So, when I had an installation problem after an update, I learned back in October the Xbox app had to be installed. It’s always been in the installation FAQ.
I agree, however, that there should be a dependency in the Microsoft Store installation process that won’t let you install it without first installing the Xbox app. Kind of make it necessary, since it is.
Except that it’s still a workaround and not actually required.
Installing the XBox app worked for me. Somewhere in all the reading here or on the XBox site during the download and install I thought I saw something about being able to do updates/downloads from the app on your phone.
If that is true I should be able to get to the point of flying by the time I get to my computer instead of having to update at a time I was expecting to fly.
Other than using a remote desktop connection of some kind 
No that’s not true. I installed from the MS Store. I only had the Xbox App running in the background.
I believe others have said similar things. I’ve been involved from the beginning and the reality for me is the Xbox App hasn’t been required until now.
It’s no coincidence these forums have blown up. Maybe some users had Windows patches or Xbox App installed before and got lucky but the fact remains this release introduced a hard dependancy which we were not made aware of and has caught many of us out.
Microsoft have not apologised or acknowledged this either which is a bit dissppointing, but there FAQ for running MSFS does include a step to download the Xbox App. It’s easy to miss though and should have been mentioned for this patch.
As a workaround if the store does not behave.
Just more Microsoft being Microsoft. 
Isn’t that what the MS store is? 
Everything seems a little doubled up…
There are overlaps. Store you can only buy. xbox app you can buy (some) of the same things, but also use as a launcher for non MS games plus it support online gaming - friend requests etc, it also screenshots and video capture, has a performance monitor and some other stuff. A lot of which is available elsewhere of course, but it’s not dissimilar to steam that has a combined store and launcher platform.
It’s not clear that it is a hard dependency. Some are reporting not having the app. Although, personally, I suspect it is a hard dependency and that people just don’t realise they have the app.
The XBOX app really isn’t required but it serves as a workaround if there’s an update issue. That’s all.
I’m not sure why some are so agaist having an extra program downloaded, when I thought the whole point of having a PC over console is to download hundreds of gigabytes worth of mods and addons… 🤷
The truth is, gaming on XBOX and windows has been merging for a good while now. They want both platforms to be pretty seemless, it’s not a new initiative since FS released. All Xbox hardware works on PC these days and all first party games are play anywhere titles that can be resumed on any platform without extra purchases. Windows 11 even has encorporated XBOX features into the PC (auto HDR and FPS boost tech) and the new consoles run on software almost identical to Windows. Crossplay has also been spearheaded in recent years, to blur the gap between PC and console.
My point is, and it’s a point alot of people aren’t going to like, is that when you see the word “XBOX” it doesn’t just mean console anymore. It means gaming with Microsoft, which now universally uses the XBOX brand. So when people say “my PC is not an XBOX”, it actually is; albeit a highly customised and open one.
No, my gaming pc has much more than Xbox. Hardware capability, flexibility, ability to think outside the xbox.
Careful with your quoting. I said “albeit a highly customised and open one.”
What I said is simply factual. Their both boxes full of computer components running very similar architecture. What you can do on a console these days might surprise you.
And can surprise anyone with multiple monitors, over a dozen usb peripherals, two sound cards and buttkicker bass. Architecture?
While I agree that communications on this should have happened, to be fair the Xbox app is really just a launcher – and probably their DRM.
I don’t see my PC gaming rig as being any lesser because the Xbox app is installed.
But, I also am a Gamepass PC subscriber, so I need it regardless.
It‘s probably been said a hundred times and I say it too:
Under guarantee they haven‘t planned to require the xbox app. Why? Because if they had we would really need it. We don‘t. It‘s just a work around. It wasn‘t for me though. Why? Because their store is so buggy that I could neither update nor get the app xD I had to delete gaming services in the registry, reset the store, manually delete the services from my packages folder in appdata to make the store do anything and then force a download of gaming services via powershell. Then I got the update for MSFS. Without the Xbox app. Does this look like a MS master plan? much rather like typical sloppy work.
This community members helped each other how to solve this issue related to the update and the mandatory xbox app. But only a small part of the users are here…imagine how those who are not here are facing this update method!
I suspect most of them have done two things - either looked on these forums, searched and found the answer pretty quickly, installed the xbox app and moved on, or, have gone to the official troubleshooting guide through the support links and have found the answer pretty quickly, installed the xbox app and moved on.
Sounds like it is required and not a workaround. Wasn’t msfs just released on Xbox? Looks like everything is transitioning to Xbox and the Xbox app needs to be there now to run the program. Looks like the app is some type of interface.
Yes, they should Just say in the error message when starting the sim, that you have to install the Xbox app and then actually point people to it, or take them directly there.