Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 delivers an unmatched virtual experience of Earth’s vast landscapes, promising thrilling aviation experiences despite facing some challenges at launch. When I think back to Christmas 1982, a vivid memory comes to mind—it was the year our family got its first computer, the IBM PC Jr. I was eagerly hoping beneath the colorful wrapping paper was the new Flight Simulator by a then-relatively unknown company, Microsoft. As morning came and went, however, I found no such package under the tree.
Seeing my disappointment, my dad smirked and said, “Why don’t you start up the computer and show me that new program you’ve been talking about?” Curiosity piqued, I dashed to the computer. As it booted up with its usual array of whirrs and clicks, I noticed a floppy disk inside. Before long, I was staring at a rudimentary cockpit featuring a simple line-drawn horizon on our humble 13-inch monitor.
For that fleeting moment, my twelve-year-old self was piloting a plane.
Fast forward forty-two years, and on the release date of Flight Simulator 2024, I found myself metaphorically stuck at a virtual terminal, enduring an eight-hour wait to connect to Microsoft’s servers.
Once I finally embarked on my flight, the simulator’s upgrade became evident. It unfolds an awe-inspiring digital rendition of Earth, largely credited to advanced cloud processing—the likely source behind the connection woes at launch.
Featuring real-time weather updates, authentic biomes, and new career opportunities, Flight Simulator 2024 redefines expectations for flight simulation games. Like Asobo’s previous release in 2020, the game utilizes real-time weather, integrating live data for terrain, air, and sea traffic, enhancing the realism to remarkable levels. On a recent flight over New York City, rain pelting my cockpit matched exactly with the real-world weather, as confirmed by UploadVR’s Ian Hamilton.
In Free Flight mode, I embarked on several flights over notable landmarks—the bustling skyline of New York, the electrifying lights of Las Vegas, and even the familiar streets of my childhood home. Every flight was a visual marvel, clearly showcasing this simulator’s boundless potential for exploration and its breathtaking attention to detail from high above.
In addition to traditional flight experiences, the simulator offers curated world photography, activities, challenge operations, and even career paths as virtual aviators. An unresolved glitch currently prevents me from starting this feature, but I’m confident Microsoft and Asobo are actively working to address these issues.
The simulator also introduces Red Bull Air Racing, where even seasoned pilots will find challenges that’ll push their limits. Despite numerous crashes, the adrenaline of flying low and fast kept me coming back, eager to hone my skills.
Expanding beyond its air-focused simulation, Flight Simulator 2024 lets players land and roam around on foot, thereby deepening the experience. Although mapping inaccuracies are evident at street levels, progressing 3D mapping technology could one day enable walking through highly-detailed cities worldwide. While this dream still seems distant, it’s an exciting direction for future iterations.
For those with NVIDIA RTX series GPUs, DLSS provides a boost in performance, although simulating this expansive world remains demanding on hardware. High-end PCs will still experience strain, especially in densely populated regions, so it’s crucial to have strong computing power to maintain excellent visual fidelity and smoothness.
For testing, I’ve used an Intel I9 13900k at 5.8 GHz with 64 GB DDR5 RAM, paired with an ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero motherboard and a Zotac Gaming 4090 Amp Extreme Airo GPU. VR gameplay is primarily through a Meta Quest 3 linked to this rig.
Despite this powerful setup, challenges persist in highly-trafficked areas when VR graphics are maxed out. The complexity of this simulation demands serious technology, so without a top-end machine, I’d suggest keeping settings to a minimum. Disabling certain visual enhancements, like antialiasing, may help improve performance until further updates alleviate these issues—similar to fixes in the 2020 release.
In summary, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 offers more than a game; it invites aspiring pilots to soar through an expanding world of infinite possibilities, igniting dreams of aviation in a new generation.
