MSFS2024 Virtual Reality (VR) Setup & Settings

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MSFS2024 Virtual Reality (VR) Setup & Settings

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is poised to offer a remarkable VR experience. Developers in interviews have said that they put a bigger emphasis on VR, compared to the previous edition, and new planes and areas look gorgeous — so we look forward to seeing that in the VR headsets such as the Pimax Crystal Light.

Scroll down below for
  • Best settings for MSFS2024 in VR per GPU
  • Best accessories for MSFS2024 in VR
  • Why MSFS 2024 is a Great Choice for VR 

Pimax is the official peripheral partner of MSFS2024. Read more here.

Best settings for MSFS2024 in VR per GPU

Why Optimization is important:

Optimizing in-game and PC settings is crucial for achieving optimal VR performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (MSFS2024). This is because VR experiences are highly demanding on both hardware and software, and even minor tweaks can significantly impact the overall smoothness and immersion of the gameplay.

Here are some key reasons why optimization is important:

  • Resource Management: VR requires a significant amount of processing power, graphics performance, and memory. By optimizing settings, you can ensure that your system is allocating resources efficiently to handle the demands of the VR environment.
  • Reducing Stuttering and Lag: Stuttering and lag can severely disrupt the VR experience, leading to discomfort and disorientation. Proper optimization can help minimize these issues by ensuring that your hardware can keep up with the game's rendering requirements.
  • Improving Visual Quality: While optimization often involves making trade-offs between performance and visual quality, there are many settings that can be adjusted to enhance the overall look of the game without sacrificing too much performance.
  • Extending Battery Life (for laptops): If you're playing MSFS2024 on a laptop, optimizing settings can help conserve battery life by reducing the strain on your system's components.

Specific Settings to Consider:

  • Graphics Presets: MSFS2024 offers several graphics presets that cater to different hardware configurations. Start with a lower preset and gradually increase it as you assess your system's performance.
  • Render Scale: This setting controls the overall resolution of the game. Lowering it can improve performance at the cost of visual clarity.
  • Texture Quality: Adjust texture quality to balance performance and detail. Lower settings can reduce the memory footprint and improve frame rates.
  • Object Level of Detail: This setting determines how detailed objects appear at a distance. Lowering it can improve performance, especially in dense environments.
  • VSync: Enabling VSync can reduce screen tearing but may introduce input lag. Experiment to see if it benefits your system.
  • PC-Specific Settings: Consider adjusting your PC's power settings, overclocking (if applicable), and updating drivers to optimize overall performance.

VR Settings for each GPU:

Step 1.

Go into the Nvidia control panel, and under 3D settings ensure that Image Sharpening if you have it is set to 0.25. You will find that this setting improves the clarity of very distant objects dramatically.

 

Next, scroll down and ensure that the Power management mode is set to Prefer maximum performance.

Remember to click Apply afterward.

Step 2.

Set the Pimax Play Refresh Rate to 120 HZ.

Leave Render Quality on high and Fixed Foveated Rendering on Balanced.

Step 3.

In PimaxXR ensure that Lock to half framerate has been set.

Step 4.

RTX 4090

For RTX 4090 use the following setting:

  • In MSFS enable Fixed Foveated Rendering in OpenXR toolkit onscreen display using control and F2 to enter the menu.

  • Set the Outer ring size to 60%

Then set the settings referring to this picture:

RTX 4060 Ti & RTX 3080

For RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 3080 use the following setting.

  • In MSFS enable Fixed Foveated Rendering in OpenXR toolkit onscreen display using control and F2 to enter the menu.

