Is the PMDG 737 worth buying for Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Is the PMDG 737 worth buying for MSFS? Compare variants, 737 MAX differences and MSFS 2020, 2024, Xbox and PS5 compatibility.
Yes. The PMDG 737 is worth buying for Microsoft Flight Simulator if you want a deeply modelled 737 Next Generation and enjoy airline procedures. It is a poor fit for quick, assistance-led flying, and buyers must confirm the exact aircraft variant, simulator edition, storefront and console compatibility before purchasing.
Why is the PMDG 737 worth buying?
The PMDG 737 earns its price through system depth and a convincing gate-to-gate airline workflow. PMDG Simulations models interconnected electrical, hydraulic, fuel, pneumatic, pressurisation, navigation and autoflight systems rather than merely animating the flight-deck switches.
That depth has practical consequences. An incomplete CDU route can prevent LNAV working correctly; missing performance entries affect VNAV; an incorrect bleed-air configuration can cause pressurisation trouble; and the autopilot will not rescue a badly managed descent. The flight mode annunciator, trim, speed control and aircraft configuration all matter.
The strongest reason to buy it is procedural continuity. You can prepare an unpowered aircraft, programme the CDU, manage a departure and arrival, fly an instrument approach and shut down using recognisable 737 procedures. Visuals and sound support the experience, but the systems and handling provide the lasting value.
If system depth is not your only priority, our comparison of the leading Boeing 737 add-ons explains where PMDG sits against simpler alternatives.
Is the PMDG 737 a 737 MAX?
No: the PMDG 737-600, 737-700, 737-800 and 737-900 packages discussed here model the Boeing 737 Next Generation family, not the 737 MAX.
The distinction is more than a name. The MAX has different engines, aerodynamics, performance and flight-deck details. A PMDG 737-800 is therefore an NG aircraft; it is not a PMDG 737 MAX 8.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 includes a Boeing 737 MAX 8 in its supplied aircraft line-up, but that aircraft is separate from PMDG's NG products. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 did not ship with a default 737 MAX. If the MAX itself is your priority, do not buy an NG package expecting it to reproduce MAX operations.
Which PMDG 737 variant should you buy?
The PMDG 737-800 is the best single purchase for most MSFS airline pilots because it represents the most widely used and operationally versatile NG size. Choose another variant when its dimensions, performance or real-world operators are the reason you want the aircraft.
| Variant | Best reason to choose it | Reason to choose another |
|---|---|---|
| 737-600 | You want the smallest NG, strong light-weight performance or less common operations. | Real-world airline and livery variety matters more than novelty. |
| 737-700 | You favour shorter routes, shorter-field flexibility or operators associated with this size. | You want the most representative all-purpose airline variant. |
| 737-800 | You want broad route, operator and livery possibilities from one purchase. | You specifically prefer the performance or proportions of another NG model. |
| 737-900 | You want the longest NG and the planning considerations that come with it. | You regularly use shorter runways or want the broadest operator coverage. |
The principal systems and cockpit workflow are similar across the range, so buying several variants does not provide several completely different avionics simulations. PMDG products are commonly separated by variant, and included passenger, freighter or business configurations can differ. Read the exact package description rather than assuming one purchase unlocks the complete NG family.
Is the PMDG 737 too difficult for beginners?
The PMDG 737 is manageable for a patient beginner, but it expects the pilot to learn how the aircraft is configured and what its automation is commanding. Starting with a ready-to-fly panel state is usually more productive than attempting a full cold-and-dark departure immediately.
- Set up the controls: remove duplicate throttle, spoiler, tiller and brake assignments. Assistance features that move the same controls can conflict with the aircraft.
- Practise manual flying: learn taxiing, pitch trim, circuits, speed control and stabilised approaches before depending on the autopilot.
- Add the CDU: create or import a route using a supported method, activate it, resolve route discontinuities and complete the required performance entries.
- Learn the MCP and annunciations: understand LNAV, VNAV, level change, vertical speed and approach mode. The flight mode annunciator tells you what the aeroplane is actually doing, which may differ from what you expected it to do.
- Move to full procedures: use our PMDG 737 cold-and-dark start procedure once the basic flight and automation workflow are familiar.
A joystick or yoke and a throttle make the aircraft easier to control, while a mouse and keyboard are particularly useful for the CDU and overhead panel. A gamepad can fly it, but controller-only cockpit operation is slower and makes detailed data entry tedious.
