How do I install MSFS Sim Updates in MSFS 2024 and 2020?

To install an MSFS Sim Update in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or 2020, close the simulator, install the platform patch through Steam, Microsoft Store/Xbox app or your console, then launch online and complete the mandatory in-simulator package download. Update owned content afterwards; Community-folder add-ons are separate.

What is an MSFS Sim Update and what does it change?

An MSFS Sim Update changes the simulator's core code, systems and shared official content rather than concentrating on scenery for one region.

Changes can include flight dynamics, weather, traffic, avionics, default aircraft, VR, performance, stability, developer tools and shared Sim Update data. Streamed or server-side data may also change without receiving a numbered Sim Update release.

Release names are shortened to SU followed by a number. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024's current public release is Sim Update 5, issued in April 2026. MSFS 2020 has its own update branch, so an SU number from one simulator cannot be compared directly with the other.

If a release list groups patches under the informal term SimUpdates, match each entry to MSFS 2024 or MSFS 2020 before using it. The simulator name, public branch and complete software build matter more than the SU label by itself.

How do I check for a Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Sim Update?

The reliable check is to compare MSFS 2024's installed software build with the build named in the current public release notice, then inspect both the platform queue and the simulator's own package system.

1. Confirm the public release. Identify the latest public MSFS 2024 Sim Update and any subsequent hotfix attached to it. Sim Update 5, issued in April 2026, is the current public SU.
2. Record the installed build. Locate the full version string displayed by the simulator on its loading or menu interface. Its position can change between releases, so use the version reported inside MSFS rather than a Steam content build ID or console package identifier.
3. Compare full build numbers. The SU number is a release name; the software build is the more detailed version string. A hotfix can change that build while the release continues to be called SU5.
4. Check the platform queue. Fully close MSFS and inspect Steam, Microsoft Store/Xbox app, Xbox or PlayStation for a pending application patch. A simulator that launches is not necessarily fully updated.
5. Check inside the simulator. Launch while online and allow any mandatory package download to finish. Then inspect the content library, Content Manager, Marketplace or My Library area for separate owned-content updates.
6. Check the update branch. If the version still differs, confirm that the device is not enrolled in a beta or preview programme. Preview and public builds can have different version strings.

The core MSFS update is installed correctly when the platform has no pending patch, the in-simulator installer has no required core download, the displayed build matches the public release and MSFS reaches its main menu without another mandatory-update prompt. Pending World Updates or individual aircraft packages do not by themselves mean the core Sim Update failed.

How to update MSFS 2024 on PC, Steam, Microsoft Store/Xbox app, Xbox and PlayStation

On every platform, install the platform-managed patch first and the in-simulator packages second.

1. Close MSFS completely. On PC, make sure its process has ended. On consoles, quit rather than suspending the simulator.
2. Finish the platform update. Do not launch while the platform reports downloading, verifying, copying or patching.
3. Launch while online. Use the account that owns or has access to Microsoft Flight Simulator.
4. Verify the Packages path on PC. If an installation destination appears, select the location containing your existing packages. A new empty path can trigger an apparent full download.
5. Complete mandatory in-simulator downloads. Keep MSFS open while network or disk activity continues.
6. Update owned content separately. Aircraft, airports, World Updates and Marketplace products may have individual updates after the core build is installed.
7. Test a default flight. Start with a default aircraft and default airport before restoring third-party add-ons.

Menu wording varies between platform revisions. Our detailed MSFS 2024 platform update instructions cover the relevant controls for Steam, Microsoft Store/Xbox app, Xbox and PlayStation.

Does the same MSFS update process apply to MSFS 2020?

Yes. MSFS 2020 also requires the platform application patch before any mandatory in-simulator packages, but it is available only on PC and Xbox.

Do not compare its build or SU number with MSFS 2024. They are separate products with separate Official and Community packages, even when both are installed on the same computer.

Why does Microsoft Flight Simulator download the update twice?

Two download stages are normal because the platform application and simulator-managed content are delivered separately.

Steam, Microsoft Store, Xbox or PlayStation first updates the executable and platform-controlled files. MSFS can then download shared assets, aircraft or other official packages through its own installer. A working Play button only confirms that the first stage can launch.

During either stage, network traffic may fall to zero while files are decompressed, copied or rebuilt. Check disk activity before treating a stationary progress indicator as a failed download.

How much Sim Update data and free storage do I need?

There is no fixed Sim Update data size because it depends on the release, platform, installed build and local packages.

The platform queue and in-simulator installer may show different figures because they represent separate stages. Neither figure necessarily includes all temporary working space required for unpacking and replacing files.

Keep free space on both the platform installation drive and the drive containing the Packages directory. MSFS 2024 streams more content than MSFS 2020, but it still needs local storage for application files, installed packages and cached data. Do not delete the Official folder to make room; that can turn a small patch into a major redownload.

