Seems like every big release Asobo is providing (for free) the same stuff that you’d have to pay for in the Marketplace. Big Ben? Nah, just wait for the free version. White House, nah, was already provided for free. Just me or does this just feel great. 
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I paid $120 for this “for free” stuff.
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In other simulators you would have passed the 120$ to get the scenery quality, MSFS provides by default.
I agree with OP, it feels really good and I don’t regret buying MSFS!
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Fair, but for $120 they keep adding more and more. And it already blows everyone else’s graphics out of the water with the base release.
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I have satellite imagery for XP11 (from about 4000 feet AGL and up) that is EASILY on pair with FS 2020 and it didn’t cost me one cent. What it did “cost” me was my time to download the imagery and place the files in the proper folders. No biggie. I’ve jumped through worse hoops trying to get my Quest 2 to work in VR with FS 2020 (which is working great now). 
There’s not one aircraft in FS 2020 that is “above or beyond” anything XP11 comes with. What FS 2020 does have over a stock XP11 install is really nice VFR flying at low level. In order to do that in XP11 I’d have some crazy huge files, so I compromised at about 3000 feet.
In “other flights sims” (meaning XP11 I assume) $120 gets you a flight sim with functional IFR, a few “pay for” aircraft and the ability to set up REAL multi-monitor system.
FY…I don’t regret buying FS 2020 either. It’s been a GREAT VFR flight sim. And VR makes it even better. But I WILL NOT use it for IFR. For IFR, FS 2020 is still just a game.
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the satellite imagery you’re talking about with X-Plane (I’m assuming ortho) takes up an un-godly amount of space. So unless you’ve got a stack from the floor to the roof of 500 TB hard drives it just isn’t going to work. 
IFR will just take time. Austin will not be able to compete with Microsoft’s unlimited resources and cash. I have a lot of money in X-Plane too, but I haven’t flown X-Plane since August of last year. I’m just being patient.
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Yes, but Lets compare apples. I bet you’d pay more than $120 for the drive space to hold a globe worth of Ortho4XP scenery to match what you get standard with MSFS.
I Only have Ortho for the West Coast of the US in X-Plane and I’m well over 200GB.
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Hard to justify paying for much content as the platform is still evolving. As others have said, I’m enjoying the sim as a nice VFR platform. The best out there.
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Yes, it does take a huge amount of space. But I’m not interested in keeping the WHOLE WORLD, or even the whole US imagery stored locally. I use a 1 Tb SSD for XP11. That’s large enough to store what I need.
This constant muttering about how much better FS 2020 is over XP11 is based on eye-candy. That’s it. I LOVE the eye-candy, but there is NOTHING about FS 2020 that is superior (yet) to XP11 when it comes to the actual task of “flight simulation.”
And tell me how well having the sim tied to servers worked out the other day. When FS 2020 was “off-line,” I just switched to XP11.
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“The best out there.”
That, it is. For VFR, nothing touches it.
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For default, it is really amazing. But the detail you get with the payware is top-notch.
I just flew over most of London’s Points of Interest that was just in the UK\Ireland update. And they were good no doubt. But some things are not quite right. For example, across from London Tower, the updated default scenery has two superyachts docked. In the ORBX payware, the HMS Belfast is docked there. In real life, the HMS Belfast is docked. (THIS IS REALLY BOTHERING ME ORBOS!!!)
Also, the Tower of London is really cool in the newly updated scenery but again, the detail in the ORBX Payware is phenomenal. If you are a stickler for detail, the payware is the way to go.
BTW…I Just flew from the government buildings to Trafalgar square and I am very impressed with the attention to detail in this update! Even the eye is animated!
My dream is for the Sim itself to progressively include everything scenery-wise, and even aircraft-wise with maybe additional optional cost, without the need for 3rd party add-ons. I know all the reasons why this may never be so, but I can still dream. So sick of all the add-ons needed for XP. Cheers.
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I have that and a bit more. A 1 Tb SSD is cheap these days. I have a Samsung 970 Evo Plus I bought just for my XP11 install. I did the same for FS 2020 so it would load faster than trying to get the kid to mow the lawn. 
I have the Pacific Northwest, Montana, California and parts of Canada and Alaska. I still have over 500 gig free.
" I bet you’d pay more than $120 for the drive space to hold a globe worth of Ortho4XP scenery to match what you get standard with MSFS."
Except that it’s not worth a tinker’s ■■■■ when those servers go down, like the other day. Granted, that doesn’t happen often. But I’ve conceded the fact FS 2020 looks better down low as a VFR sim. At 20,000 feet that “real time” scenery FS 2020 provides is worth as much as teats on a boar hog.
Ortho in XP is sharper at high altitude, agree.
I enjoy both. Sorta like having my cake and the ice cream.
Yes, me as well. I also still fly P3D but mostly only for the FS Labs A3XX and sometimes PMDG 748 and 737 NGxu
I couldn’t agree more. There are so many scenery/airports being rushed to market. Seems like it’s a race to see who can rush something out before someone else.
Bought one major US airport and it’s only slightly better then what comes in the original game.
I have no intention of purchasing anymore of this stuff.
These 3rd party developers need to really up their game. Also need to have a way to trial this stuff. Not gonna waste $$$ on something I can get a refund on.
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You got off cheap!
That is a big 10-4 for you buddy, I agree, it keeps getting better and better.
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Wow, I wonder what I am doing wrong when I fly MSFS in IFR. Doesn’t feel like a game. Wait a minute. All simulators are games and all games are simulators. I get it now. Some simulate big gorillas throwing barrels of fire at you while you rescue the princess. The just a game ■■■■ is just that, ■■■■. MSFS is as capable of IFR as any of the other sims I have owned (ALL OF THEM since the first one came out). If you mean that certain aircraft are less capable than payware in other sims, you are right. However that is not an issue with a sim. Set up some zero zero ■■■■ weather and you will see IFR capable. Of course if you are a magenta warrior and can’t operate a Nav radio and fly a radial or hand fly and ILS, then yes it is just a game… 
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