Learn whether Google Maps works in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, the best built-in alternatives, and the risks of unofficial map replacement tools.
No, not directly. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has no native option to use Google Maps as its world map or scenery source; it streams Microsoft-supplied mapping, aerial imagery and terrain. You can run Google Maps separately for reference, while unsupported PC utilities can redirect imagery but bring reliability, licensing and update risks.
What should I use instead of Google Maps?
Use the MSFS 2024 World Map before departure and the EFB's VFR map during the flight. The EFB can display your position and route without replacing the simulator's scenery; our walkthrough of the EFB map and aircraft tracking controls explains the relevant functions.
Google Maps driving directions cannot be imported as an MSFS flight plan. Build the route from airports, aviation waypoints and other supported route points instead, following our guide to planning flights with the World Map and EFB.
| Option | Tracks the aircraft | Changes ground scenery | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSFS World Map and EFB | EFB: yes | No | Flight planning and in-flight position awareness |
| Google Maps on another screen | No native tracking | No | Previewing towns, roads and visual landmarks |
| Unofficial PC imagery utility | Not as a moving map | Potentially | Unsupported experimentation only |
Can Google Maps replace the scenery in MSFS 2024?
Only unofficial PC utilities can redirect some streamed imagery, and they do not turn Google Maps into a supported simulator feature. These tools often operate outside the Community folder by changing where map-tile requests are sent and by maintaining their own cache.
- Provider changes can produce blank tiles, loading stalls or suddenly stop the utility working.
- Alternate imagery may not align with the simulator's terrain mesh, water masks, procedural buildings or photogrammetry.
- Tile reuse may conflict with the imagery provider's terms or licensing.
- Simulator updates can invalidate the tool or expose old cached imagery.
The common trap is deleting the utility while leaving its network redirection active. If normal scenery then disappears, use that utility's reset or uninstall process to restore the original source, remove only the changes it made, clear its cache and restart the simulator. Randomly deleting Community-folder files will not fix a redirect created elsewhere.
Does Google Maps integration work on Xbox or PlayStation?
No. Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro do not permit the PC utilities used to redirect MSFS imagery or alter its streaming source. Console users can still consult Google Maps on a separate phone, tablet or computer, but it remains independent of the simulator.
Can I use Google Maps on a second monitor or tablet?
Yes. An external Google Maps window is useful for previewing a VFR route, identifying a town or comparing roads and landmarks, but Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 does not natively send your live aircraft position to it.
Do not treat Google Maps as an aeronautical chart: it does not provide the airspace, procedures, frequencies or aviation-specific route data needed for realistic navigation. For that purpose, see our explanation of using Navigraph charts and its moving map with MSFS 2024.
Why does MSFS 2024 scenery differ from Google Maps?
The two products use different imagery sources, capture dates and processing methods. MSFS also combines aerial photographs with terrain elevation, generated objects, vegetation, water, lighting and photogrammetry, so a building, road or coastline can look different even when both maps are functioning correctly.
Our explanation of MSFS 2024's global coverage and scenery accuracy covers those limitations in detail. If only one area differs from Google Maps, the cause is usually imagery age or processing; if low-detail textures appear almost everywhere, check that online data streaming is enabled and network services are available.