Microsoft Flight Sim: Best UserCfg.opt for Photogrammetry Speed

The goal is to increase the Terrain LoDFactor and optimize the PostProcess pipeline to ensure that data packets are processed as soon as they are received.

File Path & Access

File Path (MS Store): %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\ File Path (Steam): %APPDATA%\Microsoft Flight Simulator\

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Press Win + R, paste the appropriate path above, and press Enter.
2. Locate UserCfg.opt. (Important: Create a backup named UserCfg_Backup.opt).
3. Right-click the file and open it with Notepad or Notepad++.
4. Find the Graphics section and the PostProcess section.
5. Apply the values from the configuration block below.
6. Save the file. If the game keeps resetting your LOD, right-click the file, go to Properties, and check Read-only.

Optimized “Data-Stream” Configuration Block

{Video
	Adapter 0
	Monitor 0
	Windowed 1
	FullscreenMaximize 0
	{Graphics
		{Terrain
			LoDFactor 2.500000
		}
		{ObjectsLoD
			LoDFactor 2.000000
		}
	}
}
{PostProcess
	Sharpen 1
	Fringe 0
	FilmGrain 0
	Dirt 0
}

Parameter Details & Technical Purpose

Parameter	Recommended Value	Technical Purpose
LoDFactor (Terrain)	2.500000	Increases the distance at which high-quality photogrammetry is requested from the server.
ObjectsLoD	2.000000	Ensures 3D buildings and landmarks don’t pop in at the last second.
Fringe	0	Disables Chromatic Aberration, making the photogrammetry edges look significantly sharper.
Sharpen	1	Enhances the definition of streamed textures without a heavy hit to the frame time ($T_{frame}$).

Best Practices for 2026 Photogrammetry Loading

To fully fix loading speed issues in MSFS, follow these additional GameEngineer.net technical steps:

• The DNS Solution: In 2026, server routing is the primary cause of photogrammetry “melting.” Switching your Windows DNS to Google DNS (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) can significantly improve the handshake speed with Akamai CDN servers.
• Rolling Cache – Off or High: If you have an ultra-fast NVMe SSD, set your Rolling Cache to Off. If your internet is slower than 100Mbps, set it to 32GB+ on your fastest drive. A small or fragmented rolling cache often causes the “Bandwidth Too Low” error.
• Terrain Pre-Caching: In the in-game menu, set “Off-Screen Terrain Pre-Caching” to ULTRA. This utilizes your RAM to hold photogrammetry data for areas you aren’t currently looking at, preventing stutters when you turn the camera.
• The “Map Mod” Warning: Ensure you have no “Google Maps” replacement mods installed. These often interfere with the native Bing photogrammetry injection in 2026, causing severe blurry textures and server timeouts.