This comprehensive online course is designed to become your new central hub for flight simulator performance optimization 🚀✈️. Instead of relying on scattered articles, outdated tweaks, and conflicting advice, everything is brought together into a structured, continuously evolving learning platform—featuring more than 35 proven performance boost tricks that you can apply step by step for real, measurable results.

At its core, the course focuses on performance, stability, and long-term simulator health across the two most popular modern platforms: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (and 2020) and Laminar Research X-Plane 12 🕹️🖥️. Whether you fly casually or operate complex airliners into highly detailed airports, you’ll learn how to use all over 35 optimization techniques to tune your simulator the right way—based on how these simulators actually work ⚙️🧠.

Beyond the course itself, you also gain access to a dedicated community 💬🤝 where you can discuss performance topics directly with the course creator and other members. This makes it easy to ask questions, share results, compare settings, and stay up to date as the simulators evolve—turning the course into a living, interactive performance lab rather than just another static tutorial 🌟✈️.

This module is a comprehensive introduction to optimizing performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (and 2020) 🕹️🖥️. By completing this module, you will gain a solid technical understanding of how MSFS 2024 performance works under the hood 🧠, along with a repeatable method for tuning and maintaining your simulator over time 🔁. This strong foundation will not only improve your current flying experience 🎮✈️, but also prepare you for more advanced modules focused on performance refinement, realism, and long-term simulator stability 🏗️🌟.

<h2>Enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling</h2>Enabling&nbsp;Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling, aka&nbsp;HAGS, is generally worthwhile—especially if you’re aiming to unlock&nbsp;NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation&nbsp;in MSFS (only in DirectX 12 mode) for significantly smoother frame delivery. On lower-end systems without Frame Generation, HAGS may improve FPS by&nbsp;3–5 fps&nbsp;by slightly reducing CPU overhead. If using MSFS in DirectX 11 mode, HAGS should be disabled.<ol><li>Right-click the&nbsp;Start&nbsp;button and select&nbsp;Settings&nbsp;→&nbsp;System&nbsp;→&nbsp;Display</li><li>Scroll down and click&nbsp;Graphics&nbsp;then&nbsp;Advanced graphics settings</li><li>Toggle&nbsp;Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling&nbsp;to&nbsp;On</li><li>Restart your PC&nbsp;to apply the change</li></ol> <h2>Disable Virtualization-Based Security</h2>Virtualization-Based Security, aka VBS, is a Windows security feature that uses virtualization to protect sensitive parts of the OS (e.g., credentials). Can increase performance slightly especially in CPU-bound titles. Disabling is good for gaming PCs or workstations where maximum performance is needed. Disabling not recommended for business laptops or security-sensitive environments.Check if VBS is Enabled<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Win + R, type&nbsp;<code>msinfo32</code>, and hit Enter</li><li>In&nbsp;System Summary&nbsp;→&nbsp;Item, look for:</li><li>Virtualization-based security&nbsp;→ If it says&nbsp;Running, VBS is on</li></ol>Disable VBS via Windows Security<ol><li>Open&nbsp;Windows Security&nbsp;from the Start Menu</li><li>Go to&nbsp;Device Security&nbsp;→&nbsp;Core isolation details</li><li>Turn&nbsp;Memory Integrity&nbsp;OFF (if enabled)</li><li>Restart your PC</li></ol> <h2>Set Delivery Optimization Settings</h2>Delivery Optimization (DO) allows your PC to get Windows updates and Microsoft Store apps faster by downloading from Microsoft and other PCs (locally or online). It can also share updates from your PC to others, which uses your bandwidth. In some cases, users have seen system load issues—particularly related to MSFS’s main thread—linked to Delivery Optimization’s peer-to-peer activity.<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Windows + I&nbsp;→&nbsp;Settings</li><li>Go to&nbsp;Windows Update&nbsp;→&nbsp;Advanced options&nbsp;→&nbsp;Delivery Optimization</li><li>Disable&nbsp;Allow downloads from other devices</li><li>Go to&nbsp;Advanced options&nbsp;(inside Delivery Optimization)</li><li>Select&nbsp;Download options → Percentage of measured bandwidth</li><li>Check both&nbsp;Back-&nbsp;and&nbsp;Foreground limit&nbsp;to&nbsp;100%</li><li>Disable&nbsp;Upload options&nbsp;limiter</li></ol> <h2>Set GPU Preference</h2>Setting the&nbsp;GPU Preference to “High Performance GPU”&nbsp;in Windows 11 ensures that&nbsp;Microsoft Flight Simulator&nbsp;always uses your most powerful graphics processor—typically the dedicated NVIDIA or AMD GPU—instead of an integrated or energy-saving chip. This setting forces Windows to allocate rendering and shader tasks to the full-capacity GPU, unlocking more processing cores, higher VRAM bandwidth, and better driver optimizations. Without it, MSFS might default to an integrated GPU or switch dynamically to save power, which can cause severe FPS drops, stuttering, and slower texture or terrain loading. By explicitly choosing the high-performance GPU, you guarantee&nbsp;maximum graphics throughput, smoother frame pacing, and more stable performance, especially in demanding environments like photogrammetry cities or complex airport scenes.<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Win + I&nbsp;to open&nbsp;Settings</li><li>Go to&nbsp;System → Display</li><li>Scroll down and click&nbsp;Graphics&nbsp;(near the bottom)</li><li>Under&nbsp;“Customised settings for applications”, choose&nbsp;Add Desktop app&nbsp;(for the FlightSimulator.exe) or&nbsp;Add Microsoft Store app&nbsp;(if you installed the Store version)</li><li>For Desktop app, browse and select the&nbsp;MSFS executable&nbsp;(e.g.,&nbsp;<code>FlightSimulator.exe</code>) and click&nbsp;Add</li><li>Select the newly added MSFS entry, for&nbsp;GPU preference, choose&nbsp;High performance</li><li>Enable&nbsp;“Optimisations for windowed games”&nbsp;if you play in&nbsp;windowed or borderless&nbsp;mode and disable if playing in&nbsp;fullscreen&nbsp;mode</li></ol> <h2>Set Receive Window Auto-Tuning</h2>Windows uses&nbsp;Receive Window Auto-Tuning&nbsp;to optimize how much data your PC can receive before sending an acknowledgment back. Setting it correctly can improve&nbsp;download speed,&nbsp;streaming, and&nbsp;network performance. For most users, the best setting is&nbsp;<code>normal</code>&nbsp;(full optimization without breaking compatibility).<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Windows + S, type&nbsp;<code>cmd</code></li><li>Right-click&nbsp;Command Prompt&nbsp;→ choose&nbsp;Run as administrator</li><li>Check current value, run:&nbsp;<code>netsh interface tcp show global</code></li><li>You’ll get the value of&nbsp;Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level</li><li>Run:&nbsp;<code>netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal</code></li><li>Clear DNS resolver cache, run:&nbsp;<code>ipconfig /flushdns</code></li><li>Restart your PC to ensure the setting is fully applied</li></ol>

