Learn what MSFS Digital Ownership proves and fix wrong-account, licence-cache, Store, Xbox, Steam, Game Pass and launch issues.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator, Digital Ownership is the licence entitlement that tells the Microsoft Store/Xbox system your account may run a particular edition. It is not the simulator’s main data. Most ownership errors come from the wrong account, an expired subscription, a storefront mismatch, or a licence cache that needs refreshing.
What does Digital Ownership include?
Digital Ownership proves a base-game licence within the Microsoft Store/Xbox ecosystem; it does not contain the full simulator or guarantee that every aircraft and scenery package is installed. On some Microsoft Store installations, it appears as a very small item beside Microsoft Flight Simulator. That size is normal because it is an entitlement rather than the multi-gigabyte simulator data.
The base licence, edition upgrades and individual Marketplace purchases are separate entitlements. Owning the Standard edition does not unlock Premium or Deluxe content, and owning Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 does not mean that the same account owns Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
| Purchase or access route | What proves ownership | Correct launch route |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Store or Xbox digital purchase | The purchasing Microsoft account and its licence entitlement | Microsoft Store/Xbox app on PC, or the owning Xbox profile |
| Steam purchase | The Steam account that bought the simulator | Launch through Steam; the Microsoft account used inside MSFS does not replace Steam ownership |
| Game Pass access | An active, eligible subscription on the correct account | Xbox app or Xbox console while the subscription remains valid |
| PlayStation 5 purchase | The purchasing PlayStation account’s licence | Launch the PS5 edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 from that account |
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was never released for PlayStation. On PS5, only Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 applies, and linking a Microsoft account does not transfer a Steam, Microsoft Store or Xbox purchase to PlayStation.
How do you fix MSFS Digital Ownership errors?
Fix Digital Ownership errors by confirming where the simulator was obtained, signing into the account that owns that exact product, and then refreshing the storefront’s licence services. Do not start by reinstalling the entire simulator; reinstalling cannot correct a wrong-account or expired-subscription problem.
- Identify the exact product and edition. Check the purchasing storefront’s library or order history for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Confirm that it is a purchase rather than expired Game Pass access, and do not confuse an edition upgrade with the base game.
- Use the account that owns the licence. For a Microsoft Store PC copy, sign the Store into the purchasing Microsoft account and use that same account in the Xbox app while testing. On Steam, sign into the Steam account that bought MSFS and launch it through Steam. Signing the correct Microsoft account into the simulator cannot unlock a copy owned by another Steam account.
- Refresh the entitlement online. Close MSFS, restart the device, connect normally to the internet and sign out of the relevant storefront before signing back in. Correct the system date, time and time zone if they are wrong, because licence tokens can fail validation when the clock is inaccurate.
- Update the Microsoft components on PC. Check the Microsoft Store library for updates to the Store, Xbox app, Gaming Services, Microsoft Flight Simulator and Digital Ownership if that item is listed for your edition. Restart Windows after the updates finish.
- Repair the Store licence cache. Run
wsreset.exe, allow the Microsoft Store to reopen, and test MSFS again. If necessary, use Windows app settings to run Repair for Microsoft Store, Xbox and Gaming Services. Use Reset only after Repair fails, because Reset signs the app out and clears its local data. - Verify the base installation. An installed Digital Ownership entry does not mean the launcher or simulator packages are installed. Install or update the base game through the owning storefront; Steam users can also verify the installed files through Steam.
- Separate ownership from other launch faults. If MSFS recognises the licence, shows its splash screen and then crashes or hangs, the entitlement has probably passed. Continue with our detailed PC launch-failure checks, including damaged packages, cache problems and add-on isolation.
A Windows message containing 0x80070005 indicates an access or permissions failure rather than proof that the licence is missing. Use the dedicated repair steps for error 0x80070005 instead of buying the simulator again.
How do you fix ownership problems on Xbox?
On Xbox, the purchasing profile must be signed in unless the console-sharing licence has been configured correctly. Confirm the owner’s account, check that the base game and required add-ons are installed, remove MSFS from Quick Resume and perform a full console restart.
If another profile is meant to use the purchase, verify that the owner’s Home Xbox is set correctly. Game Pass users must also have an active subscription tier that includes the game. Our Xbox ownership, update and launch checklist covers missing entitlements, storage faults and corrupted console installations.
Why does Digital Ownership say installed when MSFS is missing?
Digital Ownership can say installed because the tiny licence component is present even though the launcher or main simulator data is absent. Return to the same Store or Xbox app library, find the exact MSFS version owned by the account, and install the base product from there.
If the simulator launches but Premium, Deluxe or purchased aircraft are missing, check the simulator’s content or library manager and install the owned packages. That is a content-entitlement problem, not a missing base-game licence. Add-on ownership may also be restricted by simulator version, platform or storefront.
Can MSFS Digital Ownership be transferred?
Digital Ownership normally cannot be moved to another account or used to convert one storefront’s purchase into another storefront’s copy. A Steam licence remains with Steam, a Microsoft Store/Xbox licence remains with its purchasing Microsoft account, and a PS5 licence remains with the purchasing PlayStation account.
Account and console sharing may let another profile play under the platform’s sharing rules, but it does not transfer ownership. The Microsoft account linked inside MSFS handles the simulator profile and online services; it is not proof that the linked account bought the base game on Steam or PlayStation.
When should you reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Reinstall MSFS only after the correct account recognises the licence and repairing the launcher, Gaming Services or installed files has failed. Ownership records are held by the storefront, so deleting hundreds of gigabytes of simulator data will not fix an unrecognised purchase, the wrong account or an expired subscription.
If the storefront still denies ownership, record the exact error, account identifier, product edition, platform and purchase reference before contacting the support service for the storefront that took payment. Never purchase a second copy merely because the Digital Ownership component is missing or its licence cache has failed.