As a “real world” pilot, I can say that had I the opportunity to use MSFS 2020 during my first forty hours of flight toward getting my PPL it would have helped.
Is it “real?” Of course not: it’s a simulator. Making the statement that it is an arcade game is a matter of opinion. I’ll refer to the famous line spoken by Clint Eastwood in his Dirty Harry guise with regard to opinions…
I only “fly” GA aircraft in the sim - with exceptions made for good simulations of WWII aircraft - and that has held true since the early days of Flight Simulators, going back over twenty years. This iteration of both the C152 and the C172 “Classic” provide hours of entertainment. Both are an order of magnitude better than the “stock” aircraft we had in FSX. I usually fly either of those into airports I am familiar with in the real world. Are they accurate? Yes, for a simulator.
If you are seeking to get your PPL and use flight sim as an additional training resource, it cannot possibly hurt and might actually help, especially with being tutored by a real world flight instructor. At the very least you will become familiar with looking at the panel and practicing your instrument scan technique. It might even help you to feel more comfortable in the cockpit of a real aircraft. Landing is always the payoff, and takes the most practice and skill. In forty-plus years of real world flight I’ve never had the “same” landing twice, and I always find something I could have done better. That’s the fun of it, for me anyway. Maybe that’s why so many people love golf… 