Applying various tricks and tweaks to Windows 11 (and 10) and to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (and 2020) can significantly enhance overall performance by optimizing how the simulator uses system resources, allowing smoother frame rates with minimal loss of visual fidelity. By adjusting both in-game and Windows settings, players can free up processing power, improve responsiveness, and achieve a more efficient experience tailored to their specific hardware. Because no two PCs are identical, finding the ideal balance between performance and visual quality often requires ongoing experimentation, where even small changes can yield substantial improvements. This continuous process of tweaking and refinement reflects the uniquely engaging nature of Microsoft Flight Simulator, where updates, community discoveries, and personal testing consistently reveal new ways to push performance further, highlighting both the technical complexity of modern simulation and the dedication, curiosity, and creativity of its player community.

Performance Optimization Guide - Part 1

<h2>Set Virtual Memory Manually</h2>If you run out of physical RAM, Windows uses&nbsp;virtual memory&nbsp;to keep apps running instead of crashing. Virtual memory uses your disk (SSD/HDD), which is much slower than RAM. More virtual memory allows you to have many browser tabs, programs, or background services open without freezing. If you have&nbsp;less than 32 GB of RAM&nbsp;then you should set virtual memory manually. Don’t set both initial and max size too low — Windows needs virtual memory even with a lot of RAM. If you experience crashes or “out of memory” errors, increase the maximum size.<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Win + R, type&nbsp;<code style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);">sysdm.cpl</code>, and press&nbsp;Enter</li><li>Go to the&nbsp;Advanced&nbsp;tab</li><li>Click&nbsp;Settings&nbsp;under&nbsp;Performance</li><li>In the new window, go to the&nbsp;Advanced&nbsp;tab</li><li>Click&nbsp;Change…&nbsp;under&nbsp;Virtual memory</li><li>Uncheck&nbsp;Automatically manage paging file size for all drives</li><li>Select the drive where Windows is installed (usually&nbsp;C:)</li><li>If you have&nbsp;32 GB of RAM or more, select&nbsp;System managed size&nbsp;and skip to step 12</li><li>If you have&nbsp;less than 32 GB of RAM, select&nbsp;Custom size</li><li>Initial size (MB):&nbsp;Same as your installed RAM (e.g., 16 GB RAM →&nbsp;16384&nbsp;MB)</li><li>Maximum size (MB):&nbsp;1.5x to 2x your installed RAM (e.g., 16 GB RAM → 24576 MB to&nbsp;32768&nbsp;MB)</li><li>Click&nbsp;Set, then&nbsp;OK</li><li>Close all windows and&nbsp;restart&nbsp;your PC for changes to take effect</li></ol> <h2>Use Windows Defender Firewall Only</h2>Modern Windows systems come with&nbsp;Windows Defender Firewall, a built-in, lightweight, and optimized firewall solution running natively with minimal resource usage. Using additional third-party firewalls can sometimes degrade system performance. Running multiple firewalls can lead to conflicts, such as&nbsp;duplicate network filtering&nbsp;or blocked connections. These conflicts can cause delays in opening apps, connecting to the internet, or gaming. Using only Windows Defender Firewall avoids these conflicts entirely. For the majority of users, Windows Defender Firewall provides strong protection against inbound and outbound threats.<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Win + S&nbsp;and type&nbsp;“Windows Security”, then open it</li><li>Click&nbsp;“Firewall &amp; network protection.”