Compare the best flight simulators on Steam, including MSFS 2024, X-Plane 12, DCS World, IL-2, Aerofly FS 4, VTOL VR and free options.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the best flight simulator on Steam for most civilian pilots; X-Plane 12 is better for aerodynamic experimentation and extensibility. Choose DCS World for detailed combat, IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles for WWII, Aerofly FS 4 for smooth performance, and VTOL VR for native hand-controller interaction.
This question sits in the General flight-simulation category: it spans civilian, combat and VR titles rather than one aircraft or platform. We judge each simulator by its flight model, aircraft systems, scenery, weather, controls, VR support, add-on ecosystem and what the base purchase actually includes.
Best flight simulators on Steam at a glance
The best Steam flight sim depends first on the type of flying you want, then on your preferred balance of realism, scenery, performance and cost.
| Best for | Simulator | Why it stands out | Main compromise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide civilian flying | Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 | Streamed global scenery, live weather, broad aircraft selection and structured career activities | World detail depends heavily on a stable internet connection, and aircraft fidelity varies |
| Flight dynamics and extensibility | X-Plane 12 | Detailed aerodynamic modelling, strong home IFR use and direct control over local aircraft, scenery and plugins | Default scenery is less photorealistic than MSFS 2024 at low level |
| Detailed modern combat | DCS World Steam Edition | High-fidelity aircraft modules, sensors, weapons, carrier operations and VR | The free core has limited starter content; aircraft, maps and campaigns are often separate purchases |
| WWII air combat | IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles | Convincing propeller combat, damage modelling and theatre-based sorties | The Steam edition has base-game and DLC dependencies that must be checked carefully |
| Smooth civilian VR | Aerofly FS 4 | Fast loading, clear cockpits and generally strong frame pacing | Less operational depth in areas such as ATC, traffic and worldwide airline flying |
| Purpose-built VR combat | VTOL VR | Switches, displays and flight controls designed around tracked hand controllers | Requires VR and is deliberately not a conventional HOTAS-first simulator |
| Free competitive flying | War Thunder | Large aircraft roster, quick multiplayer access and a dedicated Simulator Battles mode | Systems are simplified compared with DCS, while progression affects aircraft access |
Which is the best Steam flight simulator for civilian flying?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the best civilian choice for most people, while X-Plane 12 is the stronger specialist option for flight-model experimentation, home procedure practice and locally managed add-ons.
Why choose Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?
Choose MSFS 2024 when exploring a recognisable world, flying in changing weather and moving between light aircraft, airliners and structured activities matter most.
Its streamed scenery is the decisive advantage for visual flying. The trade-off is an unusually strong dependence on Microsoft account services, bandwidth and remote world data. A slow or unstable connection can reduce scenery quality or interrupt the experience even when the PC itself is capable.
Do not assume every included aircraft has the same systems depth. Some are suitable for casual sightseeing, while serious airliner or instrument flying may depend on a particular aircraft and its implementation rather than the simulator name alone.
A Steam purchase licences the Windows PC edition. Although MSFS 2024 has also been released for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5/PS5 Pro, buying it on Steam does not grant either console version.
When is X-Plane 12 the better choice?
Choose X-Plane 12 when aerodynamic behaviour, cross-platform desktop support and direct access to aircraft, scenery and plugin folders outweigh photorealistic default scenery.
X-Plane is particularly attractive to pilots who adjust control curves, test unusual aircraft, manage local scenery or build a stable simulator installation around selected plugins. Its blade-element-based flight model does not make every aircraft automatically accurate; the aircraft developer still has to supply sound geometry, systems and performance data.
For instrument procedures, both simulators can be capable home practice tools, but a realistic consumer installation is not automatically an approved training device. Our detailed comparison of MSFS 2024 and X-Plane 12 examines the differences in weather, flight modelling, scenery, performance and add-ons.
Is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 still worth buying on Steam?
MSFS 2020 remains useful for pilots with an established add-on collection, but MSFS 2024 is the better default recommendation for a new purchase.
Do not assume that every aircraft, utility or scenery package behaves identically across the two simulators. Check compatibility for the specific add-ons you need, especially external utilities and complex aircraft. MSFS 2020 remains a PC and Xbox release and was never released for PlayStation.
What is the best combat flight simulator on Steam?
DCS World is the best Steam combat simulator for detailed modern aircraft, while IL-2 Great Battles is better for concentrated WWII flying and VTOL VR is the best option built specifically around VR interaction.
- DCS World Steam Edition: best for learning cockpit procedures, radar, targeting systems, guided weapons and aircraft-specific limitations. Module depth varies: a full-fidelity aircraft is a different commitment from a simplified module.
- IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles: best for propeller handling, close-range combat, damage modelling and theatre-based WWII missions. On Steam, Battle of Stalingrad acts as the base entry for Great Battles DLC, so check dependencies before buying another theatre or collector aircraft.
- VTOL VR: best when operating a fictional but coherent combat cockpit with tracked hands is the main attraction. It is not intended to reproduce a conventional desktop cockpit with a full hardware HOTAS.
- War Thunder: best for free, quick competitive access. Simulator Battles are more demanding than its other modes, but they do not provide DCS-level cockpit and subsystem modelling.
