Compare FSX and MSFS 2020 on graphics, performance, add-ons, internet use and cost, then choose the simulator that best fits your PC and flying.
Between these two, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is better for most newcomers: its streamed world, weather, lighting, 64-bit engine and modern hardware support deliver a far stronger experience without extensive add-ons. Choose FSX or FSX: Steam Edition instead for an established FSX library, modest graphics hardware, offline flying or a specific legacy aircraft.
FSX vs MSFS 2020 at a glance
MSFS 2020 is the stronger modern simulator, while FSX remains useful when compatibility, low graphics requirements or local content matter more than visual fidelity.
| Priority | Better fit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| VFR flying and global scenery | MSFS 2020 | Streamed aerial imagery, detailed terrain and modern lighting make places much easier to recognise. |
| Weather and atmosphere | MSFS 2020 | Clouds, visibility, precipitation and lighting are more convincing without third-party replacements. |
| Aircraft systems and handling | Depends on the aircraft | MSFS has the more modern baseline, but a sophisticated FSX add-on can exceed a default MSFS aircraft in systems depth. |
| Existing FSX aircraft and scenery | FSX | Legacy add-ons generally cannot be transferred directly to MSFS 2020. |
| Older or weak graphics hardware | FSX | Its graphics workload is much lighter, although CPU limits can still cause poor performance. |
| Slow, capped or unreliable internet | FSX | The core simulator and installed scenery remain local. |
| Native VR or console flying | MSFS 2020 | FSX is a Windows PC simulator and has no native VR mode. |
| Minimum visual add-on work | MSFS 2020 | Its default world needs far fewer scenery and environmental replacements. |
Which simulator should a new pilot choose?
Between FSX and MSFS 2020, a first-time simmer with suitable hardware should choose MSFS 2020.
The default world is the decisive advantage. Coastlines, towns, mountains, weather and daylight look coherent across the globe, so VFR flying does not first require replacement terrain, mesh, textures and airports. The imagery can still contain artefacts, and photogrammetry quality varies by location, but it is far ahead of unmodified FSX.
MSFS 2020 is not maintenance-free. It has large installations and updates, online services, content management and occasional package conflicts. Even so, a new user can reach a convincing flight with much less reconstruction than FSX usually requires.
Do not judge aircraft realism from graphics alone. MSFS uses a more modern aerodynamic model, but handling and system accuracy depend on how each aircraft was built. Neither simulator guarantees study-level systems simply because an aircraft is included by default.
If you are buying rather than choosing between simulators you already own, MSFS 2024 is a separate, newer product. Compare the practical differences between MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 before deciding which modern edition suits you.
When is FSX still the better choice?
FSX remains the better choice when your existing content or operating constraints outweigh MSFS 2020's visual and technical advantages.
- You already have a mature FSX installation. Replacing a large collection of aircraft, airports, utilities, sounds and repaints can cost more than changing the simulator itself.
- You need one particular legacy add-on. Some aircraft, gauges, missions and training packages were never rebuilt for MSFS.
- Your graphics hardware is below what MSFS needs. FSX can operate at much lower visual settings and resolutions, though a weak CPU may still hold it back.
- You fly mostly offline. FSX does not depend on streamed scenery for its core world.
- You enjoy configuring an older platform. FSX offers a vast freeware ecosystem and permits extensive manual control over scenery, aircraft and configuration files.
FSX also has structured missions and a large body of legacy tutorials built specifically around its menus and default aircraft. If those materials are central to how you learn or fly, changing simulator may create more work than benefit.
Will FSX run better on an older PC?
FSX often runs on older hardware that cannot handle MSFS 2020, but its age does not guarantee smooth performance.
Both boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition are 32-bit applications. Dense airports, complex aircraft, high-resolution scenery and heavy AI traffic can exhaust their available address space and cause an Out of memory error even when the computer has plenty of physical RAM.
