Should I install World Updates in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020?
Yes, in most cases we recommend installing World Updates in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, but not blindly. They are optional content packs that improve specific regions with better terrain data, hand-crafted airports, landmarks and activities. If you have enough storage and fly in those areas, they are usually worth it; if space is tight, install only the regions you actually use.
What are World Updates in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020?
World Updates are free regional content packages for MSFS 2020. They are separate from the core simulator updates that fix bugs, add features and keep the sim compatible with online services.
A World Update typically adds a mix of:
- Higher-quality aerial imagery or elevation data in selected areas
- Hand-crafted airports
- Points of interest such as bridges, castles, stadiums and city landmarks
- Improved photogrammetry or city detail in some places
- Local discovery flights, landing challenges or bush trips
So the short version is this: the sim will still run without them, but the covered regions usually look better with them installed.
Should you install all World Updates or just some?
That depends on how you use the sim. If you fly all over the world, enjoy VFR sightseeing, or like touring famous cities and landmarks, installing most or all of them makes sense.
If you mainly fly IFR airliner routes, or stay in one country or region, there is no real need to install every World Update. You can be selective and save a lot of disk space.
| Option | Best for | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install all World Updates | Regular global flyers, VFR pilots, explorers | Best coverage worldwide, more landmarks and airports | Uses the most storage, more content to manage |
| Install only the regions you fly | Most simmers | Saves space, keeps relevant improvements | You may forget a region is missing until you fly there |
| Skip World Updates | Very limited storage, minimal install setups | Smallest footprint | Misses a lot of regional visual upgrades |
Are World Updates mandatory in MSFS 2020?
No. World Updates are generally optional. You do not usually need them to launch the sim, complete flights or use aircraft.
That said, the base sim and core sim updates are different. Those are the updates you normally need to stay current. World Updates sit on top as extra regional content.
Do World Updates improve graphics?
Yes, but only in the areas they cover. They do not magically upgrade the whole planet. What they usually do is make specific countries or cities more convincing, especially for low-level VFR flying where landmarks, coastlines, mountain shapes and airports matter.
If you mostly cruise at high altitude in airliners, the difference may be modest unless you depart from or arrive at one of the upgraded airports or fly over improved city scenery on approach.
Will World Updates hurt performance?
Usually not in a dramatic way, but they can increase the amount of detailed scenery in certain areas. In dense cities or around hand-crafted airports, that can mean slightly heavier loading and occasionally lower performance than the default scenery in the same place.
For most systems, the bigger issue is storage rather than FPS. Still, if you are already close to the edge in demanding areas, extra scenery detail can make those hotspots a bit heavier.
If performance is your main concern, a selective install is the sensible compromise: keep the regions you fly, remove the ones you never touch.
How much storage do World Updates use?
They can take up a noticeable amount of space, especially if you install many of them. The exact size varies by update because some focus on a few airports and landmarks, while others include broader terrain or imagery improvements.
We would not assume they are tiny. If your SSD is already nearly full, install only the packages that matter to you.
When are World Updates definitely worth installing?
We would strongly consider installing them if any of these apply:
- You fly VFR and care about recognisable landmarks
- You like bush trips, local discovery flights or sightseeing
- You often fly in the countries covered by a particular update
- You want the best default-looking version of a region before adding third-party scenery
- You use hand-crafted airports included in those packs
They are especially useful for GA flying, helicopter flying and lower-altitude touring where scenery quality is part of the experience rather than background.
When might you skip or uninstall World Updates?
There are a few perfectly valid reasons not to install every one of them:
- Your storage space is limited
- You mostly fly airliners and do not care about regional scenery detail
- You already use custom scenery that replaces the same airports or landmarks
- You are troubleshooting conflicts, loading issues or a cluttered content library
This last point matters more than some people realise. If you install a third-party airport or scenery package for a location that is also enhanced by a World Update, you can occasionally end up with duplicate objects, conflicting layouts or visual oddities. In those cases, disabling the overlapping default package can help.
Do World Updates conflict with add-ons?
They can. Not always, but they can.
The most common conflict is with scenery add-ons for the same airport, city or landmark area. If a World Update contains a hand-crafted airport and you also install another airport package for that location, the two may not play nicely together unless the add-on was designed with that update in mind.
Typical symptoms include:
- Duplicate buildings or jetways
- Floating objects
- Incorrect ground markings
- Terrain bumps or odd elevation changes
- Missing or broken airport elements
If that happens, we would check your installed content and remove or disable the overlapping package rather than assuming the whole sim is broken.
How do you install or remove World Updates in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020?
The exact menu wording can shift slightly over time, but the process is straightforward.
- Open Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and go to the Marketplace or the sim's content management area.
- Find the World Update you want. They are usually listed as free official content packs.
- Select Download or Install.
- Let the content finish downloading, then restart the sim if prompted.
- To remove one later, go to the Content Manager or installed content list, select the package and choose Delete or Uninstall.
You do not need to treat them as permanent. If you are low on space, install what you need for an upcoming trip and remove unused regions later.
What is the best approach for most players?
For most simmers, we think the sweet spot is selective installation. Install the World Updates for the places you actually fly, plus any regions you want to explore soon.
That gives you the visual benefits where they matter without turning your installation into a huge library of scenery you never use. It also makes troubleshooting easier if an airport or city starts behaving oddly after an update.
Do World Updates matter more for VFR or IFR?
VFR flying
Yes, very much. World Updates are most valuable for VFR because you spend more time looking outside, following terrain, roads, rivers and visual checkpoints.
IFR flying
Less so, but they still matter around departure and arrival airports, on visual approaches, and when flying into major cities or scenic destinations. If you fly airliners almost exclusively, you may prefer to install only the regions containing your regular routes.
Our verdict
We recommend installing World Updates in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 if you have the storage and any interest in flying those regions. They are optional, but they are among the best free improvements available for the sim.
If you want the simplest answer: install the ones for areas you use, skip the rest, and remove any that overlap with scenery add-ons causing problems. That approach gives you the benefits without unnecessary bloat.