Sorry if the topic is annoyingly generic and has been addressed a lot, but considering things are constantly changing with updates, I believe it worth restarting the discussion.
Here is my situation, I was using MSFS 2020 a lot until last year with my HP Reverb G2, I gave up for different reasons and in particular the fact that I considered it to be not smooth enough with my RTX 3080 based PC.
I have just bought an RTX 5080 and restarted Flight Simulator which is now working pretty well.
My question is now, should I upgrade to 2024. Does it worth it?
I know about the new features like missions or career, but this is not the topic I want to address here. What I want to know is:
Does MSFS 2024 work now really well in VR with an RTX 5080? Is it at least as smooth as with MSFS 2020? No lag at all? What I want is constant 45 fps, which I can get in MSFS 2020 with realtively high settings (not tested that much so far), is it similar in MSFS2024?
In terms of graphics how would you compare the two? One thing which bothers me in VR, I have never been really able to understand why but I always feel like MSFS2020 looks strangely blurry no matter what your graphics settings are, more blurry than other flight simulator like for example Aerofly FS, which in VR in specific condition (medium altitude over switzerland) looks better because crispier. Is this issue fixed in 2024?
IMHO, 2024 in the Beta is getting very close to being ready. Do you use DX12 in 2020? 2024 only uses DX12 which is a bit more load. I went from a 3080Ti in 2020 to a 4080S in 2024, and I use the same settings and get about the same performance.
For sharpness, I have my Valve Index set to 180% native resolution. I can go higher, but then I have to adjust it for heavy loads like the airliners. Glass screens are heavier on the system than steam gauges. I don’t recall how high my old G2 went in terms of resolution. With DLAA I get a solid 40fps in VR with all my aircraft in the Index. My two cents.
For a headset with Eye Tracking (not G2 unfortunately) MSFS2024 performs really well with Quad Views/Dynamic Foveated Rendering. For headsets without Eye Tracking, MSFS2024 doesn’t have yet performance advantage over MSFS2020, however SU4 may bring some performance gains.
I am very familiar with Aerofly in VR and have been using it for a few years. I made the switch to MSFS due to the much more detailed scenery with waves and animations which the former software is sadly lacking. I agree that from a smoothness and resolution point of view FS4 is superior in VR with no stutters and is capable of much higher cockpit resolution but from a realism point of view MSFS 24 is way ahead. The ability to get out and walk around was the main reason I purchased MSFS 24. They both have their pros and cons and that is a subjective decision that only you can make.
As far as performance goes I have a very low spec setup and with careful use of settings within Virtual Desktop and the sim I am currently getting great performance. i5 7600k/Evga 1080ti SC, Windows 10, 32 Gb ram, dedicated wifi 6 router.
Virtual desktop I use the FOV sliders and added sharpening. Resolution slider set to 165%. ASW always on. Ultra setting. H264+ fixed @ 100Mbps.
In the sim I am on TAA with a reduced res @ 70. Frame rate max at 36 fps. Foviated rendering @ 50, TLOD and Object LOD both 110
I am mainly GA flying with helicopters and small aircraft and can easliy achieve 72 fps (thanks to ASW and Virtual Desktop) which is more than enough for VR. Custom airports and heavy scenery in cities can drag it down though and you need to minimise fast panning of your head. I don’t have any experience with 2020 unfortunately so cannot comment on that but 2024 can test your patience, although lately it has been far better and the devs are slowly getting there. I am on the Beta programme at the moment. When 2024 is working smoothly it really is something special and worth the effort to finesse your settings to get it workin right for you.
I recently upgraded from MSFS 2020 to MSFS 2024, but I’m using a 5090 with my G2. The most surprising aspect of this switch was that I could use the same graphics settings with 2024 that I was using in 2020 with no appreciable performance hit in VR. But that being said I was running both versions with a 45 fps frame limit and at maxed graphics settings, and I think 2024 took about 5% or so of the gpu performance slack I had with 2020. Image quality wise, 2024 looks A LOT better, both in the cockpit and outside. BTW, I always felt that 2020’s VR image quality sort of sucked, and I’m never going back to it.
I concur. Performance with the SU4 is now where I expected it to be at release and graphically it is prettier, and sharper in VR, than MSFS 2020, especially for VFR.
As the CPU heavily influences worst-case VR performance in either sim, unless you are packing a 9800X3D then 45 FPS constant will be a bit of a push unless you are willing to compromise on graphics settings (TLOD in particular), but it will still make it prettier than MSFS 2020 at similar settings.
My experience with MSFS 2024 is worse than with MSFS 2020.
In MSFS 2024 I have more lags and stutters (up to5 seconds). But my main issue is that the ground textures are by far more more blurred in 2024. In MSFS 2020 the ground and the roads etc.are clear and sharp. Not so in 2024. There the ground is pale and washed out. Roads and rail lines have no defined borders.
These are my main gripes with MSFS 2024. Although I keep trying to like MSFS 2024, every time I launch it after a session with MSFS 2020, I get disappointed by the poor visual quality of MSFS 2024 in VR.
BTW, I am using a Pimax Crystal Light with a 5080 and a 7950x3D with 64 gb RAM.
I have 4070 super ti and oculus quest 2. Have been flying 2020 for a while now and hesitated with 2024. Tried it out this weekend with Xbox gamepass and was surprised with rather smooth experience and in general better visuals in 2024. I did have a few crashes, but it is not so bad. Due to the dynamic graphics setting in 2024 it is much easier to get a smooth experience.
I fly a lot VFR and the trees and rocks are definitely better in 2024. So I guess I am going to buy 2024 now. But it is important to try it out yourself.
Performance is poor and stutters are plenty, particularly in VR with the latest beta build. Currently I do get consistent 10-12 frames more in MSFS2020, which defeats the purpose and the need to my upgrade to MSFS2024, which I would have hoped that will offered a betterment in performance with all the CPU multicore and VRAM optimisations.
I realized reading one of the comment that you can play during 2 weeks for 1 euro, using the Xbox gamepass, this is great.
I have played a bit yesterday evening and I have to say I am not very impressed so far, it looks relatively similar with relatively rare but rather strong lags (which do not occur in 2020), and quite a lot of level-of-detail pop-in. Of course it is a bit early to express a definitive opinion.
I will come back in two weeks and share my thought.