</li><li>You’ll see your current network profiles:&nbsp;Domain, Private, Public</li><li>Click the network you are using (usually&nbsp;Private&nbsp;or&nbsp;Public)</li><li>Toggle&nbsp;“Microsoft Defender Firewall”&nbsp;to&nbsp;On</li><li>Uninstall third-party firewalls completely</li></ol> <h2>Add an Exclusion in Windows Defender</h2>Windows Defender&nbsp;constantly scans files and processes in real time. Excluding MSFS prevents Defender from scanning the game’s large number of assets and background file reads while flying. This can eliminate small micro-freezes or frame drops when new scenery or textures are loaded. Removing Defender’s scanning frees up CPU cycles for the simulator, leading to smoother frame times.<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Win + I&nbsp;to open&nbsp;Settings</li><li>Go to&nbsp;Privacy &amp; Security → Windows Security → Virus &amp; threat protection</li><li>Under&nbsp;Virus &amp; threat protection settings, click&nbsp;Manage settings</li><li>Find&nbsp;Exclusions&nbsp;and click&nbsp;Add or remove exclusions</li><li>Click&nbsp;Add an exclusion&nbsp;→ choose&nbsp;Folder</li><li>Navigate to your&nbsp;MSFS installation folder</li><li>MS Store version it’s usually under&nbsp;<code>C:\Users\&lt;YourName&gt;\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_&lt;...&gt;\LocalCache\Packages</code></li><li>Steam version it’s usually under&nbsp;<code>C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\MicrosoftFlightSimulator</code></li><li>At the&nbsp;MSFS installation&nbsp;folder, click&nbsp;Select folder</li></ol> <h2>Disable Background Recording</h2>Disabling&nbsp;Windows Background Recording (Game DVR)&nbsp;can noticeably boost&nbsp;Microsoft Flight Simulator&nbsp;performance because it stops Windows from continuously capturing and encoding gameplay in the background—a process that consumes CPU, GPU, memory, and disk resources. MSFS is heavily CPU-bound, especially on the main simulation thread, so even a small amount of overhead from video capture can lead to micro-stutters, delayed texture streaming, or reduced frame rates. By turning off background recording, you ensure that all available processing power, VRAM, and disk bandwidth are dedicated to the simulator itself rather than to background video buffering, resulting in&nbsp;smoother frame pacing, faster loading, and more stable FPS.<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Win + I&nbsp;to open&nbsp;Settings</li><li>Go to&nbsp;Gaming → Captures</li><li>Toggle&nbsp;“Record what happened”&nbsp;(Background recording) to&nbsp;Off</li></ol> <h2>Disable Driver Verifier and Run File Checker</h2>Disabling&nbsp;Windows Driver Verifier&nbsp;can significantly improve performance because Driver Verifier adds extra checks, logging, and stress tests to every driver call, which consumes CPU cycles and slows memory and I/O operations. These overheads introduce latency and reduce frame rates. By turning Driver Verifier off, you restore normal driver performance, reduce stutters, and free up system resources—allowing the simulator to run smoother and achieve higher FPS. The&nbsp;System File Checker&nbsp;(SFC) scans Windows system files for corruption, damage, or missing components and automatically replaces any problematic ones with clean, cached versions. This helps fix stability issues, crashes, or errors caused by corrupted system components.<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Win + S, type&nbsp;<code>cmd</code></li><li>Right-click&nbsp;Command Prompt&nbsp;→ choose&nbsp;Run as administrator</li><li>In the Command Prompt window, type:&nbsp;<code>verifier /reset</code></li><li>Press&nbsp;Enter, you should see “Driver Verifier was reset.”</li><li>Then, in the Command Prompt window, type:&nbsp;<code>sfc /scannow</code></li><li>Press&nbsp;Enter&nbsp;and wait until the verification scan reaches 100%</li><li>Restart your computer to apply changes</li></ol>

