Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) review
Our Verdict
Microsoft Flying Simulator is the all-time mode to see the world from your couch.
For
- Incredible realism
- Supports various experience levels
- Lovely graphics
Against
- Takes upward a huge amount of space
- Some details could be better
Tom'south Guide Verdict
Microsoft Flight Simulator is the best style to meet the earth from your couch.
Pros
- +
Incredible realism
- +
Supports diverse feel levels
- +
Lovely graphics
Cons
- -
Takes up a huge amount of space
- -
Some details could be ameliorate
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020): Specs
Platforms: PC (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S
Cost: $threescore
Release Date: August 18, 2020 (PC) / July 27, 2021 (Xbox)
Genre: Simulation
If any one video game tin can chart the progress of PC development, it'due south Microsoft Flight Simulator. First released in 1982, the title has been through 12 iterations, each 1 taking advantage of the latest technology and gaming trends. The newest version, only called Microsoft Flight Simulator, not only looks fantastic, but also leverages Microsoft's satellite imagery and live weather condition data to provide the most realistic feel yet. In add-on, the game is also compatible with VR headsets and, in a first, with the Xbox Serial X, opening it up to an even wider audience.
Every bit I was writing this Microsoft Flying Simulator review, I would get lost for hours simply admiring everything outside the cockpit.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) review: Toll and availability
Microsoft Flight Simulator was released in the summer of 2020 for PCs, and in July 2021 for the Xbox Series 10 and Xbox Series South.
The game is available in iii versions. The Standard Edition costs $59.99, and will let you fly 20 different planes. The Deluxe Edition ($89.99) includes 25 aircraft, and the Premium Palatial Edition ($119.99) includes 35 aircraft.
Asobo released a Game of the Year Edition on Nov xviii, 2021, which included v new shipping (including the Boeing F/A-eighteen Super Hornet, the VoloCity, and the Pilatus PC-6 Porter), every bit well as 8 new handcrafted airports, including Leipzig/Halle Aerodrome (EDDP), Zurich Airport (LSZH), and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (KNKX).
This edition, which also supports DirectX 12, is a free update for existing players on PC and Xbox Series X|Southward.
While all versions let you land and have off from 37,000 airports effectually the globe, each edition has "handcrafted" airports with boosted details. The Standard Edition has 30 such airports, the Deluxe, 35, and the Premium Deluxe, xl airports.
The Standard Edition is as well available every bit office of Xbox Game Pass for PC and the Xbox.
In the game itself, you tin can download additional updates, some of which are free, and others of which cost money. For example, y'all can install more detailed airports or more aircraft, from a WWI-era Bleriot XI to an F-15 Eagle. Most of these à la carte offerings range in price from a few bucks to as much as $50.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) review: System requirements and updates
Microsoft Flight Simulator requires, at minimum, a Windows 10 PC with either an Intel i5-4460 or AMD Ryzen iii 1200 processor, an Nvidia GTX 770 or AMD Radeon RX 570 GPU, 8 GB RAM, 2 GB VRAM, 150GB of hard drive infinite, and support for DirectX eleven. Hither is a link to the minimum, recommended, and ideal specs, co-ordinate to Asobo.
