I would like to run my store-bought MSFS 2020 on one computer and my store-bought MSFS 2024 on another at same time but do I need a separate MS account for each. Also can they ‘meet’ in the same MSFS server and fly together.
No. You’re welcome sPK
I have run MSFS2020 and MSFS2024 on the same computer. No problem. So on two computers I do not think it is a problem. For ‘meet’ you have to look at JoinFS I have not made it work on the same computer to run JoinFS + JoinFS2024 will not work atm.
If you have the two PCs and a copy of FS20 on one and FS24 on the other, then why not just try it for yourself. You would have had a true answer right away.
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At the same time?! Impressive.
Nope.
Source https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/insert-game-disk-message-20-feb-2025/706644/23?u=tenpatrol
It didn’t work for me on Steam when I was using MSFS 2020 on one PC and tried running MSFS 2024 on another. I got a message saying that I am already running MSFS and would I like to close it to run it on the second computer.
Fair enough if I had tried to run a second session of MSFS 2020 but MSFS 2024 is a separately paid for product and I should be able to run both, one on each PC, at the same time if I want to.
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Interesting question so I tried 2020 2024 on same computer, not the actual question but only have one PC, and this mostly worked for me.
There was freezing of both when starting both at same time and updating 2020, able to use task manager to end 2020. However 2024 parking brakes would not release (Vision Jet).
Then I started 2020, completed update, and went to main screen. Then I started 2024, which was slower to reach the main screen. This worked much better, successful free flights in both games. Switched between games with Alt-Tab.
There were some issues with joystick when switching between games, and I’m sure there would be other problems. Confirmed that I prefer the 2024 UI.
@BBoaBrim “If you have the two PCs and a copy of FS20 on one and FS24 on the other, then why not just try it for yourself. You would have had a true answer right away” Hi BBoaBrim. I could of course but Microsoft accounts seem a bit fragile in my experience and I did not want to risk a foul up due to some kind of conflict. Hoping someone could say they have done that and/or whether they can share the same server and fly together. I don’t really want to buy another licence if it can be avoided.
Thanks JamalOne1. I have both MSFS2020 and 2024 installed. I have installed both JoinFS2020 and JoinFS2024. JoinFS2020 runs but JoinFS2024 does nothing when I try to start it. I need to spend a bit more time on the 2020 version as the servers are all empty and when I ask it to scan for models it doesn’t find any even though I selected ‘Asobo Standard’ and entered the paths to my Community and Store folders (I’m not using the standfard C drive install). Onward and upward…
Easy enough to do in Steam. I support QA for a studio and have both products on the same rig. I’ve done it enough times by accident alone.
It might not have worked for me as Steam generally doesn’t like what it sees as two different users, because you are using two different computers, on the same account. I can see how it may work on the one system as obviously only one user can be using the one computer.
The answer is YES. They are 2 different & separate games, no different that COD & Cyberpunk. Run them on separate computers or even on the same one.
It does not matter and MS will not take your birthday away.
For Steam the answer is NO unfortunately.
Here is what I got when I just tried to open MSFS 2024 on my second PC when MSFS 2020 is already running on my main PC:
Edit: It is possible to run them both at the same time on the SAME computer with Steam
You can get round that problem in Steam by setting up Family sharing.
Your main user ‘owns’ the games.
You then set up a ‘child’ user and your main user can set up Family sharing (Steam->Settings->Family) and share your library with them. You can’t both play the same game at the same time (you only have one licence) but you can play different games from one library.
On the ‘other’ computer you log into the Steam client as the ‘child’ and then you can access your games from there… however…
This works for me on all my games… except MFS2020 and MFS2024. The game launches but it rejects my MS login on the second one to start. I forget the exact error message (I’m not at home at the moment) but it wouldn’t let me run 2020 on one machne and 2024 on the other.
If anyone knows a way around this that would be great.
Cheers,