My PC is struggling to run MSFS so I need to upgrade.
A decent graphics card, new CPU, power supply, possibly motherboard is going to set me back 1000’s.
So I’m thinking of buying the X Box X. For just under $1,000 AUD I get a pretty powerful rig that seems future proof, at least for several more years.
Trouble is, I have a lot of peripherals, yokes, throttle quadrants, pedals, Logitech panels etc.
You’d think in this day and age someone could come up with a simple interface device to go between the PC gear & the X Box or am I getting into the realms of fantasy ? Surely It couldn’t be that difficult ?
Xbox is a closed system by design, its basically a gaming platform / entertainment platform. Hardware devices require drivers and drivers require access to the operating system. Definitely some peripherals are supported on Xbox and its better than it was, but it was never envisaged as a PC replacement. Sure, the WASM module, may open things up a bit, and the xbox is good for MSFS, but its not all things to all men. In addition to all of that, Microsofts drive is very much cloud gaming (rightly or wrongly). The Xbox is due a hardware refresh - if they bother and don’t just opt for cloud. Current thinking is there may be some midlife update, but it won’t fundamentally change performance.
I guess as a stop gap it could get you through if you can live without some of the panels etc. Its a tricky one.
I think if you’re used to PC and the relatively openness and mod-ability of the platform, you won’t have a good time on Xbox. Most of the people I know who are moving are moving in the opposite direction. Most of the people I know who are happy with Xbox are more casual simmers. My experience isn’t necessarily representative of others, though.
Your CPU is not the fastest thing out there, sure, but it’s still fast compared to the really old stuff some people are running on (ISTR someone posting about their 3rd-gen Intel rig at some point). If you get a more modern GPU then you’ll be CPU-limited, for sure, but not so much that it won’t be flyable and offer benefits beyond what Xbox can offer.
In terms of a GPU upgrade, VRAM is key, I think. I wouldn’t go for less than 12GB, the sim eats VRAM for breakfast especially in DX12. But a more modern GPU might tax or overload your PSU if it’s borderline already. And higher-VRAM cards are correspondingly more expensive. But there are mid-range cards with 12GB out there - some 3060s, the 4070 Ti, Radeon RX 6750.
You don’t mention if you fly in 1080p, 1440p or 4K, which of course makes a big difference in terms of GPU performance.
I run the 3080 10gb card at 2k, and it barely uses half the vram with DLSS on the quality setting in the sim. Someone in an other thread was saying as long as you have more than 8GB it will be fine, and actually use less than an 8GB card.
Looks like I need a beefier PSU, new motherboard, & possibly a better CPU, just to accommodate fitting and running a 3080 (or better) card.
I already have a Honeycomb Bravo throttle, I want better rudder pedals anyway. So it seems like I can buy a Xbox X, the new Honeycomb Alpha yoke, (Xbox version), standard Charlie rudder pedals and the Honeycomb Hub & I’m set at a fraction of the cost of upgrading my PC.
That’s my plan now. PC is fantastic, but it’s all getting way too costly and a hassle.
I will sell my PC version Honeycomb Alpha and Logitech pedals and that lowers my costs even more.
As long as you’re fully aware of what you’re giving up by moving to Xbox and you’re comfortable with that, fair enough. But Xbox doesn’t perform at the same level as a high-end gaming PC, no matter what some people may say. The sim looks great on Xbox but it requires a series of compromises to achieve that. It’s not an equivalent experience and it never will be.
I wouldn’t do it myself, but YMMV. Best of luck with it if that’s the route you go down. Let us know how it works out for you!
I totally get it. If I count up the money I’ve spent on PC gear just since I switched to MSFS, it’s probably over the £5K mark. If I add the money I spent on my previous P3D-based sim, which at points had three high-end PCs running, I’m easily over £15K and that’s just the PCs, not all the other hardware. I dread to think what the actual total is.
This hobby can become all-consuming and eat all your disposable income (and then some). I’m lucky to be in the position where I can (well, could) afford to spend that money, but that’s a real privilege and I recognise that. MSFS has done a huge amount to open up the hobby to people who wouldn’t / couldn’t do so otherwise, and running on Xbox is a key part of that.
The SIM on Xbox (mine is a series X) works well. It has improved leaps and bounds over the past few updates and I am amazed by what Asobo have achieved.
There are plenty of videos on YouTube to have a look that and from what I can see it now performs to an equivalent level of a mid to high end PC (not ultra high end). It is very cost efficient if you can live with the restrictions:
external peripheral hardware support is much more limited (you have to use hardware that is specifically compatible with Xbox - I use a wireless mouse and keyboard together with a Hotas One X
Asobo do all the tailoring of the SIM for Xbox, there is no opportunity (except for the options menus in the SIM itself) to tinker with the software. This means that generally it “just works” and that you can’t add on features like VATSIM, general Simbrief integration (some Xbox planes support Simbrief but it’s in a case by case basis), 3rd party tools and utilities etc.
All content for Xbox MSFS comes from the in-sim marketplace. If you have purchased PC content from there in the past and there is an Xbox variant you should be able to download it in the Xbox but that isn’t a given (I think this is correct?). If you’ve purchased it on another store it won’t be available on the Xbox.
The hardware upgrade path is very fixed on Xbox. Currently, it’s series S and series X consoles. Who knows when a new improved Xbox will be released? (Answers welcome ). On PC you can spend what you want to on improvements anytime.
I’m sure I’ve forgotten things but hopefully this makes the decision a little clearer. I decided that the “just go” nature of a console suits me better, generally I’ve been happy to live with the restrictions that brings with it, but occasionally (Fenix a320!!!) I long to be able to try some of extra content that PC simmers enjoy.
With your current CPU (a 10th gen Intel) you could potentially investigate acquiring an RX 6800 GPU and keeping the rest of your HW intact.
They are fairly affordable nowadays and come with 16Gb of RAM.
No Nvidia DLSS though but in terms of raw power it should be adequate with your 1080p screen.
I have no experience with the RX6800 series, but on paper at least it would seem to be an option to consider.
). On PC you can spend what you want to on improvements anytime.