| AMD | Nvidia | |
| CPU | Ryzen 3 1200 | Intel i5-4460 |
| GPU | Radeon RX 570 | Nvidia GTX 770 |
| VRAM | 2GB | 2GB |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 150GB | 150GB |
| Bandwidth | 5 Mbps | 5 Mbps |
| AMD | Nvidia | |
| CPU | Ryzen 5 1500X | Intel i5-8400 |
| GPU | Radeon RX 590 | Nvidia GTX 970 |
| VRAM | 4GB | 4GB |
| RAM | 16GB | 16GB |
| Storage | 150GB | 150GB |
| Bandwidth | 20 Mbps | 20 Mbps |
| AMD | Nvidia | |
| CPU | Ryzen vii Pro 2700X | Intel i7-9800X |
| GPU | Radeon VII | Nvidia RTX 2080 |
| VRAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| RAM | 32GB | 32GB |
| Storage | 150GB SSD | 150GB SSD |
| Bandwidth | 50 Mbps | 50 Mbps |
To test the game, I used an Alienware Surface area m51 with an Nvidia GeForce 2080 GPU, a iii.6 GHz Intel Core i9-9900K CPU, with 64GB of RAM. Withal, a large update in late July 2021 has made the game less of a drag on system resources, enabling improve performance from lower-specced systems. After this update, with the graphics at Ultra settings, I was able to average between l-sixty fps on my flights, with the GPU output at around 80 percent and the CPU around twenty per centum.
It's too a large game. The initial download was xc.99GB, and a subsequent update was some other 40GB. Waiting for these to install was like sitting in an overcrowded aerodrome terminal. It added however another aspect of reality to flight, admitting 1 that Microsoft probably didn't intend.
Since its release, there accept been numerous updates to Microsoft Flight Simulator, which have either added meliorate particular in certain regions — such as better-rendered landmarks— or refinements to aircraft and various issues fixes.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 VR headset compatibility
Microsoft Flight Simulator supports OpenXR-compatible headsets, such as Valve Index, Oculus Rift S, the HP Reverb G2, and Oculus Quest with Link.
Previously, you could sign upward for a closed VR beta program—in which it looks similar you can use any VR headset—only y'all'll need at least an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X processor, an Nvidia GTX 1080 or equivalent GPU, and at to the lowest degree 16GB of RAM.
However, this latest update opens the flight simulator to a number of other VR headsets.
Microsoft Flying Simulator (2020) review: Visuals and sound
Microsoft Flight Simulator: Latest upates
June 17: Release 1.17.iii.0 (World Update 5): The Nordic countries of Kingdom of denmark, Finland, Republic of iceland, Kingdom of norway, and Sweden are getting their due, and five airport landing challenges have been added.
To put it simply, the graphics are stunning. If anything, the all-time reason to play Microsoft Flight Simulator is simply to gaze in wonder at all the Earth has to offering, both natural and artificial. Passing over highways, you can see cars and trucks driving, with an astounding lack of gridlock — mayhap the almost unrealistic aspect of the game.
Because everything is generated from Microsoft's extensive world-mapping database, it's equally close to looking out the window of a real plane equally you're going to get. Exterior of Google or Apple, information technology's hard to imagine whatever other company being able to pull this off.
In that location are a few instances where the graphics could utilise some work, though. In the New York Urban center area, the graphics under more than a few bridges were distorted, making it look similar there was a mantle hanging from their lower decks.
Suffice it to say, invest in a skilful monitor to actually enjoy in all that the game has to offer. Information technology's besides helpful considering many important popup screens — such as Air Traffic Control, your flight map, and navigation log — can quickly accept up a lot of real estate.
You can prepare the Simulator to whatever time of the 24-hour interval or night, and y'all tin can besides contain real-time conditions data, which adds in even more realism and challenge.
Audio-wise, there's not much to speak of, every bit the main sound you'll hear is the thrum of your aeroplane'south engine. This too, is modeled well, as each aircraft has its ain unique sound. The only other sounds are those of alarms and air-traffic control.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) review: Gameplay
While I'1000 not exactly a novice with flying simulators or flying games, it's been a number of years since I sabbatum behind the yoke. As such, I was pretty rusty coming into Flight Simulator 2020. No problem, I idea. I'll just take the training courses — there are a handful, and they encompass both propeller aircraft and jets — and I'll exist off flying the friendly skies.
Then I tried landing. It took several tries before I could safely land a Cessna 152 — your garden-variety single-propeller aircraft. Fortunately, the simulator can be very forgiving, and lets you adjust how "existent" you want your flight experience to be.