Performance Optimization Guide - Part 2

Performance Optimization Guide - Part 3

<h2>Disable Photogrammetry and Air Traffic</h2>Disabling&nbsp;photogrammetry&nbsp;is a solid and effective way to improve performance, freeing VRAM and reducing data streaming, particularly in dense urban and complex scenery areas. Reducing&nbsp;air traffic&nbsp;density or switching to Off does help, especially in busy flight areas. Additionally, disabling&nbsp;multiplayer&nbsp;can give a small performance boost. If you mainly fly solo and don’t care about seeing other players, keeping it off is a simple way to free up a bit of CPU/GPU/network load. The step-by-step guidance is for MSFS 2024.<ol><li>Go to&nbsp;Options → General → Online&nbsp;and set&nbsp;Photogrammetry&nbsp;to&nbsp;Off</li><li>Also, set&nbsp;Aircraft Traffic Type&nbsp;to&nbsp;Off</li><li>Also, set&nbsp;Multiplayer&nbsp;to&nbsp;Off</li><li>Go to&nbsp;Options → General → Graphics&nbsp;and set&nbsp;Air Traffic&nbsp;to&nbsp;Off</li><li>Also, set&nbsp;Traffic Airport Quality&nbsp;to&nbsp;Off&nbsp;(this removes static aircraft at gates)</li><li>Finally, click&nbsp;Save and Back</li></ol> <h2>Disable Road &amp; Sea Traffic and Fauna</h2>Disabling&nbsp;fauna,&nbsp;road, and&nbsp;sea traffic&nbsp;can significantly improve performance, particularly in stutter-prone or rural areas. Many users have confirmed that especially&nbsp;fauna can be a major performance offender. So if smoother frame rates are a priority, it’s absolutely worth trying to disable. The step-by-step guidance is for MSFS 2024.<ol><li>Go to&nbsp;Options → General → Graphics</li><li>Scroll down to&nbsp;Global Rendering Quality&nbsp;settings</li><li>Find&nbsp;Road Traffic,&nbsp;Sea Traffic&nbsp;and&nbsp;Fauna&nbsp;and set all of them to&nbsp;Off</li><li>Click&nbsp;Save and Back</li></ol> <h2>Remove 60 GB of Offline Terrain Data</h2>Removing around&nbsp;60 GB of offline mesh data&nbsp;from the&nbsp;Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020&nbsp;directory can boost performance because that data—used as fallback terrain when streaming is unavailable—still consumes&nbsp;storage space, indexing overhead, and can be accessed or cached unnecessarily&nbsp;during flight. When large, unused mesh files remain installed, the simulator may spend extra time reading, validating, or caching them at startup and during scenery loading, especially if the data resides on a slower drive. This increases load times, disk I/O, and occasionally causes stutters when the sim switches between cached and streamed terrain. By deleting unused offline mesh packages (when you rely on Bing streaming or photogrammetry), you&nbsp;reduce file management overhead, speed up scenery loading, and free valuable SSD bandwidth, leading to smoother performance and faster startup. The step-by-step guidance is&nbsp;for MSFS 2020 only, not compatible with MSFS 2024.<ol><li>Navigate to your&nbsp;MSFS 2020 installation folder</li><li>MS Store version it’s usually under&nbsp;<code style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);">C:\Users\&lt;YourName&gt;\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_&lt;...&gt;\LocalCache\Packages\Official\OneStore</code></li><li>Steam version it’s usually under&nbsp;<code style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);">C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\MicrosoftFlightSimulator</code></li><li>Go to the subdirectory&nbsp;<code style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);">fs-base-cgl\CGL</code></li><li>Delete all the numeric folders (up to 60 GB total)</li></ol> <h2>Remove Outdated Cache Files</h2>Stuttering or stalling is common right after MSFS sim updates or GPU driver updates—often due to cached data becoming outdated or incompatible. An accumulation of old or corrupted shader files can trigger rendering glitches. Cleaning these out allows MSFS to rebuild fresh shaders and resolve visual artifacts. Instead of manually hunting down cache paths (“painful,” as some users describe it),&nbsp;<a href="https://flightsim.to/file/71729/corsten-s-cache-shader-removal-tool" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: currentcolor;">Corsten’s Cache &amp; Shader Removal Tool</a>&nbsp;automates the process and maintains backups so you can restore files if needed.