See what MSFS 2024 Sim Update 4 includes and how to install or verify the cumulative update on PC, Xbox and PS5.
MSFS 2024 Sim Update 4 is a cumulative core-simulator update focused on stability, performance, platform support, Career mode, aircraft, avionics, ATC, traffic and developer tools. Install it through your platform’s normal game updater, then launch the simulator to complete any in-sim content update; World Updates remain separate.
What does MSFS 2024 Sim Update 4 include?
The release is maintenance-heavy: it changes simulator code and first-party packages rather than adding a new scenery region. Its fixes and refinements are spread across the following areas.
| Area | What SU4 covers |
|---|---|
| Core simulator | Stability, loading, memory use, package streaming and general performance work. |
| Career mode | Corrections to mission flow, objectives, scoring, penalties, progression and other Career systems. |
| Aircraft and avionics | Fixes for selected first-party aircraft, cockpit displays, autopilot behaviour, aircraft systems, animations and flight-model issues. |
| EFB and interface | Electronic Flight Bag, menu, controller, input and user-interface corrections. |
| World simulation | Changes affecting ATC, AI traffic, weather, navigation data and world behaviour. |
| Platforms | Cross-platform work associated with PC and Xbox development and the December 2025 release on PS5 and PS5 Pro. |
| SDK and DevMode | Developer-tool and package-compatibility fixes used by aircraft and scenery creators. |
All editions receive the same core update. A fix for an edition-specific aircraft only applies if that aircraft package is owned and installed, and third-party add-ons still require updates from their own developers. Inclusion of an area in the update also does not mean every outstanding problem in that area was fixed.
SU4 does not automatically install every World Update, optional scenery package or Marketplace product. PSVR2 support was also planned as a separate free update in 2026 rather than part of SU4.
Can I still install Sim Update 4 separately?
No. Sim Update 5 superseded SU4 in April 2026, and the normal public update channel installs the newest cumulative build available for your platform.
A fresh installation therefore will not stop at SU4. It receives SU4’s incorporated fixes along with SU5 or any later update offered by the service. There is no normal in-game selector for downloading an old Sim Update or rolling back to it.
How do I install the MSFS 2024 update?
Install the platform-level game update first, then open Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and let its own content process finish.
- Close the simulator completely. Do not leave it suspended through Quick Resume on Xbox or running in the background on PC.
- Check free storage space. Patching may need more temporary space than the stated download size because existing files can be unpacked or replaced.
- Run your platform updater. On Steam, check the Downloads page. For a Microsoft Store installation on PC, check both the Xbox app and the Microsoft Store library if the update is missing. On Xbox, use the console’s updates queue or Manage game and add-ons. On PS5, highlight the game, press Options and choose Check for Update.
- Launch MSFS 2024. Accept any mandatory update and leave the simulator open while it checks or synchronises its first-party packages.
- Restart once installation finishes. A restart ensures the new executable and updated packages are loaded rather than an older suspended session.
- Check optional content separately. Open the simulator’s content or library screen and update any owned packages that remain pending.
Our platform-by-platform MSFS 2024 update instructions cover the launcher differences in more detail.
Why has the scenery not changed after installing SU4?
Sim Updates and World Updates are different downloads. SU4 updates the simulator platform, while regional photogrammetry, airports, points of interest and other geographical improvements may be delivered through separate World Update or scenery packages.
If the core update completed but expected regional content is missing, follow our procedure for updating World Updates and installed scenery packages. Do not repeatedly reinstall the whole simulator to solve an optional-content problem.
What should I do if the update will not install?
Most SU4 installation failures come from an incomplete platform update, insufficient temporary storage or an outdated add-on loading after the patch.
- No update appears: restart the launcher or console and confirm it is online. If the installed simulator has already advanced to SU5 or later, SU4 will not appear as a separate download.
- The mandatory-update message repeats: fully close MSFS 2024, update the launcher-side game files and reopen it. Use our mandatory update loop fixes if the prompt returns after both stages finish.
- The download stalls: check free space and avoid cancelling while files are being unpacked or verified. The disk-activity stage can continue after network usage drops.
- The simulator crashes after updating: on PC, temporarily empty or rename the
Communityfolder and test again. Restore add-ons in small groups to identify the incompatible package. - An aircraft still behaves incorrectly: update that aircraft package separately. A core Sim Update does not guarantee that every first-party optional package or third-party aircraft has been revised at the same time.