Nonetheless, there's a real learning curve. Later about a dozen flights in various propeller aircraft, I felt bold enough to fly a Boeing 747 out of San Francisco International Airport. I figured I'd dive down low over the Gilded Gate Span and snap a few picturesque photos for this review. Before you could say Coit Belfry, I had all sorts of alarms and warnings going off in the cockpit.
You tin take off and country from nearly anywhere on the Earth. A Globe Map lets yous select where you'd like to become, the aircraft, and the time of solar day.
On the other mitt, if you just want to sit down back and enjoy the view, at that place are a handful of discovery flights where the simulator does all the flying.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 shipping
The post-obit aircraft are bachelor in Microsoft Flight Simulator:
| Standard Edition | Deluxe Edition | Premium Deluxe Edition | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320neo | 10 | Ten | X |
| Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet | X | 10 | 10 |
| VoloCopter VoloCity | X | X | X |
| Pilatus PC-6 Porter | X | X | X |
| CubCrafters NX Cub | X | 10 | X |
| Aviat Pitts Special S1S | X | X | X |
| Aviat Pitts Special S2S | X | X | X |
| Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental | X | 10 | X |
| CubCrafters XCub | 10 | Ten | X |
| Daher TBM 930 | Ten | X | X |
| Diamond DA62 | X | X | X |
| Diamond DA40 NG | X | X | X |
| EXTRA 330LT | X | X | 10 |
| Flight Design CTLS | X | X | 10 |
| ICON A5 | X | 10 | X |
| JMB VL-3 | 10 | X | Ten |
| Robin CAP 10 | 10 | X | 10 |
| Robin DR400-100 Buck | Ten | X | Ten |
| Beechcraft Bonanza G36 | Ten | X | X |
| Beechcraft King Air 350i | Ten | X | Ten |
| Cessna 152 | X | X | X |
| Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000) | 10 | X | X |
| Cessna 208 B Thousand Caravan EX | X | X | 10 |
| Cessna Commendation CJ4 | X | Ten | X |
| Zlin Savage Cub | X | X | X |
| Diamond DA40-TDI | X | X | |
| Diamond DV20 | X | 10 | |
| Beechcraft Baron G58 | X | X | |
| Cessna 152 Aerobat | X | 10 | |
| Cessna 172 Skyhawk | X | 10 | |
| Boeing 787-x Dreamliner | X | ||
| Cirrus SR22 | X | ||
| Pipistrel Virus SW 121 | X | ||
| Cessna Citation Longitude | X | ||
| Zlin Shock Ultra | 10 |
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 airports
According to Microsoft, players can state and take off from around 37,000 airports around the world. Notwithstanding, twoscore of these airports have "hand-crafted" elements, offering more than detail and other features. And so, for instance, all players will be able to wing into San Francisco's airport, but only those who have the Premium Palatial version will be able to see these hand-crafted items. Microsoft has not specified what the exact differences are between hand-crafted and non-handcrafted versions.