<ol><li>Delete cache files with&nbsp;<a href="https://flightsim.to/file/71729/corsten-s-cache-shader-removal-tool" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: currentcolor;">Corsten’s Cache &amp; Shader Removal Tool</a></li><li>Repeat step 1 after every Sim Update and new GPU driver installation</li></ol> <h2>Set NVIDIA Control Panel Settings</h2>These&nbsp;NVIDIA Control Panel&nbsp;adjustments steer heavy lifting toward MSFS’s internal rendering pipeline, reducing unnecessary GPU driver processing and focusing resources where they matter. Focus on letting MSFS handle rendering via its own advanced upscaling and AA tools; disable redundant or expensive driver-level enhancements; streamline GPU/CPU usage for smoother frame times and crisp visuals.<ol><li>Look at the&nbsp;system tray&nbsp;in the bottom-right corner of your screen (near the clock)</li><li>If you don’t see all icons, click the&nbsp;upward arrow (^)&nbsp;to reveal hidden icons</li><li>Right-click the NVIDIA icon and select&nbsp;NVIDIA Control Panel</li><li>Navigate to&nbsp;Manage 3D Settings&nbsp;in the left-hand menu</li><li>Click the&nbsp;Program Settings&nbsp;tab and select MSFS</li></ol><ul><li>Image Scaling: Recommended value is Off. In-game upscaling (TAA, DLSS, or FSR) provides better clarity and flexibility.</li><li>Ambient Occlusion: Recommended value is Off. MSFS handles ambient occlusion better internally, and disabling it at the driver level avoids redundant processing.</li><li>Anisotropic Filtering: Recommended value is 16X. It has minimal performance impact while significantly improving texture sharpness at oblique angles.</li><li>Antialiasing FXAA: Recommended value is Off. It is superseded by in-sim TAA, DLSS, or FSR.</li><li>Antialiasing – Gamma Correction: Recommended value is Off to avoid double-processing.</li><li>Antialiasing – Mode: Recommended value is Application-controlled, allowing MSFS to choose the optimal filtering method.</li><li>Antialiasing – Transparency: Recommended value is On. This helps properly render semi-transparent textures such as foliage edges.</li><li>Power Management Mode: Recommended value is Prefer maximum performance. This prevents GPU downclocking, improves frame-time consistency, and reduces spikes and stutters.</li><li>Texture Filtering – Quality: Recommended value is Performance, offering smooth filtering with acceptable visual quality.</li><li>Virtual Reality pre-rendered frames: Recommended value is 1 (or low). This minimizes input lag, though some users balance quality and latency at around 3–4 frames if needed.</li><li>Vertical Sync (V-Sync): Recommended value is Application setting, allowing MSFS to manage V-Sync to reduce tearing without additional driver overhead.</li></ul>

Performance Optimization Guide - Part 4

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

This module is a focused and practical introduction to optimizing performance in Laminar Research X-Plane 12 🕹️🖥️. The module is structured into three clear and progressive lessons 📚, each building on the previous one to create a complete optimization workflow. In these three lessons, you will learn how X-Plane 12 uses your CPU, GPU, and memory 🧠, how to identify performance bottlenecks, and how to fine-tune graphics, rendering, and simulation settings for the best balance between visuals and performance ⚙️🚀.

