I started using FS24 just recently, less than a month ago. Now, with almost 20 flights (both GA, Gliders, Biz Jets and Airliners) I can say that I am quite pleased with what I see (which is in VR, by the way). Beautiful detail on the planes, breathtaking weather and clouds, and most importantly: no stutters, no crashes. I am even able to carry over most of my airports (payware and freeware) to the new sim. That is a bit of work, but AOL and my own virtual links get the job done, one airport at the time.
I use a dedicated flight sim PC with high specs, and I have tons of peripherals hooked up to my rig. Amazingly enough, it all works with only occasional hickups.
Of course there are bugs I‘d love to see fixed, like the imprecise positioning of the cursor in VR (left eye only), but by and large, I‘m really, really glad we have this amazing sim!
My 2 cts…
Edit: Free flight only. I am not interested in the career part of the sim or the other goodies (challenges, tours, photography) - maybe because I‘m in this hobby for almost 40 years and back in the days free flight was all we got…
It’s now just 10GB download. That is down from 160GB of FS2020. I’d say that’s a quite lean and efficient installation. I even got a new PC and didn’t spend a day with my head in my hands at the thought of a fresh install (unlike fs2020).
I second that. I have a ton of FS2020 add ons from like 5 years ago that I’d prefer not to have to look at every time I’m in the CM.
True, same here even when they are downloaded, I have to go look for updates. Their notofication system needs an overhaul sometimes it works but often it doesn’t.
I joined MSFS 2020 in 2022, during COVID lockdowns, on Xbox X - at possibly the worst time, as SU8 had just launched and broken a lot of things. The upside is I joined beta testing and became vocal here about bug fixing. By the end of 2023, after the Avionics and Aircraft Updates (AAU1 and 2) the sim was quite enjoyable on Xbox. I flew the 172, Longitude and 787 regularly and at length.
But, given the limitations of ATC, and a desire for more immersion via triple screens and peripherals, I did plan on moving to PC eventually. When 2024 launched and things didn’t work well, I sold the Xbox and spent the past year saving to build a PC with 3 screens, which is where I am now. I still think MSFS on console is still a decent value for money, as it does allow quite a bit for the relative price - and I do believe just like the 2020 version, the bug fixing will continue to improve stability. And, stepping up from Xbox to PC isn’t cheap.
I think it’s fair to say this sim is infinitely better now (with SU4) than on release or any time since. So much so that it’s the first time I’ve really not thought about it being in a beta state (some notable issues aside). It’s currently how it should have been on release day over a year ago.
I admit, I largely use 3rd party add ons though, so many of the still needing fixed base sim features (mainly ATC/AI traffic and buggy default aircraft) are not visible to me. If that were not the case I’d probably be less happy than I currenty am.
FS2020 & now FS2024 has always been a new stuff simulator, that is their business model. Fast and furious with new stuff. (If you need an example of this look back at the 707, released (broken) a few short weeks ahead of FS2024 and as good as abandoned since, but hey look we have a new simulator for you!) I’d have preferred it if they’d done 20 aircrfaft for FS2024 but had done them well, but hey ho. I still use plently of new FS2024 default features and appreciate them (eg. EFB & charts). I’d find it hard to go back to fs2020 now.
Griping about FS2024 in Jan 2026 is very passé. We have to accept what we have and learn to live with it (while still reporting bugs and waiting for updates), otherwise we may still be waiting for perfection in FS2024 when they announce FS2028
From a November 6, 2025 press release at Boeing, and I think mentioned by Jorg in the last Dev Q&A (if I recall correctly)
Re-reading it, however, I think Boeing probably uses aspects of MSFS (like the scenery) and applies their own flight models and virtual aircraft on top, which of course would be proprietary. I still hope it incentivizes Microsoft to improve the multiple monitor, force feedback, and other aspects that would be highly desirable for a “simulator”
I thought this was fixed in SU4? I’ve only got 12 GB of video ram and push it to the limits constantly but never see this message anymore. I am willing to put $5 on having not seen it since we came out of beta.
If people are sitll seeing it, could it be driver related somehow?
I’ve seen it when initially loading into a scenery heavy airport/region/PMDG situation when quickly switching to an outside view after entering the aircraft.
It otherwise doesn’t show up for me under normal use.
