Set up Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 offline mode on PC and fix licence, update, content, scenery and flight-loading errors.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 can run offline on PC after it has been fully installed, updated and authenticated online at least once. Cache the licence on that PC, download the local content you need, disable Online Functionality in Data options, and test it disconnected. Streaming scenery, live services and Marketplace access will not work.
How do I prepare MSFS 2020 for offline play?
Prepare and test offline mode while you still have a reliable internet connection; simply disconnecting after installation is the mistake we see most often.
- Finish every update. Update Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and the client through which you own it, such as the Xbox app, Microsoft Store or Steam. Start the simulator online and let any mandatory content update complete.
- Install the content you need. Open Content Manager and download the aircraft, airports and optional World Updates you intend to use. In the client’s installation manager, select any component labelled Offline Mode if your edition offers one.
- Authorise this PC for offline use. For a Microsoft Store or Xbox installation, enable offline permissions in the client or Store account settings while signed into the account that owns the game. Only the nominated PC receives that cached entitlement. Steam users should retain their credentials and prepare Steam’s Offline Mode.
- Complete one online flight. Load a locally installed default aircraft at a standard airport, enter the cockpit, then return to the menu and close the simulator normally. This confirms that ownership, core packages and the Xbox profile have been initialised.
- Turn off online data. Under
General Options > Data, setOnline Functionalityto Off. This disables Bing streaming, photogrammetry, live traffic and multiplayer together rather than leaving the simulator waiting for unavailable services. - Test without a connection. Disconnect the network or put the owning client into its offline state, then launch MSFS through that same client. Do not sign out, change accounts or clear the client cache before the test.
Which PC editions support offline mode?
| PC edition | Offline requirement | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Store or Xbox purchase | Enable offline permissions on the nominated PC and complete an online launch | Account changes or a new mandatory update can require reconnection |
| PC Game Pass | Prepare the PC in the same way while the subscription is active | Subscription ownership requires periodic online validation, so offline access is not indefinite |
| Steam | Update and launch MSFS online, retain sign-in details, then place Steam in Offline Mode | An expired Xbox profile session or pending Steam update can still force an online sign-in |
| Physical PC edition | Complete its original activation and retain any required authentication media | Some disc releases require the designated disc to be present when starting |
What works in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 offline mode?
Installed aircraft, generic world scenery, local flight-planning data, weather presets and offline AI traffic remain usable without internet access.
| Feature | Offline result |
|---|---|
| World scenery | Uses locally installed terrain, autogen and airport data; streamed Bing imagery and uncached photogrammetry are unavailable |
| Aircraft and airports | Locally installed content works, although products with their own online functions may lose some features |
| Weather and traffic | Preset weather and offline AI traffic work; live weather, live traffic and multiplayer do not |
| Flight planning | The in-sim planner and installed navigation database work, but live or externally streamed information does not |
| Marketplace content | Already installed products may work when their entitlement is cached; browsing, buying and downloading require a connection |
| Cloud services | Cloud synchronisation and online profile updates wait until the PC reconnects |
For a small flying area, MSFS 2020’s Manual Cache can store selected ground imagery while connected if that option is available in your installation. It is not practical for saving whole countries, and it does not preserve every streamed service or object.
Why does MSFS say “insert disc” or fail to verify my licence?
The Please insert the Microsoft Flight Simulator Game Disc message on a digital installation usually means the ownership entitlement was not cached or cannot be read; it does not mean offline scenery is missing.
- Reconnect the PC and set Windows date, time and time zone automatically.
- Confirm that Microsoft Store is signed into the account that owns MSFS or holds the subscription. Start Steam purchases through the correct Steam account.
- Open the Xbox app and confirm that its profile can sign in. The Store purchasing account and Xbox profile serve different purposes, but both sessions must be valid.
- Update the Store, Xbox app, Gaming Services or Steam client as applicable.
- Launch MSFS online, reach the main menu, close it normally and enable offline permissions again before disconnecting.
Owners of a physical edition should insert the required authentication disc. If the digital simulator still refuses to start while connected, follow our PC start-up checks for Xbox sign-in, Gaming Services and damaged packages before treating it as an offline-mode problem.
Why is offline mode stuck on Checking for updates?
MSFS cannot bypass a mandatory update or incomplete installation merely because the PC is offline.
Reconnect and update both the owning client and the simulator, then verify that the core packages are installed. A weak connection, captive Wi-Fi login or network adapter reporting internet access without actually reaching the services can also leave Checking for updates spinning; use a working connection to finish preparation, or disconnect the adapter completely for the final offline test.
A connection-lost warning after the main menu is not necessarily a fault. If the simulator offers to continue offline and the menu remains responsive, accept the change and use installed content.
Why won’t an offline flight load?
An offline flight normally fails because it references streamed content, an uninstalled package, a damaged cache or an incompatible add-on.
- Use a clean test flight. Select a base aircraft, a standard airport, preset weather and no live traffic.
- Remove Community content temporarily. Move the contents of the
Communityfolder elsewhere, rather than deleting them, and repeat the test. Our Community add-on installation and isolation procedure explains how those packages are managed. - Reset the automatic cache. Delete and recreate the Rolling Cache from Data options, or leave it disabled for the test. Do not erase a deliberately prepared Manual Cache unless you suspect that cache itself is damaged.
- Check Content Manager online. Confirm that the chosen aircraft and airport are installed locally rather than merely owned or listed as available.
If the progress bar still hangs, use our targeted checks for flights that will not finish loading. If the application closes to the desktop rather than hanging, the problem is more likely an add-on, driver, memory or cache fault covered by our broader MSFS 2020 crash troubleshooting.
Can MSFS 2020 remain offline permanently?
Purchased editions can work offline for extended periods after preparation, but Microsoft does not make every installation permanently independent of licence checks, account changes and mandatory updates.
Game Pass is less suitable for a PC that will remain disconnected because the subscription must be revalidated periodically. Before travelling or moving the PC somewhere without internet, reconnect, finish updates, load a test flight, close normally and repeat the disconnected launch without signing out afterwards.