<h2>Add an Exclusion in Windows Defender</h2>Windows Defender&nbsp;constantly scans files and processes in real time. Excluding X-Plane 12 prevents Defender from scanning the game’s large number of assets and background file reads while flying. This can eliminate small micro-freezes or frame drops when new scenery or textures are loaded. Removing Defender’s scanning frees up CPU cycles for the simulator, leading to smoother frame times.<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Win + I&nbsp;to open&nbsp;Settings</li><li>Go to&nbsp;Privacy &amp; Security → Windows Security → Virus &amp; threat protection</li><li>Under&nbsp;Virus &amp; threat protection settings, click&nbsp;Manage settings</li><li>Find&nbsp;Exclusions&nbsp;and click&nbsp;Add or remove exclusions</li><li>Click&nbsp;Add an exclusion&nbsp;→ choose&nbsp;Folder</li><li>Navigate to your&nbsp;XP12 installation folder</li><li>At the&nbsp;XP12 installation&nbsp;folder, click&nbsp;Select folder</li></ol> <h2>Disable Indexing</h2>Disabling&nbsp;indexing&nbsp;can boost X-Plane 12 performance because it reduces background disk activity that competes with the simulator for storage bandwidth. Windows Search indexing constantly scans and catalogs files on your drives so you can quickly search for them later — but X-Plane 12 frequently streams large scenery files, textures, and assets from disk while you fly. If the indexer is running in the background, it can create extra read/write operations and increase drive latency, which may slow down scenery loading or cause micro-stutters when flying over detailed areas. This effect is more noticeable on slower HDDs, but even SSDs can benefit<ol><li>Right-click the&nbsp;Start&nbsp;button and select&nbsp;File Explorer</li><li>Right-click the hard drive where XP12 is installed →&nbsp;Properties</li><li>Uncheck&nbsp;Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed&nbsp;→&nbsp;Apply</li></ol> <h2>Enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling</h2>Enabling&nbsp;HAGS&nbsp;(Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling) can boost X-Plane 12’s performance because it changes how Windows handles graphics workload scheduling. For X-Plane 12, this can translate into slightly higher and more consistent frame rates, particularly if your CPU is already near its limit managing scenery, physics, and AI traffic. Reducing CPU overhead gives the simulator more processing time for its critical threads, resulting in smoother camera motion and fewer micro-stutters during flight. The benefit tends to be most noticeable on systems with powerful GPUs paired with mid-range CPUs or when flying in complex scenery areas where CPU bottlenecks are common.<ol><li>Right-click the&nbsp;Start&nbsp;button and select&nbsp;Settings&nbsp;→&nbsp;System&nbsp;→&nbsp;Display</li><li>Scroll down and click&nbsp;Graphics&nbsp;then&nbsp;Advanced graphics settings</li><li>Toggle&nbsp;Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling&nbsp;to&nbsp;On</li><li>Restart your PC&nbsp;to apply the change</li></ol> <h2>Set GPU Preference</h2>Setting the&nbsp;GPU Preference to “High Performance GPU”&nbsp;in Windows 11 ensures that&nbsp;X-Plane 12&nbsp;always uses your most powerful graphics processor—typically the dedicated NVIDIA or AMD GPU—instead of an integrated or energy-saving chip. This setting forces Windows to allocate rendering and shader tasks to the full-capacity GPU, unlocking more processing cores, higher VRAM bandwidth, and better driver optimizations. Without it, X-Plane 12 might default to an integrated GPU or switch dynamically to save power, which can cause severe FPS drops, stuttering, and slower texture or terrain loading. By explicitly choosing the high-performance GPU, you guarantee&nbsp;maximum graphics throughput, smoother frame pacing, and more stable performance, especially in demanding environments like photogrammetry cities or complex airport scenes.<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Win + I&nbsp;to open&nbsp;Settings</li><li>Go to&nbsp;System → Display</li><li>Scroll down and click&nbsp;Graphics&nbsp;(near the bottom)</li><li>Under&nbsp;“Customised settings for applications”, choose&nbsp;Add Desktop app&nbsp;(for the X-Plane.exe)</li><li>Browse and select the&nbsp;X-Plane 12 executable&nbsp;(e.g.,&nbsp;<code>X-Plane.exe</code>) and click&nbsp;Add</li><li>Select the newly added X-Plane entry, for&nbsp;GPU preference, choose&nbsp;High performance</li><li>Disable&nbsp;“Optimisations for windowed games”&nbsp;option</li></ol> <h2>Set Power Plan and USB Selective Suspend</h2>The Windows&nbsp;Power Options&nbsp;→&nbsp;High Performance&nbsp;mode can make X-Plane 12 smoother, mainly by keeping the CPU ready and reducing stutters in CPU-heavy scenarios. FPS gains are usually small, but frame time consistency often improves noticeably. Additionally,&nbsp;USB Selective Suspend&nbsp;enabled can sometimes cause devices to disconnect or fail to wake up during X-Plane 12 in-flight. Disabling USB Selective Suspend can improve&nbsp;stability&nbsp;and prevent immersion-breaking device disconnects.<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Win + R, type&nbsp;<code>control</code>, press&nbsp;Enter&nbsp;and select&nbsp;Power Options</li><li>Select&nbsp;High performance&nbsp;to activate it</li><li>Click&nbsp;Change plan settings&nbsp;next to your active power plan</li><li>Select&nbsp;Change advanced power settings</li><li>In the Advanced settings window, scroll down and expand&nbsp;USB settings&nbsp;→&nbsp;USB selective suspend setting&nbsp;and set to&nbsp;Disabled</li><li>Click&nbsp;Apply&nbsp;→&nbsp;OK</li></ol>