FSX is also heavily dependent on CPU and main-thread performance. A mistake we see constantly is pushing every slider to maximum because the simulator is old. Airline and road traffic, autogen, scenery complexity, weather layers and complex airport scenery can still overwhelm it.
MSFS 2020 needs substantially more graphics power, storage and memory, and storage speed matters much more. In return, its 64-bit architecture and newer engine use modern hardware more effectively. It can still become main-thread limited or stutter while scenery is loading, so a modern PC does not make every setting free.
Choose FSX for old hardware when the GPU is the main restriction and you accept dated visuals. Do not choose it merely because you assume an older program must run faster on every computer.
Can FSX add-ons move to MSFS 2020?
FSX add-ons almost never work in MSFS 2020 without being rebuilt specifically for the newer simulator.
- Aircraft and panels: FSX models, gauges and system modules use legacy formats and interfaces that MSFS does not load as native aircraft packages.
- Scenery: developers may be able to reuse source assets, but compiled FSX scenery is not a normal MSFS installation package.
- Effects and sounds: package structures and simulator systems differ, so copying the old folders is not a conversion method.
- Utilities: programs that connect to FSX through older modules or file paths need an MSFS-compatible version.
Some developers release rebuilt MSFS editions of their FSX products, but these are separate versions and may require another licence. A matching aircraft name does not mean the original files are compatible. Our detailed explanation of why legacy FSX add-ons do not install directly in MSFS 2020 or 2024 covers the exceptions and common misconceptions.
Do not copy SimObjects, Gauges, Effects or Addon Scenery folders into MSFS. Most manually installed MSFS freeware uses a packaged Community Folder structure, while Marketplace content is managed separately. Follow our Community Folder installation method for MSFS 2020 packages when starting a new add-on library.
Does MSFS 2020 need an internet connection?
MSFS 2020 can provide limited offline flying, but its defining world and several major features require a reliable internet connection.
Installation, large updates, streamed aerial imagery, photogrammetry, live weather and online content services all use the internet. Cached data can reduce repeated downloads, but it is not a complete substitute for online scenery everywhere you fly. With streaming unavailable, the simulator falls back to less detailed local world data.
FSX stores its core scenery locally once installed. Third-party weather, multiplayer and connected utilities may still require internet access, but ordinary flights do not depend on streamed terrain. That makes FSX the safer option for capped connections, travel computers and locations with unreliable broadband.
Which simulator costs less after add-ons?
FSX costs less only when you keep it basic or already own the aircraft and scenery you want.
A heavily upgraded FSX installation can accumulate replacement terrain, airports, weather tools, traffic, aircraft and visual enhancements. Its extensive freeware collection can reduce that expense, but quality and compatibility vary, particularly with old installers and modern Windows configurations.
MSFS 2020 places greater demands on hardware, storage and bandwidth. Its default world is much more complete, however, so many pilots can fly without immediately buying global scenery, mesh or weather replacements. When comparing cost, include any PC upgrade and the price of rebuilding your add-on hangar rather than looking only at the simulator licence.
If you choose FSX, should you use Steam Edition?
FSX: Steam Edition is usually the more practical FSX installation on a modern Windows PC, unless you already have a stable boxed setup that depends on it.
Steam Edition is not a remaster and does not give FSX a modern engine. It remains a 32-bit simulator with the same generation of scenery and graphics technology. Its main advantages are simpler installation and activation, along with some platform-specific fixes.
Compatibility with ordinary FSX aircraft and scenery is broad but not universal. Old installers may expect the boxed edition's path or registry entries, while some utilities, modules and obsolete activation systems fail outright. Before rebuilding an existing setup, check which aircraft, scenery and utilities usually survive the move to FSX: Steam Edition.
If your boxed FSX installation already works, moving to Steam Edition will not transform its graphics or remove its fundamental performance limits. Between FSX and MSFS 2020, choose MSFS for the modern world and lower visual setup burden; keep FSX for hardware limits, legacy content or a carefully established add-on installation.