DCS is free to install, but the base package is better treated as a performance and control test than as a complete combat collection. Steam and standalone DCS purchases are not interchangeable in every direction, so decide how you intend to manage licences before building a large module library.
If the real decision is between civilian flying and military systems, our practical comparison of DCS combat and Microsoft civilian flying explains the difference in aircraft depth, world coverage, missions and hardware demands.
What are the best free flight simulators on Steam?
DCS World Steam Edition is the best free Steam flight simulator for systems-heavy combat, while War Thunder is the better free choice for immediate multiplayer flying.
- DCS World: offers a small starter selection and access to the core simulator, but most high-profile aircraft, maps and campaigns are paid modules.
- War Thunder: costs nothing to install and provides a much larger progression-based aircraft roster, but it remains a competitive combat game rather than a detailed cockpit-procedure simulator.
Steam does not offer an equally strong free, full-world civilian simulator. Free-to-play also does not mean unrestricted: expect either paid modules, progression systems or both.
Is FlightGear on Steam?
FlightGear does not have an official Steam store edition; it is a free, open-source civilian simulator installed outside Steam.
You can add its executable to a Steam library as a non-Steam game, including on compatible Linux-based systems, but that shortcut does not provide Steam-managed installation, updates, cloud saves or Workshop support. Avoid assuming that a community guide, shortcut or similarly named listing is an official FlightGear Steam release.
Which Steam flight sim is best for VR and less powerful PCs?
Aerofly FS 4 is the strongest choice when smooth performance, short loading times and readable VR cockpits matter more than deep ATC, traffic and airline operations.
VTOL VR is better if physical interaction is the point: its virtual controls are designed to be grabbed and operated with tracked hands. DCS, MSFS 2024 and X-Plane 12 also support serious VR flying, but their detailed worlds, mirrors, glass cockpits and complex aircraft can place much heavier demands on the CPU and graphics card.
A simulator that runs well on a monitor may perform poorly in a headset because VR renders at high resolution for each eye and must maintain consistent frame delivery. Reduce clouds, shadows, reflections, traffic and render resolution before cutting cockpit display quality to an unreadable level.
Will Steam flight simulators work on Mac, Linux or Steam Deck?
X-Plane 12 is the clearest cross-platform desktop choice, while Steam Deck and Proton compatibility must not be inferred from a Windows Steam listing.
Even when a simulator launches on Steam Deck, its cockpit text, storage requirements and number of required axes can make handheld use awkward. Compatibility ratings can also change after simulator, graphics-driver or Proton updates, so consult our simulator-by-simulator Steam Deck guidance before buying specifically for the handheld.
On macOS and Linux, check both the simulator and your intended joystick, pedals, head-tracking software and plugins. An operating-system badge for the base simulator does not guarantee that every third-party utility supports the same platform.
Do Steam flight simulators support mods and add-ons?
Most major Steam flight simulators support add-ons, but those files usually use simulator-specific folders rather than Steam Workshop.
X-Plane commonly stores third-party aircraft under X-Plane 12/Aircraft and scenery under X-Plane 12/Custom Scenery. Microsoft Flight Simulator uses a Community folder whose location depends on the packages path chosen during installation. DCS user modifications are normally kept in the user's Saved Games area rather than placed over protected core files.
A mistake we see repeatedly is editing a default aircraft or installing a mod directly over the simulator's original files. Steam file verification and simulator updates can replace those edits without warning. Keep third-party content separate and retain backups of configuration files, controller profiles and customised scenery ordering.
- Add-on does not appear: confirm that it is for the exact simulator generation and that the archive has not created an extra nested folder.
- Simulator stops loading after an update: temporarily remove plugins and community add-ons, then restore them in small groups until the incompatible item is identified.
- Scenery is missing or misplaced: check the simulator's scenery-priority system rather than repeatedly reinstalling the same package.
- Default files keep returning: stop modifying the Steam installation directly and use the designated user-content folder.
Our freeware aircraft, scenery and add-on library covers several major simulator families, but each download must still be matched to the correct simulator and version.
What should you check before buying a Steam flight simulator?
Before buying, verify the flying type, included content, operating system, controls, online requirements and licence model rather than choosing by screenshots or aircraft count alone.
- Define the flying: choose civilian touring, airline procedures, modern combat, WWII combat or native VR interaction first. No simulator leads every category.
- Inspect the base package: confirm which aircraft, maps and activities are included. DCS and IL-2 can require additional modules or a specific Steam base product.
- Check the whole PC setup: compare processor, memory, graphics and storage requirements, then account for the extra load of traffic, complex aircraft and VR. Minimum requirements are not a useful VR performance target.
- Budget for controls: a gamepad can start MSFS or Aerofly, but a joystick, yoke or HOTAS gives much better control in X-Plane, DCS and IL-2. VTOL VR is the exception because it is designed around tracked controllers.
- Confirm accounts and connectivity: some Steam simulators still require a separate publisher account or online services. MSFS 2024 also relies heavily on streamed data for its richest world detail.
- Understand the licence: a Steam purchase normally covers the PC Steam edition, not console editions or every standalone-store licence. Check this before buying DLC on different platforms.