Learn how to reduce Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 realism using assists, damage, weather and traffic settings without unwanted AI control.
To reduce realism in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, open Settings > Assistances and select All Assists. Then disable crash and stress damage, enable the piloting and navigation aids you need, and choose simpler weather and traffic settings from the flight setup screen.
How to lower the realism settings
The global assistance preset is the quickest option, but reviewing its individual settings prevents the simulator from taking over controls you would rather operate yourself.
- Open Settings. Do this from the main menu, or pause a Free Flight session and open the settings menu.
- Select Assistances. Choose the All Assists preset to enable the easiest collection of aids.
- Review the piloting aids. Enable assisted rudder, take-off, landing or trim only where you need help. These can sometimes conflict with an aircraft's own autopilot, autothrottle or flight-control systems.
- Enable navigation guidance. Route and waypoint markers, the taxi ribbon and landing path make airport operations and approaches much easier without physically flying the aircraft for you.
- Reduce damage and system management. Disable crash, aircraft-stress and engine-stress damage. Enable unlimited fuel, assisted checklists or radio assistance if those options are available for the selected activity.
- Apply the changes. If the preset changes from All Assists to Custom after you alter one item, that is normal.
Our walkthrough of the Assistances menu and All Assists preset covers the menu path and the main beginner aids in more detail.
Which MSFS 2024 settings make flying easiest?
For the easiest experience, combine control and navigation assistance with calm weather, no damage and reduced traffic.
| Area | Less realistic choice | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft handling | Assisted rudder, trim, take-off or landing | You are using a keyboard or controller, or still learning basic control |
| Navigation | Taxi ribbon, route markers and landing path | You need help finding runways, taxiways or the correct approach |
| Systems and radio | Assisted checklists and radio communications | You want to fly without managing every switch or ATC exchange |
| Fuel and damage | Unlimited fuel and damage disabled | You do not want mistakes or fuel planning to end the flight |
| Weather | Clear skies, daylight and light wind | You are practising take-offs, circuits or landings |
| Traffic | Reduced or disabled traffic | You want quieter airports and fewer distractions |
Weather and traffic are not completely controlled by the Assistances preset; set them separately when preparing a Free Flight. Our recommended realism choices for new sim pilots explain which features are best reduced first.
Damage deserves separate attention because a hard landing, overspeed or overstressed engine can still terminate a flight even when visual aids are enabled. See where to change crash damage and aircraft failure options if flights continue ending unexpectedly.
Can I make MSFS 2024 easier without AI flying?
Yes. Enable visual guidance, assisted radio, checklists, auto-rudder and unlimited fuel while leaving take-off, landing and control-takeover assistance disabled.
A mistake we see constantly is switching on every piloting aid and then fighting unexplained trim, rudder or throttle inputs. If the aircraft changes power or control position by itself, disable assisted take-off and landing first; do not immediately blame the controller calibration.
Autopilot is separate from the realism preset and is a normal aircraft system. Using it reduces workload, but it still requires the correct heading, altitude and navigation modes.
Why are realism options locked or ignored?
Career missions, training lessons and challenges can enforce their own rules, so some assistance or weather choices may be unavailable or overridden.
- Test in Free Flight: if an option works there, the activity is probably imposing its own settings.
- Check for Custom: this simply means at least one option differs from the selected global preset.
- Consider the aircraft: an aid such as automatic mixture management may have no visible effect in an aircraft whose engine already controls mixture electronically.
- Change settings from the main menu: if an in-flight adjustment is not retained, leave the activity, apply it from the main settings screen and start a fresh flight.
If assistance choices keep reverting even in Free Flight, apply them again from the main menu before considering a reset of Microsoft Flight Simulator's settings.