What does it take to be an ALPHA or BETA user of MSFS 2020?

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Hi there, I was just wondering, what it takes to be an ALPHA or BETA user or tester of MSFS 2020?

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Sign up when they announce testing. They’ll announce it here in the forums

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You already are a Beta user - like the rest of us since August 2020.

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You have two roots to be a pre-release tester:

a) Apply when they announce a testing round, these announcements are usually made in #community:news-and-announcements.

These positions have been capped to ~300 people in the last two programs.

b) Be invited by Microsoft based on their internal criteria.

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You have to be a pure bug finding and problem solving machine. It takes courage, dedication, good fine locomotion skills, reaction speed and positive thinking.

It’s not something you just become, it’s a way of living.

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It’s good you to remind some of your other “Tech Alpha Insider” collegues, that a positive approach to MSFS (in general) is indeed needed to stay involved..

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When I was invited for beta by another addon developer they said „beta testing is not for everyone, you will deal with early versions that might not behave as you expect it and you will meet a lit of frustration instead of flying“ or so, don‘t remember the exact wording. It‘s tough at times, all above when you try to reproduce issues so devs can resolve them. Abd you‘ll learn pretty quickly that you are a TESTER, not a co-developer. You can bring in ideas before the product is released but beta is not development. It‘s testing. It‘s unlikely that you will change something you don‘t like or see your ideas implemented.

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Frankly speaking I’d rather be a binman working for minimum wage for my local council than beta-test a product, but I’d still do it if I love the company enough, and if they ask me nicely :stuck_out_tongue:

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Buy and install the game

That’s it, you are now an alpha tester :stuck_out_tongue:

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What does NOT appear to be needed is any aviation experience.
Just the ability to get up early, and sign up before everyone else.

But what does help, is a thick skin, for being Ignored.

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  1. No idea about aviation.
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Oh you would be surprised by the aviation expertise in the group of testers.

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No, actually I am NOT .. There are a few very knowledgeable testers with “aviation expertise” :slight_smile:

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I think the folks including myself got lucky because at the beginning of the ALPHA testings some of us already had 32gb in our rig and I had no prior experience to running, testing programs in ALPHA.
The criteria has probably now changed.

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There is a wide variety of backgrounds, not every aspect of the sim required aviation expertise as in both Beta tests performance and stability were a major concern to test and provide feedback which by no means is something you need expertise for (and actually a random selection of testers is a good way to go).

You sound a bit disappointed to not have had the chance? But that’s no reason to discredit those who did.
Also the last beta was by no means just random people, as announced they invited some third parties and some participants of the previous beta as well so the mix especially in the feedback was pretty wide and detailed.

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This. First and foremost.

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Asobo has beta testers?! (i kid) :smile: But on a serious note beta testing games is a brutal job. Basically takes away any fun in the game. You need to enjoy the challenges of finding bugs and being frustrated.

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