A simple wish of mine as an XBOX simmer - I used the search function and I couldn’t find a similar option in the wishlist category, so apologies if I have doubled up.
I feel that the XBOX edition would benefit from some of the amazing mods (such as Neofly and Self-Loading Cargo Mod), particularly as recent reviews recommended allowing for more activities and/or options later down the track in the simulator for console gamers.
There obviously is an audience for them, as these are quite popular in the PC version. It would also reduce the pressure on the developers as third party teams can develop career modes instead of Asobo dedicating resources to create their own.
I have contacted some of these career mode developers (such as Neofly) and they would like to support the XBOX editions, however, without Simconnect support then this would not be possible.
So my wish is simple - allow some Simconnect support on the XBOX edition so third party modifications, supported through the marketplace, could utilise these. If, as Asobo mentioned, the sim is exactly the same as the PC version, then I’m hoping that Simconnect would already be installed on the XBOX edition and just need to be supported by Microsoft.
Hey there, I just somewhere read that it was mentioend by Asobo that SimConnect won’t be a thing for the Xbox Version. If that is correct, it will be a real bummer tbh.
Before you now start talking about ‘real simmers use PC blabla’, I was (and am) using the PC version of MSFS since release and do regular, almost daily, IFR flights on Vatsim. So, from the type of using it, I would consider myself as “serious”, BUT I do own a Series X and if it performs better than my computer, it would be perfect to have the sim-workload on the xbox, while all necessary information will be broadcasted via network and SimConnect to the third party tools that run on my computer.
I don’t want to denounce Jorg, but iirc he once mentioned that the MSFS experience on Xbox would be the same as for the PC version.
If there is no simconnect support, this statement is just purely false.
I can totally understand that the limited filesystem access for the Xbox makes it harder to use mods from 3rd party marketplaces, but for external tools that just have to get data streamed from the sim via network? That has to be manageable imo.
For Xbox One you could even use the Xbox companion app to stream & play full games to your computer and play it there via network with almost no delay.
Without Simconnect there won’t be anything like NeoFly (probably the perfect addition for the “average” Xbox user/gamer, since it adds a purpose to the sim), Volanta, Vatsim and what not, and thus will definitely be a much less enjoyable experience. And not only for people who ‘seriously’ fly on virtual ATC networks, but also for the ones who are interested in (virtual) aviation, but need some kind of purpose/goal in form of missions, etc.
So, I hope Asobo will think again about a possible SimConnect integration and the ability to broadcast via network to third party tools - otherwise I don’t see a very long motivation time for the average Xbox gamer, which would be just sad.
hmm very good point, we will see about that.
i think however that most xbox gamers do not need a simconnect(fsuipc),and stuff like neofly wont be available on xbox…it has to be a totally new app all ingame.
this has always been the culprit of consolegaming, lack of tuning and mods. the games
that have mods have severe limitations on those mods.
“most” players might not but there are certainly some that would need it.
You can access SimConnect via network and there are plenty use cases where you could display/modifiy data using a mobile phone app, an app on your tablet or laptop etc.
It could even allow for “YourControls” to work since it’s using SimConnect. You’d just need to have a laptop running the program and connect to someone who uses it as well. Even using it with one XBox and one PC player together should be possible this way.
oh i absolutely would want it…but will it happen, there i have my doubts. i do not think that for maybe 1 or 2 percent of the users they are going to add that functionality, so my plan
will be i am going to fly on both xbox and pc.
Highlighting the importance of it to MS/Asobo is the whole point of this thread.
They don’t have to add any functionality. It’s there since it’s the same game on XBox just with some graphics presets. The question is just if they artificially restrict it for some reason.
Highlighting the importance of it to MS/Asobo is the whole point of this thread.
Correct.
It all depends of course also a little on how well the improvements for Xbox will be noticeable on PC, but I am pretty sure that there might be some people who currently fly on a mediocre computer, but are ready to jump on Xbox when they could still use the third party tools they need.
A console is just cheaper than a computer with similar power, especially if the sim would be highly optimized for the hardware it has.
Another important software / function that came into my mind is Navigraph. Without SimConnect, moving maps and overlays aren’t possible.
Asobo said in the first SDK Q&A that the XBOX version won’t have SimConnect.
When they say that the sim will be “the same” on XBOX, they mean the base experience - what Asobo produces without any external tools. If you use a vanilla version of MSFS with only add-ons from the marketplace, it’s identical. There’s no difference. That’s the experience Microsobo are providing. Any external tools are 3rd party and not supported.
Unlike PCs, consoles are locked down HARD and encrypted at the hardware level to prevent hacking / modding / injecting / sideloading, etc. A console won’t talk to any external devices on any network - only to the servers it’s intended to connect to in order to authenticate the user / hardware and to connect you to its approved online services. I don’t even know if adding SimConnect functionality would be physically possible as a result, as it requires local network devices to have full 2-way communication with the machine running the sim.
It’s not about not having to add functionality. Microsobo may not even have the option of doing it if they want to due to hardware limitations of the console.
yes, ty, thats a better xplanation than mine hehe , and thats why i dont see that happening.
but ofcourse maps can be made totally ingame and so stream them, the ingame map now
is really horrible, even the fsx one was better.
I do know. XBox (even XBox One) supports DLNA which is a two way protocol to any of your devices in the local network.
If there are limitations, they are purely software and Microsoft is in full control over it.
You can’t install anything on a Xbox that not Microsoft is in full control over, the only thing you can install is games and patches provided from Microsoft.
Hmm; Fallout 4 on Xbox One definitely supports pairing with a phone or tablet app to run the pip-boy inventory & quest management system off-device. So network communications seems possible?
It’s possible it’s going through their own servers rather than local network, though, I don’t recall for certain.
Talking to standardized media servers to play media content on your XBOX is different from letting various 3rd party applications talk to games running on the XBOX. DLNA is not the same as talking to SimConnect. The limitations are at the hardware level in consoles. DLNA was allowed through. THat doesn’t mean you can use other protocols.
BUt it’s likely that the hardware security in the console doesn’t allow it to run. When asked about SimConnect, they said no, and didn’t seem to confident that it would be coming. I have a feeling that’s less about their desire to do it than it is about their ability to do it.
Likely that’s what it is. You’re talking to the XBOX via an app THEY control over the encrypted pipe between yourself and their servers to make this happen. SimConnect requires direct LAN communication between the program (MSFS in this case) and the external software or devices you’re using. That’s the kind of stuff that’s disallowed at the hardware level on consoles.
Ok, I got Fallout 4 reinstalled on the Xbox One, and the Pip-Boy app on my iPad. Confirmed that it only works over wi-fi – if you try to run it on LTE it will tell you it doesn’t work unless wifi is enabled. After enabling wifi and refreshing the scan, it shows the LAN IP address for my Xbox One to select out of a menu to confirm the connection. It then connects to the game.
So it’s definitely possible for Xbox games to communicate over the local network.
