MSFS 2020 vs 2024: what's different?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is a separate simulator, not a free update to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. It keeps free flight but adds Career Mode, missions, walkarounds, a more detailed ground-level world, revised physics and heavier cloud streaming. MSFS 2020 remains the more established, less streaming-dependent sandbox with a more mature add-on base.
MSFS 2020 vs 2024 differences at a glance
MSFS 2024 retains the worldwide free-flight foundation of 2020, but changes what the simulator asks us to do and how much content it delivers from the cloud.
| Area | MSFS 2020 | MSFS 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Separate simulator released in 2020 | Separate simulator, not an update or replacement installation |
| Main focus | Self-directed free flight, training, bush trips and challenges | Free flight plus Career Mode, jobs, progression and specialised activities |
| Outside the cockpit | Mostly menu- and cockpit-centred | Walkarounds, inspections and more aircraft-side interaction |
| World presentation | Global streamed scenery with photogrammetry and handcrafted locations | More ground detail, vegetation, surface variety and seasonal effects |
| Physics | Capable flight model, with quality varying substantially by aircraft | Revised aerodynamics, ground handling and surface interaction |
| Data delivery | Streams world data but installs more content locally | Streams more aircraft and scenery assets on demand into a local cache |
| Add-ons | Large, mature catalogue | Many products require a compatible build or developer update |
| Best fit | Established setups and open-ended flying | Structured aviation work and the newer base platform |
Is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 just an update to 2020?
No. MSFS 2024 has its own installation, editions, default aircraft and content packages, and owning MSFS 2020 does not grant a free copy of it.
The two simulators can coexist without one overwriting the other. Their similarly named editions should not be treated as identical bundles either: the aircraft and activities differ, so compare the actual contents rather than assuming that a 2024 edition mirrors its 2020 counterpart. Our breakdown of the MSFS 2024 aircraft fleet explains the categories and edition differences.
What is the biggest difference between Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024?
The biggest difference is Career Mode, which gives MSFS 2024 persistent goals rather than expecting us to invent every flight ourselves.
MSFS 2020 is fundamentally a sandbox. It includes flight training, bush trips, landing challenges and other activities, but its main loop is choosing an aircraft, route, weather and departure point before flying on our own terms.
MSFS 2024 preserves that Free Flight experience while adding licences, specialisations, jobs, progression and company management. Mission types cover work such as cargo, medical transport, firefighting, agricultural flying and search and rescue, although access depends on progression, aircraft and installed content.
There is also more to do before take-off. We can leave the cockpit, walk around the aircraft and perform inspections or ground interactions. The exact depth varies between aircraft, but 2024 models more of the operation surrounding a flight instead of concentrating almost entirely on the airborne portion.
Career Mode is optional. Anyone who only wants to plan a route and fly can continue using Free Flight without completing a career first.
Does MSFS 2024 have better graphics and flight physics?
MSFS 2024 usually looks most improved near the ground, but it will not look better in every location or with every aircraft.
The newer simulator adds denser ground detail, vegetation, improved surface presentation and seasonal variation. These changes are easiest to see around small airfields, during helicopter operations and on low-level utility flights. At airliner cruise altitude, the difference can be much less striking.
Both simulators still depend on the quality of source scenery, photogrammetry coverage, handcrafted airports and incoming data. A detailed add-on airport in MSFS 2020 can easily look better than a default location in 2024, while an interrupted stream can make the newer simulator appear blurry or incomplete.
MSFS 2024 also revises aerodynamic calculations, aircraft-ground contact and surface behaviour. Taxiing, braking and operations away from smooth paved runways can therefore feel different. This is a platform capability rather than a universal fidelity switch: a carefully developed MSFS 2020 aircraft can still handle more convincingly than a basic 2024 model.
Control configuration matters too. Duplicate throttle or rudder axes, aggressive assistance settings and unsuitable sensitivity curves are often mistaken for flight-model problems.
Why does MSFS 2024 depend more heavily on cloud streaming?
MSFS 2024 uses a thinner local installation and streams more content on demand, making connection stability and data allowance more significant than they are in MSFS 2020.
MSFS 2020 also streams terrain, imagery and online services, so neither simulator provides its full world experience offline. The difference is that 2020 keeps more aircraft and content packages installed locally, whereas 2024 relies more heavily on downloaded assets and a local cache.
A smaller initial installation does not mean lower data use or guaranteed better performance. The cache can grow, and poor delivery may cause blurry terrain, incomplete aircraft assets or long loading periods even when the graphics card is capable enough.
How should you diagnose poor graphics or handling in MSFS 2024?
We recommend ruling out streaming, workload and control problems before deciding that the newer simulator is visually or physically worse.
- Check the data connection. Confirm that online data is enabled, no unintended bandwidth limit is active and large background downloads are not consuming the connection. A wired connection can help where Wi-Fi is inconsistent.
- Allow content to finish loading. Test the same location again after its assets have been cached. Clear or rebuild the cache only when there are signs of corruption; repeatedly deleting it forces the simulator to download the same data again.
- Match the workload. Compare the same airport, aircraft, weather, traffic level, resolution scaling and display mode. Copying a nominal preset name between simulators does not produce an equal test.
- Inspect every control binding. Remove duplicated axes and temporarily disable assists when investigating twitchy rudder, unexpected braking, throttle jumps or poor ground handling.
Do MSFS 2020 add-ons work in MSFS 2024?
Some MSFS 2020 add-ons work in MSFS 2024, but compatibility must be checked product by product.
Simple liveries and scenery packages are often easier to adapt. Complex aircraft, avionics, external utilities, installers and products that rely on simulator-specific code are more likely to need a dedicated update. Owning a Marketplace product is also separate from having a compatible 2024 build available.
A mistake we see constantly is copying an entire Community folder into the new simulator and then trying to diagnose crashes, missing instruments or broken menus. Start 2024 with an empty folder, obtain the intended version of each add-on and introduce packages in small groups. Our MSFS 2020-to-2024 compatibility guide covers the package types and warning signs in more detail.
Keep the two simulators' Community folders separate. A package loading without an error message does not prove that every system, animation or scenery exclusion is working correctly.
Is MSFS 2024 better than MSFS 2020?
MSFS 2024 is the better choice for structured activities and newer simulation features, while MSFS 2020 can still be better for an established add-on setup or a restricted internet connection.
- Choose MSFS 2020 when: your must-have aircraft and utilities only support 2020, you already have a dependable installation, you mainly want self-directed free flight, or you need more content stored locally. Its full online world still requires internet access, but previously installed offline content makes it more practical under limited connectivity.
- Choose MSFS 2024 when: you want Career Mode, built-in jobs, walkarounds, low-level operational flying, newer world rendering and revised physics. It is generally the stronger one-simulator choice for someone starting fresh, provided the connection and hardware are suitable.
Do not decide from aircraft quantity alone. Edition contents vary, and a longer aircraft list says nothing about the systems depth of the individual models. Add-on support, internet quality and the type of flying we actually do are better decision criteria.
Should you keep MSFS 2020 and 2024 installed together?
Yes, keeping both installed is sensible when storage allows because each simulator can serve a different purpose.
MSFS 2020 can remain the dependable home for established aircraft and utilities while MSFS 2024 is used for Career Mode and compatible newer content. Separate drives are optional rather than mandatory; our guide to installing MSFS 2020 and 2024 on different drives explains when the arrangement helps.
Treat their package locations, caches and Community folders as separate installations. That avoids turning an add-on migration problem into a fault affecting both simulators.