At the main screen of the world map, you simply select your starting point. This, in turn, only increases your skill set as a virtual pilot. These graphics, ultimately, create the realism that all virtual pilots – whether grizzled vets or newcomers – require to make the experience as authentic as possible. What’s more, this is done “live” – so it is generated as you fly into it. And what’s more, there is a general feeling among the disgruntled that only Microsoft’s large corporate name is protecting them. And that is probably the beauty – that you can indeed switch between simulator and game as you choose. However, even running the program on a medium PC will still present you with high-end graphics and performance. Problems and issues at the time of the writing are glossed over or not mentioned. These missions are essentially broken down into two groups, landing challenges, and bush trips. I am very satisfied with the sim-functions, quality of the scenery, and aircraft. However, it isn’t simply the install that is an issue. Indeed, should you fly in a cloudy sky you will very likely find yourself examining them in detail such is the realism. Ultimately, the performance will come down to each individual person’s preferences. The major pain is Air Traffic as a Military and Civil Air Traffic Controller for over 43 yrs I find the ATC simulation awful For Europe ATC it is about 10% correct and is totally geared to US ATC. I think it will be great in the long run but it's a ball of issues at this point. Perhaps that alone should tell us of the authenticity of the simulator. Perhaps some further examples can be seen when the plane takes off. Flight Simulator 2020 takes a huge leap forward in terms of visual technologies and sets a whole new standard for the Simulation genre, and things get even more exciting after Asobo announced that the 2020 version is going to be a huge 10-year project and the game that we have our hands on right now is just the beginning. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 might sound like the most boring Microsoft exclusive ever built, but it also might be the most ambitious. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 - Premium Deluxe at Amazon.com. It. And it is perhaps an area where other sims do have an advantage over MSFS. You can watch our comparison video below. And more, FSX is easy and fun (thanks to good autopilot functions). We should perhaps remind ourselves as pilots – virtual or otherwise – that a great amount of time when in the air is spent looking outside the cockpit. Although I know it is released, the Microsoft Store says "It is not available" --- I am asked for a 25 digit "redeem code" which I have no idea where to get it from! Once I can use it in the Instrument environment, once it has reliable force feedback telemetry and once it has the SDK to pair it with a motion platform it will become a Simulator. Some might even take the leap and become real-world pilots. I preordered the FS. Scenery etc. One of the things that people seemingly immediately pick up with the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 release is the super high-quality “photorealistic” world that the virtual pilot is presented with. My hand-eye coordination isn’t too bad and I know how to sail a boat. I wasn't anxiously waiting for August 18th to arrive because I knew there was going to be some issues with the initial release, as always is the case with just about any software. All of this information used to be sold on printed charts for $3 each but is now available for free download at least in the USA. I find the set-up process for controls, profiles, etc. This can be one of the many airports or landing strips all over the planet. I have read that the program will load your departure airport and buffer the data for your arrival airport and points in between, in this way speeding up the processing. I will not purchase a download of such a glitch-filled and pricey flight sim. Pure bliss. I would like to have a more explanatory filename of an add-on, now it is very cryptical, it would also be useful to include the readme in the file instead of in the description on the website. And that realism and accuracy continues when you enter your chosen plane. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 couldn’t have arrived on PC at a more opportune time. The thing that stands out the most is that it really is a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same. And, at times, the terrain is not as realistic or as articulately textured as we might want. Like most things, there are likely to be further improvements to come. I sure would have it. This is something that is being experienced by almost all users. We could also draw attention to the appearance of the navigation controls which are almost like looking at a real dashboard. And this has been something that has been picked up on by newcomer virtual fliers as well as veteran and actual pilots are have also tried out the software. While it is an issue for some – particularly those who are pure “simmers” – it doesn’t hurt anyone to have the option to do both. Microsoft Flight Simulator has a storied history dating back to 1982, and the 2020 release is easily the best looking and most advanced version ever. Love the new sim but find it a bit expensive. This perhaps shouldn’t surprise us as visual realism, as we have already discussed, is very high up on Microsoft’s list of priorities. This is also very much the plan for developers with improvements to graphics and new improved imagery for particular regions that require it, as well as improvements to landmarks. I'm sticking with FSX. It perhaps goes without saying that in order to create a real sense of realism you need great graphics – super great graphics, in fact. In the base package you will get access to: With the Deluxe package you get all of the above plus: And with the Premium Deluxe, you get all of the above plus the following: We might notice that there are no helicopters yet available, although there is otherwise a relatively wide selection of aircraft to choose from. What is also a huge improvement, yet such a discreet move, is that some areas you might fly over where you will see roads will not contain any traffic below. And you can perform these in the aircraft of your choice. I haven’t played a flight sim since the late 90s and I was never very good at it back then. Of course, you need a powerful desktop but surely not a high-end. Some opinions echo these sentiments, in that for all of the improvements and visual realism, as a training aid for real-world pilots it is almost a step backward and certainly not an improvement. Once inside the plane it will be hard not to be impressed with the recreation of each and every individual cockpit. It is well written and very informative. Cheers, Brian Garbutt. I am an ex PPL pilot so have a good idea of the real thing. That is how lifelike and authentic these cockpit and navigation instruments actually are. What is obvious, though, following the first two months of its release, is that everyone seemingly has an opinion on it. I too bought this sim the first day it was available. Microsoft dropped all versioning titles in the new name in order to make it an "evergreen" product with future updates over many years using the same name. Perhaps one of these, which many virtual pilots would like to see, is the ability for multiple players to share the same cockpit. There are other discreet improvements within Microsoft Flight Simulator. Before we get into some of the cons of the new release, we should perhaps spend a little time considering how much of a bonus the planned updates actually are. Reversed the update but now MS2020 will not install! There is also the in-game marketplace that allows virtual pilots to browse multiple add-ons, and purchase them, without having to buy “hard copies” or use third party sites. Again, saturated in realism, the lights themselves are worth discussing. Flight Simulator 2020 is a prelude to the next generation of games. And it is tempting to say that some of the issues some people are facing might very well be down to their own PC and/or joystick. I can run all day without too much bother and although I thought I will need a better card I will not bother, (if it ain't broke). In the MSFS this seems impossible and makes a fast adjustment and dialing cumbersome, even more so due to the pop-up labels when selecting a specific knob with the cursor. Alan Sloan. Fine maybe for a newbie to Flight Sim but for someone who can use the keyboard in their sleep since FS2004 there is no other word but disaster. The skies may be an endless expanse of blue but the planet beneath it is infinitely detailed, and Microsoft Flight Simulator lays out the whole thing in a single game, waiting to be explored. Generally, the flight dynamics seem pretty close in all the singles I've flown so far but for some squirrely behavior of the rudders, which despite various attempts at sensitivity and dead zone adjustment seem to overcontrol when taking off and landing to a degree I don't see in the real aircraft I've flown and despite hours devoted to tweaking. 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