What are the differences between X-Plane 12 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?
X-Plane 12 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 differ most in their priorities. X-Plane 12 leans harder into aerodynamic modelling, cockpit procedure practice and a more traditional simulator workflow, while MSFS 2024 puts far more emphasis on world detail, visual immersion, built-in activities and a broader mainstream flying experience.
X-Plane 12 vs Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 at a glance
| Area | X-Plane 12 | Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Flight dynamics, systems practice, procedural flying | World simulation, visuals, accessibility, structured content |
| Scenery | Good, but usually more dependent on add-ons for top-tier coverage | Stronger default global scenery and landmark detail |
| Flight model feel | Often preferred by simmers who want a highly technical handling model | Improved and capable, but the visual world is still the bigger selling point |
| Weather presentation | Convincing atmospheric effects and seasonal changes | Very strong cloudscape, lighting and large-scale world atmosphere |
| Built-in career and missions | More open-ended sim platform approach | Much stronger built-in progression and activity structure |
| Offline use | Generally less dependent on online world streaming | Works best with a solid internet connection for streamed world data |
| Performance balance | Can suit cockpit-focused simmers who prioritise physics over scenery density | Often heavier on hardware because of world detail and streaming |
| Add-on style | Strong enthusiast ecosystem, especially for study and procedure-oriented flying | Huge ecosystem spanning airliners, scenery and casual-to-serious content |
What is the main difference between X-Plane 12 and MSFS 2024?
The shortest honest answer is this: X-Plane 12 is more of a traditional simulator platform, and MSFS 2024 is more of a world-scale flying experience with simulator depth layered into it.
That does not mean X-Plane 12 looks poor, or that MSFS 2024 is shallow. Both are serious simulators in the right hands. The difference is where each one puts its biggest effort, and what you notice first after loading into the cockpit.
Flight model and aircraft handling
This is where the debate usually starts. X-Plane has long built its reputation on aerodynamic modelling, and X-Plane 12 continues that approach. Many simmers choose it because they want the aircraft to feel like the centre of the experience rather than the landscape around it.
In practical terms, that often shows up in:
- how the aircraft responds through pitch and roll changes,
- how control inputs feel during slow flight, stalls and flare,
- how wind and turbulence affect the aeroplane,
- and how convincing hand-flying feels without relying on visual spectacle.
MSFS 2024 is not weak here. Its flight and ground handling are more advanced than the old stereotype suggests, and many aircraft in the platform can support very serious procedure training and IFR practice. Still, if your first question is, Which sim is more focused on the aircraft itself?, we would point you toward X-Plane 12.
Which one feels more realistic to fly?
That depends on what you mean by realistic.
- If you mean aerodynamic behaviour, trim changes, control feel and technique, many experienced simmers still favour X-Plane 12.
- If you mean the total sensation of flying through a believable world with accurate terrain, lighting, cloudscapes and landmarks, MSFS 2024 usually feels more realistic overall.
Those are different kinds of realism, and people often talk past each other because they mean different things by the same word.
Scenery, terrain and world detail
This is the clearest win for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Out of the box, it generally offers a richer global world, more convincing terrain coverage, stronger visual variety from region to region, and a much more immediate sense that you are flying over the real Earth.
For VFR flying, sightseeing, low-and-slow bush flying and simply learning the shape of places, that matters a lot. You can often recognise towns, coastlines, roads, mountains and major landmarks with much less work than in a more add-on-dependent setup.
X-Plane 12 can still look excellent, especially with good aircraft, airports and carefully chosen scenery enhancements from places such as our downloads library. But as a default, first-install experience, MSFS 2024 is usually the more visually impressive sim by some margin.
Weather, lighting and atmosphere
Both sims have made weather a major part of the experience, but they present it differently.
MSFS 2024 is especially strong at making the atmosphere look alive. Cloud layers, haze, sunlight, dawn and dusk lighting, mountain weather and broad visual transitions tend to be one of its standout strengths. It is often the sim people use when they want to feel the scale and mood of a flight.
X-Plane 12 also does weather well, and many simmers like the way it conveys air mass, precipitation, runway condition and changing atmospheric behaviour. It can feel a little less theatrical, but often more utilitarian, especially if your priority is what the weather is doing to the aircraft rather than how spectacular it looks out of the windscreen.