Are Sim Updates the same as World Updates?

No. Sim Updates change the core simulator, while World Updates mainly install or revise regional scenery.

A Sim Update can be complete while regional packages remain pending. Follow the separate process for updating MSFS World Updates and official scenery rather than repeatedly reinstalling the core patch.

What happens to free MSFS 2024 add-ons after a Sim Update?

Free Community-folder aircraft, liveries, airports and utilities are not automatically updated by an MSFS 2024 Sim Update.

An add-on may continue working unchanged, develop minor faults or become completely incompatible when the simulator's aircraft systems, avionics, scenery handling or development interfaces change. A default aircraft working correctly does not prove that an older third-party aircraft is compatible.

When its developer releases a compatible version, obtain the add-on again from the original developer or a trusted download source, such as our MSFS freeware downloads library. Confirm that the download supports the simulator you use; similarly named MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 packages are not automatically interchangeable.

Marketplace-managed freeware is different from a manually installed Community package and may receive its update through the simulator's library. Utilities with an external companion program can also require that program to be updated or removed according to the developer's instructions.

How to update or remove incompatible Community folder add-ons

The safest method is to back up the active Community folder, replace each package cleanly and isolate failures in small groups.

1. Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. Also close any add-on manager, linker or external utility that can write to the Community folder.
2. Back up the active Community folder. Copy it to a location outside the live Packages directory. Make sure it is the folder used by the current installation, not an abandoned folder from MSFS 2020 or an older Packages path.
3. Identify the add-on and version. Check its download archive, documentation and package metadata, including manifest.json where supplied. Record any dependencies and confirm that the replacement explicitly supports your simulator and Sim Update.
4. Remove the old package cleanly. Move or delete that add-on's complete folder from Community. Do not copy new files over an uncertain old version, because obsolete files can remain and cause faults.
5. Install a fresh updated copy. Extract the developer's replacement package and place the correct package folder in Community. Avoid nested folders that leave the package manifest an extra directory level down.
6. Test with one known add-on. Start a default flight first, then test the updated package under the conditions that previously failed.
7. Isolate unresolved crashes. Rename Community to something such as Community.disabled, or temporarily move its contents elsewhere. MSFS may create a new empty Community folder; that is expected.
8. Restore add-ons in small groups. Relaunch and test after each group. When the problem returns, divide that group until the incompatible package or dependency is identified. Leave it disabled until its developer publishes a compatible release.

Do I need to install every MSFS Sim Update in order?

No. The platform normally supplies the latest cumulative public build, so a returning simmer does not need to find and install every earlier SU manually.

After a long absence, expect a platform patch, a mandatory package stage and possibly separate owned-content updates. If the installation used a beta or preview build, leave that programme before expecting the normal public version.

MSFS 2024 update problems checklist: what should I check first?

Check the platform patch, account, Packages path, storage, update branch and Community add-ons in that order before deleting official content or reinstalling MSFS.

1. Missing platform patch: fully exit MSFS, restart the platform client or console and sign in with the account that has access to the simulator. On Microsoft Store installations, inspect both the Store library and Xbox app. On Steam, make sure the update is not scheduled or paused.
2. Repeating mandatory-update prompt: the platform application and simulator packages may be on different builds. Do not keep reopening MSFS; use our focused steps for resolving the MSFS mandatory-update loop.
3. Wrong Packages path or full redownload prompt: cancel before committing to the download and confirm that MSFS points to the existing Packages location. Reconnect an external package drive if necessary. Do not select a new empty folder unless you intend to create another installation.
4. Stalled downloading or unpacking: check both network and disk activity. Patching can continue with little network traffic while archives are decompressed or rebuilt. Restart only after both activities have stopped for a sustained period, then let the platform resume or verify the patch.
5. Storage shortage: free space on the platform installation drive and the Packages drive. The updater can need considerably more temporary space than the displayed download size.
6. Preview or beta build: leave the relevant preview programme, restart the device and platform client, then allow it to replace the preview build with the public release. Until that finishes, the installed build may legitimately differ from the public Sim Update.
7. Post-update crash or aircraft fault: temporarily empty or rename Community, disable linked add-ons and test a default aircraft at a default airport. If that works, restore add-ons in small groups rather than repairing the core simulator.

Do not delete Official files or reinstall the simulator while the problem is a missing platform patch, incorrect Packages path, active unpacking process or incompatible Community add-on. Those actions do not address the cause and usually create a much larger download.

Use the platform's verification or repair function only after the update queues are clear and an empty Community folder still leaves a default flight broken. A full reinstall is the last step, appropriate when verification repeatedly finds unrecoverable core-file corruption or the installation cannot launch after the correct public build and package path have been confirmed.