FSLabs A321 Neo - upcoming A320 Neo for MSFS 2024

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Dear community,

I hope you’re all having a great weekend. And to everyone for whom it applies, happy 4th of July!

My goal is to create a place here where FSLabs enthusiasts … and perhaps people who are simply curious about the aircraft … can come together and open up the Overton window a little regarding this controversial, yet very interesting Airbus option.

When it comes to systems, many people still regard FSLabs and their products as somewhat superior to the usual suspects. At the same time, communication from the company regarding future updates can feel a bit lacking, the aircraft’s performance is often less than ideal, the visuals are obviously not quite on the level of Fenix yet, and the sounds still leave something to be desired.

Nevertheless, their aircraft have tons of mojo. Features like the MEL system add a level of immersion that goes well beyond your standard A-to-B routine. The EFB may look like Windows 95, but it’s actually an incredibly capable and robust tool. Likewise, the GSX integration may seem very specific … or even a little weird - to some, while to others it feels uniquely seamless (a hardware MCDU definitely helps).

Personally, I’m very interested in their announced A320neo: when it will arrive, whether it will arrive before the aforementioned competition, and whether they’ll eventually achieve a significant performance boost. The aircraft is a true VRAM hog and, not least because of it, I ended up buying an RTX 5090.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are you as excited and on the hype train for the upcoming Neo as I am? And do you think - like I do … that FSLabs will eventually need to become fully MSFS 2024-native in order to reach the kind of performance many of us are hoping for?

Visually, I think they’re improving in steady, incremental steps, and somehow I’m still hoping for another leap forward in the sound department as well.

Or do you think: “Nah, Fenix has the definitive Airbus experience, period. There’s no real need for another Airbus that might ultimately be the inferior option.”

Thank you very much, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Warm regards,

Claas

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Test.exe - enough said

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The test.exe incident was a serious mistake back in 2018 and people are free to judge FSLabs on that if they choose. As for the A321 itself, I’ve had no issues with it and I’m really enjoying it.

I had a feeling it wouldn’t take long before someone brought up test.exe…jeeez

But I like it personally, like it it suits my need for a A321neo in my Career and it has some great features..GSX integration really works. Cabin Crew calling you, features like GPS loss and the MEL system really add to the immersion. yeah I like it dont regret my purchase.

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I like their a321’s, but I’m not a fan of their NEO. I don’t like the engine sounds, and that’s just my preference. It’s highly unlikely I will buy an a320Neo. If they made an a220, I’d be impressed.

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I love their A321ceo/neo, I even prefer that to Fenix A321. So their A320neo will be an instabuy for me. I still hope that one day they release their Concorde for MSFS…

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I really can’t tell why, but I also prefer their 321 to Fenix.

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I can name the reasons: Datalink simulation, flight model and VNAV accuracy.

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Sorry, I just can’t get over this one. Sure, it happened long before I got into flight simming, but I honestly don’t understand why people are still beating this dead horse.

Personally, I couldn’t care less. They were obviously struggling with piracy at the time and thought it was a clever solution. In hindsight, I’m sure they regret it and probably wish they’d never gone down that road in the first place. But did it actually harm anyone? I really don’t think it did.

Other than that, I just think it’s a completely uninteresting topic to keep bringing up.

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Yeah, hand-flying and especially landing it is so much fun.

Do you actually prefer their datalink/ACARS/CPDLC implementation over the Fenix one? The Fenix system is a bit frustrating at times—I’d say one out of every five PDCs just doesn’t come through properly. Although, to be fair, handling the PDC via the EFB instead of the DCDU is apparently the real-world procedure.

That said, it never even crossed my mind to buy their CEO. My biggest issues with the A321neo are the lack of custom cabin variants, the sounds, the overall visuals, and—probably the biggest one, although I have a 5090 now—the performance. In my opinion, it’s pretty abysmal.

So yeah, it’s an instant buy for me as well. I’m also hoping they finally go fully native with MSFS 2024. I have a feeling that’ll solve quite a few issues, including those unrealistically bright landing lights in cold-and-dark.

And while they’re at it, I’d love to see them give the EFB a visual refresh and make it feel a bit snappier, too.

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Oh yes, I prefer the datalink simulation in FSLabs by a great amount. It’s simulated even deeper.

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I am sure Fenix will catch up in many regards once the NEOs will come out. I would think of MEL, TechLogs, proper CPDLC, … something new and fancy for the EFBs on top …

don´t you think?