display to 60 FPS does not guarantee tear-free output because the frames may still arrive out of phase with the refresh cycle.
Removing a ceiling cannot make the CPU or GPU render faster. Train Simulator Classic is often limited by its main processing thread, route complexity and asset loading, so use our practical Train Simulator Classic FPS troubleshooting steps if performance remains low.
Should V-Sync be on or off in Train Simulator Classic?
Use V-Sync On when visible tearing is the problem, and use Off when minimum presentation delay or the highest possible frame rate matters more.
| Priority | Setting to try | Expected trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Remove horizontal tearing | V-Sync On | Possible extra delay and uneven motion when FPS falls below refresh rate |
| Remove the refresh-rate ceiling | V-Sync Off | Tearing may appear during camera movement |
| Improve pacing on a demanding route | Test a stable frame-rate limit separately | A limiter alone does not prevent tearing |
| Use a variable-refresh display | Use the display and GPU driver's recommended adaptive-refresh combination | Behaviour depends on the supported refresh range and what happens outside it |
Train Simulator Classic does not usually need the lowest possible input latency, so many players prefer V-Sync On when tearing is obvious. On a demanding route running well below the monitor's refresh rate, Off or a carefully chosen frame limit may feel more consistent.
It was already like that - why did V-Sync not change anything?
If V-Sync was already set to the value you wanted, a lack of visible change usually means the test is being masked or the profile is not controlling the running executable.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| FPS remains capped with V-Sync Off | A separate limiter is active | Check launch options, driver frame limits and any limiter you deliberately enabled |
| Tearing remains with V-Sync On | Wrong executable or ignored override | Confirm the running process and select explicit On rather than application-controlled |
| Neither setting looks different | FPS is below refresh rate, or another presentation system is masking tearing | Test a lighter scene and temporarily disable adaptive or alternative sync modes |
| The result changes only in one launch mode | Different modes use different executables | Create a profile for each RailWorks executable you use |
| Windowed mode never tears | The Windows desktop compositor is controlling presentation | Compare the simulator's full-screen mode if available |
| A laptop profile has no effect | The profile belongs to the wrong GPU | Confirm which integrated or dedicated GPU is rendering the simulator |
Do not rely only on the value displayed in the global driver settings. Set the option inside the RailWorks program profile, press Apply, close Train Simulator Classic completely and relaunch it. If necessary, test the explicit opposite setting once to prove that the profile is taking effect.
How can I tell whether V-Sync is working?
The clearest test is to pan the camera past cab pillars, platform signs or other high-contrast vertical edges.
- Use the same route, train, weather and camera position for both tests.
- Temporarily remove frame limits and alternative sync modes so that only conventional V-Sync changes.
- Set V-Sync Off and look for a moving horizontal split through vertical objects.
- Set V-Sync On, restart the simulator and repeat the same camera movement. The split should disappear if the override is working.
An FPS counter is supporting evidence, not a definitive test. With V-Sync enabled, the reported rate will usually remain at or below the monitor's refresh rate, but a CPU-limited route may already be below that rate in both tests.
Does V-Sync fix stuttering or flickering graphics?
No. V-Sync addresses screen tearing; it does not repair route-loading pauses, main-thread bottlenecks or broken geometry.
- Screen tearing appears as one or more horizontal breaks across the image while the view moves. V-Sync is intended to stop this.
- Stuttering appears as pauses or uneven frame delivery. V-Sync may alter how it feels, but graphics settings, route complexity and asset loading are the underlying issues.
- Flickering triangles or surfaces are usually geometry, depth-buffer, anti-aliasing or driver artefacts. Use our diagnosis for flickering triangles in Train Simulator Classic rather than changing V-Sync repeatedly.