  • Set the Outer ring size to 50%

Then set the settings referring to this picture:

RTX 3060 Ti

For 3060 Ti do the following steps:
  • In MSFS disable Fixed Foveated Rendering in OpenXR toolkit onscreen display using control and F2 to enter the menu.
  • Set the Outer ring size to 50%
  • Set Middle resolution to 1/4

MSFS2024 In-Game settings for most GPUs:

Render Scaling: 80% (this has a general quality effect and can be increased)
Global Render Quality: Medium
Anti-Aliasing: TAA (you can also disable this)
Terrain LoD: 85%
Terrain Vector: Data Low
Objects LoD: 85%
Windshield Effects: High
Ambient Occlusion: Off (this one is important)
Volumetric Clouds: Low
Texture Resolution: Medium
Anisotropic Filtering: 16x (Can be lower)
Texture Supersampling: 4×4 (Can lower this if needed)
Texture Synthesis: High (This affects distance sharpness)
Water Waves: High
Shadow Maps: 768
Terrain Shadows: Off
Contact Shadows: Off
Reflections: Low
Light Shafts: Off
Bloom: Off
Depth of Field: Off
Lens Correction: Off
Lens Flare: Off
Cockpit Refresh Rate: Low
Buildings: High
Trees: Medium
Grass And Bushes: Medium

Best accessories for MSFS2024 in VR

PC Requirements

To run MSFS 2024 in VR, you'll need a powerful gaming PC. Here's a general guideline:

  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X or Intel Core i7-12700K (or equivalent)

  • GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (or equivalent)

  • RAM: 32GB DDR4 or DDR5 RAM

  • Storage: SSD (preferably NVMe)

VR Headset

The best VR headset for MSFS 2024 depends on your budget and preferences. 

If your budget is limited, we are inclined to recommend Pimax Crystal Light for the following reasons:
  • Affordable High-End PCVR headset, starting from $699.
  • Crystal Clear Graphics with 2880 X 2880 Pixels Per Eye.
  • 35 PPD Glass Aspheric Lenses Deliver Unrivaled Clarity.
  • Enable to see the dashboard in high fidelity with 17 million pixels and glass aspheric lenses.
If your budget allows, we are inclined to recommend Pimax Crystal Super for the following reasons:
  • The world’s first changeable optical engine for QLED & micro-OLED.
  • 3840x3840 native resolution per eye.
  • Support eye tracking.

Accessories

  • Flight Sim Yoke: A must-have for pilots, providing realistic control over the aircraft.
  • Flight Sim Throttles: Essential for controlling the aircraft's power and speed.
  • Rudders: Simulate the rudder pedals of a real aircraft.
  • Headset Stand: Keeps your headset organized and protected.
  • Controller Charging Station: Conveniently charges your controllers.
  • Comfort Strap: Improve the comfort of wearing VR headsets.
  • Lens Inserts: Prevent the lens from being scratched.
  • Cooling Fans: Attach to the VR headset to keep you comfortable during long sessions.

By investing in the right hardware and accessories, you can enjoy an immersive and realistic flight sim experience in VR.

Why MSFS 2024 is a Great Choice for VR

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is poised to offer a remarkable VR experience, thanks to several key factors:
  1. Optimized for VR from the Ground Up: The game is being developed with VR in mind, ensuring that the core mechanics, controls, and graphics are tailored to provide the best possible immersive experience.
  2. Improved Performance: Expect smoother frame rates and reduced latency, making the VR experience more comfortable and less prone to motion sickness.
  3. Enhanced Visual Fidelity: With advancements in graphics technology, MSFS 2024 should deliver stunning visuals in VR, creating a more realistic and immersive world to explore.
  4. Enhanced Light and Shadow Effects: Introduces more advanced light and shadow rendering techniques to make light and shadows in virtual environments more realistic.
  5. Native VR Support: The game will likely feature native VR support, eliminating the need for third-party tools or mods. This means a more seamless and integrated VR experience.
  6. Focus on Immersion: Microsoft has a strong commitment to creating immersive experiences. This focus is likely to extend to the VR version of MSFS 2024, resulting in a more engaging and captivating gameplay.

While specific details may vary until the game's release, these factors suggest that MSFS 2024 is well-positioned to offer a superior VR experience compared to its predecessor.

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