The following are the most effective performance optimization tips discovered so far for running X-Plane 12 on Windows 11 (and 10), designed to improve frame rates, reduce stuttering, and enhance overall smoothness. Because every system is different, these changes should be applied carefully and tested one at a time, reverting any setting to its default if performance worsens. Optimizing Windows for X-Plane 12 can significantly improve performance and reduce stutters, transforming the operating system into a lean, flight-simulation-focused environment that allows the simulator to use as much of your system’s power as possible, resulting in a noticeably smoother and more immersive experience that helps X-Plane 12 run closer to its full potential. If you discover additional methods or helpful tweaks while following this guide, please consider sharing them with the community by leaving a comment for the author, as your insights can help fellow pilots optimize their systems more effectively and contribute to a richer, more collaborative learning experience.

<h2>Set Virtual Memory Manually</h2>If you run out of physical RAM, Windows uses&nbsp;virtual memory&nbsp;to keep apps running instead of crashing. Virtual memory uses your disk (SSD/HDD), which is much slower than RAM. More virtual memory allows you to have many browser tabs, programs, or background services open without freezing. If you have&nbsp;less than 32 GB of RAM&nbsp;then you should set virtual memory manually. Don’t set both initial and max size too low — Windows needs virtual memory even with a lot of RAM. If you experience crashes or “out of memory” errors, increase the maximum size.<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Win + R, type&nbsp;<code style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);">sysdm.cpl</code>, and press&nbsp;Enter</li><li>Go to the&nbsp;Advanced&nbsp;tab</li><li>Click&nbsp;Settings&nbsp;under&nbsp;Performance</li><li>In the new window, go to the&nbsp;Advanced&nbsp;tab</li><li>Click&nbsp;Change…&nbsp;under&nbsp;Virtual memory</li><li>Uncheck&nbsp;Automatically manage paging file size for all drives</li><li>Select the drive where Windows is installed (usually&nbsp;C:)</li><li>If you have&nbsp;32 GB of RAM or more, select&nbsp;System managed size&nbsp;and skip to step 12</li><li>If you have&nbsp;less than 32 GB of RAM, select&nbsp;Custom size</li><li>Initial size (MB):&nbsp;Same as your installed RAM (e.g., 16 GB RAM →&nbsp;16384&nbsp;MB)</li><li>Maximum size (MB):&nbsp;1.5x to 2x your installed RAM (e.g., 16 GB RAM → 24576 MB to&nbsp;32768&nbsp;MB)</li><li>Click&nbsp;Set, then&nbsp;OK</li><li>Close all windows and&nbsp;restart&nbsp;your PC for changes to take effect</li></ol> <h2>Use Windows Defender Firewall Only</h2>Modern Windows systems come with&nbsp;Windows Defender Firewall, a built-in, lightweight, and optimized firewall solution running natively with minimal resource usage. Using additional third-party firewalls can sometimes degrade system performance. Running multiple firewalls can lead to conflicts, such as&nbsp;duplicate network filtering&nbsp;or blocked connections. These conflicts can cause delays in opening apps, connecting to the internet, or gaming. Using only Windows Defender Firewall avoids these conflicts entirely. For the majority of users, Windows Defender Firewall provides strong protection against inbound and outbound threats.<ol><li>Press&nbsp;Win + S&nbsp;and type&nbsp;“Windows Security”, then open it</li><li>Click&nbsp;“Firewall &amp; network protection.”