| Standard Edition | Deluxe Edition | Premium Deluxe Edition | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspen/Pikin County (USA) | Ten | X | X |
| Allgäu Drome Memmingen | X | X | X |
| Bugalaga Airstrip (Indonesia) | 10 | X | X |
| Chagual Airport (Peru) | 10 | X | X |
| Courchevel Altiport (France) | Ten | X | Ten |
| Donegal Airport (Republic of ireland) | X | 10 | 10 |
| Entebbe Int'l Airdrome (Uganda) | X | X | X |
| Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira Int'l Drome (Portugal) | X | X | X |
| Gibraltar Int'l Airdrome (UK) | X | 10 | X |
| Innsbruck Airport (Republic of austria) | X | Ten | X |
| Leipzig/Halle Airport | 10 | Ten | X |
| Los Angeles Int'l Airport (U.s.a.) | Ten | Ten | Ten |
| Tenzing-Hillary Airport (Nepal) | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Nanwalek Aerodrome (U.s.a.) | X | 10 | Ten |
| John F. Kennedy Int'l Airport (The states) | X | Ten | X |
| Kassel Drome | X | X | X |
| Lugano Drome | Ten | X | X |
| Luzern-Beromunster | X | X | Ten |
| Marine Corps Air Station Miramar | X | Ten | 10 |
| Orlando Int'l Drome (United states of america) | X | X | X |
| Paris Charles de Gaulle Int'l Airport (France) | X | X | X |
| Paro Int'l Aerodrome (Kingdom of bhutan) | 10 | X | X |
| Patrick Space Forcefulness Base of operations | X | X | X |
| Queenstown Aerodrome (New Zealand) | X | Ten | Ten |
| Mariscal Sucre Int'l Airport (Ecuador) | Ten | 10 | X |
| Rio de Janeiro-Antonio Carlos Jobim Int'l Airport (Brazil) | 10 | X | X |
| Juancho Eastward. Yrausquin Airdrome (Dutch Saba) | Ten | X | X |
| Gustaf 3 Drome (French republic) | 10 | Ten | X |
| Seattle-Tacoma Int'l Airport (USA) | X | X | Ten |
| Sedona Airport (United states of america) | 10 | Ten | X |
| Sirena Airport (Costa Rica) | X | X | X |
| Stewart Airport (Canada) | X | Ten | X |
| Sydney Drome (Commonwealth of australia) | X | X | X |
| Telluride Regional Aerodrome (Us) | Ten | 10 | Ten |
| Haneda Aerodrome (Japan) | X | 10 | X |
| Toncontin Int'l Airport (Honduras) | 10 | 10 | X |
| Billy Bishop Toronto City Aerodrome (Canada) | X | X | X |
| Zurich Airport | X | X | Ten |
| Schiphol Airport (Netherlands) | X | X | |
| Cairo Int'l Airport (Egypt) | Ten | Ten | |
| Greatcoat Town Int'l Airport (Due south Africa) | X | X | |
| O'Hare Int'l Aerodrome (USA) | X | 10 | |
| Adolfo Suarez Madrid Barajas (Spain) | Ten | 10 | |
| Denver Int'l Drome (United states) | X | ||
| Frankfurt Airport (Germany) | X | ||
| Heathrow Airport (UK) | X | ||
| San Francisco Int'l Airport (United states) | X |
Microsoft Flight Simulator: Recommended peripherals
For those who plan to purchase Microsoft Flying Simulator, the visitor recommends the following peripherals, which include a variety of flight controls:
| Logitech | Thrustmaster | Honeycomb |
| Extreme 3D Pro | F/A-18 Grip | Honeycomb Aeronautical |
| Flight Rudder Pedals | Warthog HOTAS (stick + throttle) | Virtual Fly |
| Flying Throttle Quadrant | MFD Cougar | Ruddo+ |
| Flying Yoke System | Pendular Rudder | TQ3+ |
| X52 | T.Flying Stick 10 | TQ6+ |
| X52 Pro | T.16000M (stick only) | V3rnio TPM |
| X56 | T.16000M FCS (stick + throttle + rudder) | Yoko+ |
| T.Flying HOTAS four | Microsoft | |
| T.Flight HOTAS One | Xbox Controller | |
| T.Flight HOTAS Ten | Xbox Adaptive Controller | |
| T-Flight Rudder Pedals | ||
| TWCS Throttle | ||
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) review: Verdict
In some ways, calling Microsoft Flight Simulator a "game" is doing information technology a disservice. There are no bosses to defeat, no coins to collect and naught to "win." It'south more similar an feel. The attention to detail is truly impressive, specially if yous accept a system that tin take advantage of information technology all. If yous've been cooped up in your apartment, information technology's the perfect pandemic game to get out and see the world without ever leaving your habitation.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/microsoft-flight-simulator-2020
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