Does the PMDG 737 work in MSFS 2020, MSFS 2024 and on consoles?
PMDG 737 compatibility depends on the exact variant, simulator generation, device and purchase channel; there is no universal package that can be installed everywhere.
| Platform | Practical buying advice |
|---|---|
| PC with MSFS 2020 | The PMDG 737 is established on this platform. Use the installation and update method supplied by the storefront from which you bought that exact package. |
| PC with MSFS 2024 | Confirm that the listing explicitly supports MSFS 2024 and check its entitlement and update instructions. An MSFS 2020 package appearing through compatibility measures is not proof of a separate native MSFS 2024 product. |
| Xbox Series X|S | Buy only an exact variant offered through the in-simulator Marketplace for your simulator. Xbox cannot use arbitrary PC installers, Community-folder packages or manually downloaded liveries. |
| PS5 or PS5 Pro | Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available, but PMDG availability must be confirmed from an explicitly compatible PlayStation listing. A PC or Xbox purchase does not establish PS5 compatibility or entitlement. |
On PC, direct-delivery and Marketplace packages can use different installation and update systems. Do not install two copies of the same variant through different channels. Our MSFS 2024 installation guidance for the PMDG 737 covers the checks to make before moving or reinstalling files.
Can you buy the PMDG 737 for PS5?
A PMDG 737 for PS5 should be treated as unavailable unless the in-simulator Marketplace on that console shows the exact variant as compatible and purchasable. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 launched on PS5 and PS5 Pro on 8 December 2025, but the simulator's presence does not automatically bring every PC or Xbox add-on to PlayStation.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was never released for PlayStation. You also cannot transfer a PC installer to PS5 or place aircraft manually in a console equivalent of the PC Community folder.
What commonly goes wrong after buying the PMDG 737?
Most early PMDG 737 problems are caused by an incomplete procedure, conflicting control binding or mixed installation rather than a defective aircraft.
- The World Map route is absent from the CDU: do not assume the simulator flight plan will populate every CDU page. Use an aircraft-supported import method or enter the route manually, then activate and execute it.
- LNAV will not engage: check that the route is active, the aircraft position and navigation systems are ready, the flight directors are on and there is a valid active leg without an unresolved discontinuity.
- VNAV behaves unexpectedly: complete the route and performance pages, inspect altitude constraints and confirm the mode shown on the flight mode annunciator. Selecting VNAV does not guarantee an immediate climb or descent.
- Throttles, spoilers or reversers jump: remove duplicate axes and disable assistance options that are controlling the same system. Check for separate bindings on every connected controller.
- The aircraft will not move: inspect the parking brake, chocks, ground-service state and brake bindings before adding more thrust.
- Fuel or centre of gravity changes unexpectedly: use the PMDG loading interface after the aircraft has initialised instead of repeatedly overriding it with the simulator's payload controls.
- An update causes missing systems or odd behaviour: remove obsolete duplicate installations and update through the channel associated with the purchase. Our PMDG 737 update and version-checking instructions explain the difference between PC installation tools and Marketplace delivery.
The detailed cockpit can also expose an already limited system. Large airports, high AI traffic, glass-cockpit refresh demands and scenery complexity all compete for performance, so a computer struggling with default airliners may need reduced traffic or display-related settings.
Who should buy the PMDG 737, and who should skip it?
Buy the PMDG 737 when learning and operating the aircraft is the main attraction; skip it when detailed airline procedure would only delay the type of flying you enjoy.
- Buy it if you want realistic CDU, MCP, electrical, pneumatic and pressurisation workflows.
- Buy the 737-800 first if you want one adaptable NG variant without a specific operator preference.
- Skip it if you mainly fly from external views, want to depart within seconds or expect assistance features to manage the aircraft.
- Skip it if you specifically want a 737 MAX rather than a 737 NG.
- Think twice on console if custom liveries, file access or keyboard-heavy CDU entry are central to your plans.
- Do not buy multiple variants for avionics variety alone: their size and performance differ more than their underlying cockpit workflow.
What is our verdict on the PMDG 737?
The PMDG 737 is worth buying for serious airline flying in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and the 737-800 is the strongest first choice for most people. Its value comes from learning and using the systems; casual pilots who want instant departures or a 737 MAX will be better served by a less specialised aircraft.