Compare Microsoft Flight Simulator versions and editions: 2024, 2020 and FSX, with included aircraft, airports, platforms and buying advice.
The main versions available are Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) and the older Flight Simulator X. MSFS 2024 offers Standard, Deluxe, Premium Deluxe and Aviator; MSFS 2020 offers Standard, Deluxe and Premium Deluxe; FSX appears as Standard, Deluxe, Acceleration, Gold or Steam Edition.
Versions and editions are different things
A version is a separate simulator generation, while an edition is a content package for that version. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is not an update or deluxe edition of MSFS 2020: it is a separate product, installation and licence.
MSFS 2024 runs on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro. It was the first Flight Simulator released for PlayStation; PSVR2 support is supplied through a free 2026 update rather than a costlier edition. MSFS 2020 remains a PC and Xbox simulator, while FSX is for Windows PC.
Our comparison of the practical differences between MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 covers the changed career, activities, world systems and add-on considerations.
What does each MSFS 2024 edition include?
Every Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 edition contains the complete core simulator, including the worldwide environment, career mode, activities, multiplayer and weather systems. Higher tiers add particular aircraft and upgraded airports; they do not unlock a better graphics engine or a more detailed global scenery layer.
| MSFS 2024 edition | Aircraft | Upgraded airports | Package difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 70 | 150 | The full simulator and base aircraft collection |
| Deluxe | 80 | 155 | Standard content plus 10 aircraft and five airports |
| Premium Deluxe | 95 | 160 | Deluxe content plus another 15 aircraft and five airports |
| Aviator | 125 | 160 | Premium Deluxe plus 30 Microsoft-published Marketplace aircraft developed between 2021 and 2024 |
These are the advertised edition totals. Free updates and separately installed Marketplace or Community content can make the aircraft selector show more, so counting installed aeroplanes is not a reliable way to identify an edition.
Use our side-by-side MSFS 2024 edition breakdown when checking which named aircraft and airports justify a higher tier. Aviator does not include every Marketplace product or all future Microsoft aircraft.
What does each MSFS 2020 edition include?
All three MSFS 2020 editions use the same simulator engine and worldwide scenery system. The original paid packages differ only in their bundled aircraft and handcrafted airports.
| MSFS 2020 edition | Base aircraft | Handcrafted airports | Package difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 20 | 30 | The complete core simulator |
| Deluxe | 25 | 35 | Standard plus five aircraft and five airports |
| Premium Deluxe | 30 | 40 | Deluxe plus five aircraft and five airports |
Those figures describe the original edition entitlements, not everything that may appear after installation. Game of the Year and 40th Anniversary content was distributed as free simulator content, so an updated Standard installation contains more aircraft than its original 20-aircraft package.
The full MSFS 2020 package comparison identifies the exclusive aircraft and airports in each tier.
Which Flight Simulator X edition is which?
Flight Simulator X has several similarly named releases, but Gold and Steam Edition are bundles rather than later simulator generations.
| FSX release | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Standard | The original base simulator, aircraft, scenery and missions |
| Deluxe | Standard content plus additional aircraft and missions, Garmin G1000-equipped cockpits, tower-controller features and the software development kit |
| Acceleration | An expansion adding the F/A-18A Hornet, EH-101 helicopter, P-51D Mustang, carrier operations, air racing and extra missions |
| Gold | FSX Deluxe bundled with the Acceleration expansion |
| Steam Edition | A digital PC release containing most of the Deluxe and Acceleration flying content, with revised multiplayer and compatibility components |
Steam Edition is not identical to an original boxed developer installation, particularly where old utilities, the SDK and legacy multiplayer components are concerned. Our detailed guide to FSX releases and bundles explains those compatibility distinctions.
Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight and earlier releases are historical products, not editions of MSFS 2020 or 2024. They were designed for older versions of Windows, and their aircraft and scenery cannot simply be installed in the modern simulators.
Which Microsoft Flight Simulator edition should you choose?
MSFS 2024 Standard is the sensible choice for most new buyers because it contains every core feature. Pay for a higher edition only when its exclusive aircraft or upgraded airports are items you expect to use.
- Choose MSFS 2024 Deluxe or Premium Deluxe when specific aircraft or airports in those packages matter to you.
- Choose MSFS 2024 Aviator when you want the included back catalogue of 30 Microsoft-published aircraft, not merely because it is the highest tier.
- Keep or choose MSFS 2020 when an established aircraft, scenery or utility setup depends on that simulator and has no confirmed MSFS 2024 support.
- Choose FSX mainly for legacy add-ons, older hardware or an existing FSX installation. Its age brings Windows and utility-compatibility issues that modern newcomers need not inherit.
A mistake we see constantly is buying Premium Deluxe in the belief that it improves frame rate, weather or the whole world map. It does not; the extra payment buys a defined content bundle.
Can you upgrade an edition or transfer add-ons later?
Edition-upgrade bundles may be offered inside the modern simulators, but buyers should not assume an upgrade will cost only the original price difference. Availability, account entitlement and package contents can vary by simulator and platform.
Upgrading Standard to Premium Deluxe does not turn MSFS 2020 into MSFS 2024. Add-on compatibility is also product-specific: some MSFS 2020 aircraft and scenery have MSFS 2024-compatible versions, while others require an update or do not work. Copying an entire old Community folder into the newer simulator is a common cause of loading failures and conflicts; move add-ons individually after confirming support.