</li><li>You’ll see your current network profiles:&nbsp;Domain, Private, Public</li><li>Click the network you are using (usually&nbsp;Private&nbsp;or&nbsp;Public)</li><li>Toggle&nbsp;“Microsoft Defender Firewall”&nbsp;to&nbsp;On</li><li>Uninstall third-party firewalls completely</li></ol> <h2>Disable Fullscreen Optimizations</h2>Disabling&nbsp;Fullscreen Optimizations&nbsp;and enabling&nbsp;Override High DPI Scaling (Application)&nbsp;for X-Plane 12 can noticeably improve performance and frame stability. Fullscreen optimizations in Windows 11 introduce an additional layer of frame composition that can sometimes cause micro-stutters, input lag, or inconsistent FPS in graphically demanding simulators. By disabling this feature, X-Plane gains more direct access to GPU resources, reducing delays between frames. Similarly, overriding High DPI scaling ensures that the simulator handles scaling on its own rather than relying on Windows, which prevents blurry visuals and reduces unnecessary rendering overhead. Together, these tweaks help deliver smoother frame pacing and a more responsive flight experience.<ol><li>Find the main executable file&nbsp;<code>X-Plane.exe</code></li><li>Right-click on it and select&nbsp;Properties</li><li>In the&nbsp;Properties&nbsp;window, go to the&nbsp;Compatibility&nbsp;tab</li><li>Enable the box&nbsp;Disable full-screen optimisations</li><li>Click&nbsp;Change high DPI settings&nbsp;at the bottom</li><li>Enable the&nbsp;Override high DPI scaling behavior</li><li>From the dropdown menu below, select&nbsp;Application</li><li>Click&nbsp;OK&nbsp;to confirm, then&nbsp;Apply, then&nbsp;OK</li></ol> <h2>Enable Smooth Motion</h2>Smooth Motion, for&nbsp;RTX 40 Series or newer, is a driver-based AI frame interpolation feature from NVIDIA. It takes two rendered frames and infers (generates) an extra frame between them to smooth out motion. That effectively&nbsp;doubles the perceived frame rate&nbsp;in many cases — especially helpful in games that don’t already support “frame generation” (via DLSS Frame Generation or similar technologies).<ol><li>Install the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/drivers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: currentcolor;">GeForce Game Ready Driver Version 581.15</a>&nbsp;or newer with NVIDIA App</li><li>In the NVIDIA App go to&nbsp;Graphics&nbsp;section</li><li>If&nbsp;X-Plane.exe&nbsp;is not on the list, add it via&nbsp;Add a progman</li><li>Then set&nbsp;X-Plane.exe → Driver Settings&nbsp;→ Smooth Motion to&nbsp;On</li></ol> <h2>Launch with High Priority</h2>Launching X-Plane 12 with&nbsp;High priority&nbsp;using a simple .bat file can boost performance because it tells Windows to allocate more CPU time to the simulator compared to lower-priority background tasks. Normally, Windows balances CPU resources across all running processes, which means system tasks, updaters, and background services can occasionally interrupt or delay X-Plane’s threads — causing micro-stutters or slower frame pacing. By running X-Plane at High priority, you make sure its rendering, physics, and scenery-loading threads get preferential access to the CPU, which helps keep frame times more consistent. This tweak is especially noticeable on systems where CPU usage is close to its limit (for example, in busy airports, with AI aircraft, or heavy weather enabled).<ol><li>Create .bat file&nbsp;using Notepad or similar app, containing the following:</li><li><code>@echo off</code></li><li><code>start "" /HIGH "C:\Path\To\X-Plane 12\X-Plane.exe"</code></li><li><code>exit</code></li><li>Replace the path with your real X-Plane 12 path</li><li>Save as&nbsp;<code>Launch_XPlane_High.bat</code>&nbsp;and run that to start X-Plane 12 at HIGH priority</li></ol>

Laminar Research X-Plane 12

🇺🇸 🕹️ Optimize MSFS 2024 (and 2020) and X-Plane 12 with more than 35 performance boost tricks for up to 30% smoother flying. ✈️

Flight Simulator Masterclass

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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Laminar Research X-Plane 12