I bought MSFS 2020 through steam for PC when it came out, the deluxe edition to get the C172 and the Baron as I like them. I created a new Xbox account to use for MSFS.
When I heard it was coming out on Xbox, I bought an Xbox S to use for more casual flying and I remembered that as I had had an Xbox360 several years ago, I had an account for that and I had bought a bunch of games for it over Xbox live and so I signed in and used this for my new Xbox and got my old games back and got Game Pass on there to use MSFS and that all works fine.
What I found is that I when I signed into my Xbox account on my PC I still had access to my Deluxe planes. But when I log in on my Xbox, I only have access to the default ones on Games Pass.
So is there any way of making the Xbox account recognise that I have bought the game on Steam, or will I have to buy again on my Xbox account to get the C172 and B58 to work?
As far as my knowledge of this goes, unfortunately that’s not possible. Only the MS version has the ‘play anywhere’ function, where you can use one copy for both PC and xBox.
Ok, so if I bite the bullet and by the Deluxe edition for the Xbox, delete my Steam installation of MSFS and install it into the MS Xbox games app, in future, if buy a plane or other expansion in the makretplace, I can use them on both? This might be cost effective in the long run, especially with the discount for Games Pass subscribers.
So, in order to join both installations together, I will have to delete my Steam installation and install it again via the Xbox Games app and buy again either through my Xbox or PC Xbox games app?
Your steam installation is separate from everything, it stands on its own. (If I understand correctly)
You can’t combine it with anything.
If you bought the steam version, you’d have to repurchase add-ons and the sim itself, should you want to fly on the xbox. If you buy the microsoft store version, you get a copy that works on both PC and Xbox, also sharing in-sim purchases, the steam version can’t do that.
That’s what I understood.
If you bought add-ons via SimMarket, from ORBX, or any 3rd party store, then of course you can.
If you bought add-ons via the in-game marketplace (which is what’s being asked here), that’s different. Those are shared between MS Store / Xbox / Gamepass via Play Anywhere. Such items purchased through a Steam version of the sim are NOT transferable. If you bought on Steam, marketplace purchases are limited to that Steam version ONLY.
Cheers