Career mode, missions and structured gameplay
This is one of the biggest practical differences. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 pushes much further into structured content. It is designed not just as a sandbox, but also as a place where you can take on tasks, progress through activities and have clear reasons to fly beyond free flight.
X-Plane 12 is more of a platform. You set the route, the aircraft and the challenge. For simmers who like building their own routines, that is a strength. For newcomers who want the sim to give them objectives, MSFS 2024 is usually the easier entry point.
Airliner flying, IFR and procedure training
Both can handle serious IFR work. You can fly SIDs, STARs, approaches, holds and managed descents in either platform with the right aircraft. The real difference is the surrounding ecosystem and what sort of user you are.
X-Plane 12 often appeals to simmers who want:
- procedural cockpit work,
- hand-flying practice,
- repeatable training scenarios,
- less distraction from the visual world outside,
- and an environment that feels closer to a technical desktop simulator.
MSFS 2024 often appeals to simmers who want:
- serious IFR capability,
- plus better-enough visuals for airline route immersion,
- stronger airport arrival atmosphere,
- and a sim that also works for GA touring, helicopters and sightseeing.
If your main interest is line flying from gate to gate with good systems depth, either can work very well. The better choice usually comes down to which add-on aircraft you want to build around, and whether you care more about cockpit fidelity, flight model feel or outside-world immersion.
Performance and hardware demands
There is no universal winner here because performance depends heavily on aircraft complexity, scenery, traffic, weather, screen resolution and whether you fly in VR. Even so, the general pattern is fairly clear.
MSFS 2024 usually asks more from your PC because it is doing more with the world around you. That includes richer scenery, more lighting complexity and streamed data. A fast internet connection also matters more if you want the platform to look its best consistently.
X-Plane 12 can also be demanding, especially with weather, dense airports and detailed add-ons, but it is often chosen by simmers who are willing to trade some visual excess for a more aircraft-focused simulation workload.
Which one is better for a slower PC?
Neither is truly a low-end sim by modern standards. If your hardware is older, the decision often comes down to what compromise bothers you less:
- MSFS 2024: lower settings may still look attractive, but busy areas and streamed scenery can be hard on the system.
- X-Plane 12: visuals may be easier to simplify around your hardware target, but demanding weather and airports can still push the machine hard.
If you are buying specifically for modest hardware, it is wise to think about the aircraft and flying style you actually use rather than comparing the base platforms in isolation.
VR, peripherals and home cockpit use
Both platforms support serious sim hardware, but they suit different setups.
X-Plane 12 has long been comfortable in more technical, cockpit-centred setups where yokes, throttles, rudder pedals and instrument workflow matter most. Its overall design tends to feel at home in training-style environments.
MSFS 2024 works very well with mainstream controls too, and its visual richness can be superb in VR when the system can keep up. If your goal is total immersion rather than pure procedural practice, it has a strong edge.
Add-ons and community ecosystem
Both have deep add-on ecosystems, but they are not identical in character.
- X-Plane 12 often attracts users who want highly technical aircraft, utility tools and a platform they can tune around specific training or procedural needs.
- MSFS 2024 has broad appeal across airliners, GA, helicopters, scenery, missions and visual enhancements, helped by its much larger mainstream audience.
The most important point is that add-ons can change the balance dramatically. A stock-sim comparison is useful, but many long-term simmers spend most of their time flying one or two favourite aircraft with selected scenery and utility packages. That real-world setup matters more than feature lists on a box.
Which simulator should you choose?
We would break it down like this:
- Choose X-Plane 12 if you care most about aircraft handling, procedural flying, training value, hand-flying feel and a more traditional sim platform.
- Choose Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 if you care most about world detail, visual immersion, built-in activities, scenic VFR flying and a simulator that feels alive before you install anything extra.
- Choose based on your main aircraft if you already know what you fly most. The best platform is often the one with the aircraft and workflow that suit your routine.
- Choose based on your hardware and internet if performance is a concern. MSFS 2024 benefits more from strong connectivity and modern graphics horsepower.
So which is better: X-Plane 12 or Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?
There is no single winner for everyone. X-Plane 12 is usually the better fit for simmers who treat the software as a technical flying tool. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is usually the better fit for simmers who want the most convincing world, broader built-in content and a stronger sense of being there.
If we had to summarise it in one line: X-Plane 12 prioritises the aeroplane; MSFS 2024 prioritises the whole flying world around it. Your best choice depends on which of those matters more every time you sit down to fly.