Wow… this is a little depressing. I just bought this yesterday so now I’m a little worried. I realize, as you said, the experience could be different for others, but I was hoping that this far out, most things would be fixed. Oh well, I guess I’ll see for myself. I imagine that like 2020 and 2024, things will continue to get better at some point. I also like turboprops, especially single engine ones, so I’ll try and fly the planes I like and try to have as much fun as possible. I already have my flight gear from the older versions so I’m pretty much ready to go. Thanks for such a detailed review. I hope things get better for your sake too.
Which parts work better in 24 at the moment? Genuine question, I used to hate 24 when it came out and actually refunded it. But now, after a lot of positive changes, I no longer have the need to run 20, although I still have it installed.
What deficits do you see in 2024 that are much better in 2020? Except buggy clouds maybe and higher raw fps in 2020
They are. It’s not bug free completely, but most days i don’t run across anything. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it!
Except that’s pretty much false with the exception of ATC. 2024 is a smoother better experience for me. One of 2020’s significant problems was that it was too bound to one cpu core. I get far better performance in cities with 2024.
I personally have found the whole concept of FS2024 to be deeply disappointing. For example:
Concerning aircraft, they decided that quantity was more important than quality. Every aircraft I fly in has still got bugs, many of which were not present in FS2020 - for example, in so many planes the incorrect reflections in the cockpit from the windscreen, the side windows and the glass instruments (as the OP noted). This was “Planned” to be fixed in SU4, but the ony improvement I found was in the Daher windscreen (though no improvement for the side windows).
Rather than build on the excellent base of FS2020, they decided to redo much of it from scratch. This could have been a good move, but in many instances it just resulted in a backward step. If I heard right, didn’t Seb even admit that the promised use of multiple cores was causing problems, rather than solving them?
Many things Asobo seem to have changed for the sake of change. They had a chance to improve the user interface, but instead actually made it worse. With so many planes now available, a “favourites” folder surely is a necessity, but all we got is an inefficient horizontal scrolling system. And whoever thought having a scrollbar at the bottom of the ATC window would be an improvement?
New features are not necessarily good features. The propeller simulation thay have introduced is a disaster. It is not realistic, producing impossibly sharp shadows of the propeller blades and often an annoying, significant but again unrealistic flicker inside the cockpit. The human eye cannot discern such fast movement. The amount of computing power needed to produce such shadows probably explains why propeller planes have such bad fps performance.
If Asobo/Microsoft are again intending to follow a four year cycle of releases, we are now approaching the half-way point with so many problems unresolved. Judging by what I believe Jorg said in one fo the Q&A sessions, they are keen to move on from fixing bugs, instead aiming at new features, so many of the problems will remain for the life of FS2024. I really can’t see it gaining another “Game of the Year”award.
I agree with a lot here. I’m one of those that uses the sim as only a platform. I fly high quality add-on airplanes (PMDG) with a home cockpit and use both BATC and SI or VATSIM, Simbrief, Navigraph, etc. I think that one of the issues is that Asobo, out of financial necessity, will always target the masses, and the masses are not super discerning. They’re playing a game and they’re happy with it. Once you decide that that is not enough, then you’re joining the discerning crowd and there is a LOT out there for you. Stock products will not keep you happy because you are not Asobo’s target audience.
I actually agree with the premise … MS/Asobo has to target the mass market. Without that revenue, there would be no sim, no ecosystem, and no platform for serious users to build on.
But that doesn’t mean the core engine shouldn’t continue to improve in areas that benefit everyone: lighting, weather, flight modeling, avionics behavior, etc.
I haven’t lost my passion for sim flying, but that is because I still use 2020. I’ve pretty much given up on 2024.I still check it out after an update, but when I see they still haven’t fixed significant problems, it goes back on the virtual “shelf”. While I could play around some of these problems, I hate the interface that is vastly inferior to 2020. Why put up with the headaches of 2024 when I know I can have fun in 2020?
I use both – but mostly MSFS 2020. With SU4, MSFS 2024 has now reached the quality I expected at launch. Tons of bugs are still there, but it’s now playable.
Personally I have no reason to use 2020 and haven’t for a very long time now. I really enjoy 2024. Yesterday I was having a lot of fun flying the A2A Comanche. Performance is very good on my end playing maxed out aside from having Terrain LOD set at 300. No stutters and seeing high FPS. Looking around with TrackIR is butter smooth with my high refresh rate monitor. I see performance I can only dream about having in X-Plane 12.
