Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the new flight sim from Asobo Studio and Xbox Game Studios. Since November 19, 2024, you've been flying over a digital version of the entire Earth on PC and Xbox Series X|S, with PlayStation 5 added later. The biggest addition is a career mode with real pilot jobs. I took a look at how well the sequel takes off.
Table of contents
Rating and verdict
On paper, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the best flight sim out there. The world is more detailed, new aircraft types like helicopters, gliders and hot air balloons are included, and career mode finally gives flying a purpose. Firefighting, rescue missions and crop dusting are a lot of fun.
The launch was rocky, though. Overloaded servers, long loading screens and missing scenery data led to lots of negative reviews. A lot has improved since then, but the reliance on streaming remains. That's why it only earns a decent score for now.
What we liked
✅ Detailed world with new aircraft types
✅ Motivating career mode
✅ Varied missions like firefighting flights
What bothered us
❌ Bumpy launch with server problems
❌ Heavy reliance on data streaming
❌ High hardware requirements
Score: 65 %
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: Career and missions
In career mode, you earn licenses and take on contracts such as charter flights, cargo transport, rescue missions, firefighting or crop dusting. With the money you earn, you buy your own aircraft. On top of that, there are challenges, missions and free flight.
The world and new aircraft
The Earth is based on satellite and map data streamed from the cloud. New additions include helicopters, gliders, hot air balloons and airships. Many cities and landmarks have been recreated in detail.
Bumpy launch and Steam rating
At release, the servers were overloaded, and many players were stuck in queues or saw missing scenery. On Steam, 60 percent of more than 22,000 reviews are positive overall. Recent reviews are significantly higher at 81 percent, because Asobo has fixed many problems.
Tech and system requirements
On PC, you need at least 16 GB of RAM and a GTX 970 or Radeon RX 5700, with 32 GB of RAM recommended. A fast internet connection is a must. The details are in the table below this article. You'll find more on the official Microsoft Flight Simulator website.
System requirements (PC)
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel Core i7-6800K | AMD Ryzen 7 2700X or Intel Core i7-10700K |
| graphics card | Radeon RX 5700 or GeForce GTX 970 | Radeon RX 5700 XT or GeForce RTX 2080 |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| storage | 50 GB | 50 GB |
