Can you use a flight simulator offline? See which sims work, what features need internet, and how to prepare before disconnecting.
Yes. In general, you can use a flight simulator offline, provided the software, aircraft, scenery and any required licences are installed or activated beforehand. Older locally installed sims such as FSX are well suited to offline flying; streaming-heavy simulators lose scenery and features, while browser or cloud-based sims generally cannot run at all.
Which flight simulators work offline?
Locally installed simulators with local scenery are the most reliable offline; cloud-streamed products are the least reliable.
| Simulator | Offline suitability | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| FS2004 and FSX | Strong | Core aircraft and scenery are stored locally. Complete installation and activation first; digital editions may also require the launcher to be configured for offline use. |
| X-Plane | Strong | The simulator and installed scenery work locally. Real-world weather, multiplayer, updates and scenery not already downloaded remain unavailable. |
| Prepar3D | Strong | Normal offline flying is possible after licence activation. Individual add-ons may impose their own online checks. |
| FlightGear | Strong | It works offline with installed scenery. Automatic scenery downloads, multiplayer and live services require a connection. |
| DCS World | Conditional | Offline authorisation should be enabled while connected. Multiplayer, updates and some licensed content will not work without internet. |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 | Conditional | Offline permissions and local world content must be prepared in advance. Streamed scenery and live services disappear. |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 | Limited | It is designed around cloud-streamed content. Cached data can help during a connection loss, but it does not create a complete offline installation. |
| Browser or cloud-streamed simulators | None | The software runs through remote servers or downloads data continuously, so it generally cannot start or fly offline. |
For a permanently disconnected computer, FSX, X-Plane, Prepar3D or FlightGear is a safer choice than a cloud-dependent simulator. Our overview explains why FSX remains practical when the internet is unavailable. The distinction between local and remote software is also covered in our comparison of browser, cloud and installed flight simulators.
Can Microsoft Flight Simulator run without internet?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 can provide reduced offline flying when prepared beforehand, whereas Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 should not be treated as a dependable offline simulator.
With MSFS 2020, install the available offline content and confirm that the platform licence can be used without a connection. Locally stored aircraft, airports, preset weather and core simulation functions can remain available. Bing world imagery, photogrammetry, live weather, live traffic, multiplayer and other online services will not.
MSFS 2024 streams a much larger share of its world and aircraft content. Its rolling cache may preserve some previously loaded data or soften a temporary outage, but it is not a permanent copy of the simulator world. A flight continuing after the connection drops does not prove that the simulator can complete a cold offline launch. See our detailed explanation of MSFS 2024's connection requirements and offline limits before choosing it for a restricted connection.
What stops working when a flight simulator is offline?
Network services stop working offline, but the local flight model, cockpit systems and installed scenery usually continue to function.
- Streamed scenery: satellite imagery, photogrammetry, map tiles and uninstalled scenery may become generic, incomplete or blank.
- Live data: real-world weather, live traffic and multiplayer traffic require internet access. Weather presets normally remain available.
- Online accounts: cloud saves, multiplayer, shared cockpits, leaderboards and network-dependent career features may be unavailable.
- Downloads and updates: aircraft, scenery, simulator patches and navigation-data updates cannot be retrieved.
- Add-on services: a simulator may open normally while a particular aircraft, map, chart display or licence-protected add-on refuses to load.
A common source of confusion is the cockpit moving map. Its online map tiles can disappear even though the GPS or FMC still has a locally installed navigation database and can follow the programmed route.
How do you prepare a flight simulator for offline use?
Prepare and test the entire installation while internet access is still available.
- Finish the installation. Download the simulator, required world regions, aircraft, airports and updates, then run it at least once.
- Complete licence checks. Activate the simulator and its add-ons. If the launcher or simulator offers an offline-authorisation setting, enable it before disconnecting.
- Store scenery locally. Install every region you intend to visit. Do not assume a temporary rolling cache contains a complete airport or route.
- Test each add-on. Load the intended aircraft and airport while online, then check whether any panels, avionics or licence managers depend on remote services.
- Prepare the flight. Save the flight plan, charts and weather preset locally. Online planners, live weather and cloud chart services will not be available later.
- Perform a cold offline test. Close the simulator and launcher, disable the network, restart the device and launch everything normally. Confirm that the aircraft, departure airport, avionics and controls all load.
A mistake we see constantly is testing offline use by disconnecting after reaching the cockpit. That checks how the simulator handles a dropped connection, not whether it can start without one. A full restart with the network disabled exposes expired sign-in tokens, missing scenery and add-on authentication problems before they spoil a planned flight.