Am I thinking alonmg the right lines here?

Along with Ultra clouds, TLOD and OLOD, texture resolution is probably one of the biggest performance hits in MSFS2024.  Am I correct in assuming that Ultra might be 4k, High may be 2k and medium could be 1k?

If that were the case, would there be any point in using Ultra texture resulution if you are running on a 2k monitor or am I wide of the mark here?

The actual resolution of the textures has not been disclosed by MS, unless I missed it. I doubt all the textures in the game have the same resolution, too.

Even if Ultra is 4K and you use a 2K monitor, you should be able to see a difference between 2K and 4K textures when you look at a very close object. Texture resolution has nothing to do with monitor resolution.

The thing is, FS2024 Ultra textures are prohibitive even with 16 GB of VRAM. You need a 4090 or 5090 in order to use them.

I could only really comfortably get to High on my 3090 at 2K. Now I can easily sit at Ultra with a 5090 at 4K. The difference is quite noticeable.

I've always wondered if this also changes the resolution of ground textures?

I know it changes in the cockpit and, for example, on the exterior labels, which are sharper to read.

But does it also change the sharpness of the ground?

1 hour ago, MrFuzzy said:

The actual resolution of the textures has not been disclosed by MS, unless I missed it. I doubt all the textures in the game have the same resolution, too.

Even if Ultra is 4K and you use a 2K monitor, you should be able to see a difference between 2K and 4K textures when you look at a very close object. Texture resolution has nothing to do with monitor resolution.

The thing is, FS2024 Ultra textures are prohibitive even with 16 GB of VRAM. You need a 4090 or 5090 in order to use them.

16GB VRAM on my 5080 seems OK for me most of the time, except when I use addon photoscenery.  However, I do not fly any complex aircraft as I prefer low and slow to admire the wonderful scenery MSFS2024 offers us as well as the addon devs, both payware and freeware.

If I understood correctly, unlike other sims (where you set a hard resolution limit), it forces a level of "downgrade" for textures (sorry, I couldn't think of a better name). Ultra would mean using textures at 100%, Medium would be everything at 50% and so on. I know there's a better explanation in MSFS forums, but the site is blocked in my office.

Anyway, this may explain why I find downsampling 1024-px textures is a blurry mess in MSFS, and not so in other sims: because I never set Texture Resolution to Ultra but Medium. Therefore, I don't end up getting 1024px textures but just 512px ones.

Edited September 29, 2025Sep 29 by Luis Hernandez

The setting you can run at is greatly dependant on your available VRAM. Anything below 12GIG you should probably not go aboe medium.

 

7 hours ago, Axis3600 said:

I've always wondered if this also changes the resolution of ground textures?

I know it changes in the cockpit and, for example, on the exterior labels, which are sharper to read.

But does it also change the sharpness of the ground?

No unfortunately not. None of them.

What a bunch of los misérables!

At first, they intentionally reduced the ground texture size that Flight Simulator can handle to 256x256, and then they said they were looking into the problem and hoping to solve it in SU4. I can't call it anything other than bullying.

Edited September 29, 2025Sep 29 by Vitold69

Quote

No unfortunately not. None of them.

What a bunch of los misérables!

At first, they intentionally reduced the ground texture size that Flight Simulator can handle to 256x256, and then they said they were looking into the problem and hoping to solve it in SU4. I can't call it anything other than bullying.

It feels like we were handed a basket of promises but none of them actually fixed the ground textures. Seeing the sharp cockpit while the terrain stays blurry is just disappointing.