New Microsoft Flight Simulator MSFS (FS2020): The Ultimate Guide

At last! We are not forgotten!

I am a private pilot myself and have used the Microsoft Flight Simulator X for some time. I loved the program then, and I would hope that Microsoft will uphold the quality and enable older joysticks and peripherals to work with the new software? I look forward to seeing what is on offer.

I have been a keen user of computer-based flight sims since the very first appeared in the 1980s but since Microsoft Flight Sim 2004 has had continuing problems, that lots of money spent on hard and software has failed to correct.

My current sim is Flight Sim X Steam Edition, but my high-end spec computer fails to run it without issues such engines on multi-engine aircraft constantly stopping. I have had no luck correcting this which means I can’t fly aircraft with more than one engine.

I will without question buy the new Flight Sim software in the hope that if nothing else, it runs as well as pre-2004 software functioned. While it would be great to be able to re-install many of my current add-on software and I would be prepared to start afresh with the latest software if that meant a well-running flight simulator package.

Its certainly exciting news!

AWESOME! I CANNOT wait for the NEW RELEASE OF Microsoft Flight Simulator. I've been a fan of the ENTIRE series of MFS all the way through FSX. The NEW release is STUNNING, the likes of which has NEVER been seen in modern day simulation games. BRING IT ON, MICROSOFT, this has been LONG OVERDUE. NOW IS THE TIME FOR SOMETHING OUT OF THIS WORLD! ROCK ON!

Great news; have been using MS FSX forever but do hope I can get or use all the add-ons that I currently have..military, civilian aircraft, helicopters, etc as well as all the world scenery.

Yaeh Microsoft! I have been flying every day using FSX I will now use the new simulator.

WOW! If this new MSFS is as good as shown in the YouTube video, then it will be truly excellent and will eclipse all existing flight sims!

Looking forward to it! :)

Hopefully the NEW FLIGHT SIM WITH A NEW fsx.cfg file will be able to be adjusted to run on very high-end graphics computers, so the flying experience will be super normal and not compromised as it is now. One can only hope!

Looks great; when does Australia get it?

Cool! It's about time! The graphics are out of this world! One of my questions would be what the minimum requirements would be to run it. Am I going to have to buy a new computer to run it?

I am running windows 7 64 bit 8 mb ram. I really like FSX, not the STEAM version. I don't like the idea of having to pay a subscription fee to use it, but that may be the wave of the future. Also the initial cost of the program, I may have to consider as well. But still, it sounds and looks very intriguing.

Well, it seems superb looking at the available screenshots. BUT, if the detail is as complex as shown how will that amount of detail effect frame rates.

Performance wise is it equal to or better than the current 64-bit sim's. Higher end payware aircraft such as A2A, PMDG, QW etc, do we have to purchase all that again, I certainly hope not after all the hundreds of dollars spent on these purchases plus the Addon scenery also purchased.

I am anxious to pre-order the new simulator. I have flown Microsoft sim from sim through to the gold version. I now only fly X-Plane 11, but I will purchase the new Microsoft 2019.

I have one of the top of the line Jet Line Systems - love it. They better hurry up, I am almost 87. I would love to see the WW2 version of the KB50J, I use to fly as a flight engineer. Gosh... such good memories... 271/2 years USAF. Fred.

My money is as good as in their account already, it looks brilliant, just hope I have the hardware to run it.

I am a serious flight sim user. I fly FSX to keep my skills current and for adult entertainment in a realistic flight environment.

I’m more than a little suspicious about an Xbox connection to this new sim as that is a game platform for kids and not what I consider to be in the realm of serious flight simulation.

Also, if I cannot fly A2A Simulations’ aircraft add-ons on your new sim, I will not purchase it, period.

I believe that many thousands of others like myself will have the same view. It does look very good and it could be highly successful if it is accepted by serious flight sim users. It is in your best interest to see that it is.

Finally, a flight sim announcement I want to know more about and how! On your marks, get set, SPEND MY MONEY!

Sounds great, but we'll have to see where it goes!

Looking forward to seeing this new product. If it is as good as all

Your previous Flight sims it will be great as this is the only game I play through my PC in over 20 years.

I think this is a major improvement to an already great flight simulator system! I've wondered often why Microsoft couldn't upgrade FSX to something greater. Maybe this is the answer.

Beautiful! I can't wait for the year 2020 for that... Let me know as soon as is ready. Keep up with the good works. Jose.

I have flown FS2004, FSX, and X-Plane. I love X-Plane, I also ran the steam version of FSX, I liked it a lot. If this is like what I just read and saw in the video please bring it on as it looks a lot more realistic than al the others.

We hope that Microsoft's awakening is a simulator close to reality and not a game, according to the video, expectations are more than valid.

Great graphics and detail. Will I be able to download on Steam?

Excellent, I love FSX. Congratulations Microsoft.

WOW! I hope this is true because WOW!

Really exciting news, hope it will track FSX closely, but with the 'higher quality' attainable. Looking forward to it.

I think it is a good idea to have a more realistic flight simulator, I can't wait for it to come out I hope it comes with more information on setting up for flights the nearest to realistic simulator is flight simulator x and if it is like or better than this that will be brilliant keep up the good work.

It certainly looks good but firstly, will the outside world be real photographic scenery included in the price, secondly, what is the price likely to be.

In order to draw all the current enthusiasts away from their flight simulators and the investments they will have made over the years in scenery files, aircraft and a host of another add-on, the price had better be well targeted and the contents sufficiently good enough to tip the balance away from all the other flight sims.

Exciting news indeed. But the as yet unanswered questions regarding third-party add-ons are important ones Microsoft needs to heed.

Having largely abandoned a dedicated customer base in the past (to the point a Windows update switched off FS9 until you searched through the massive update list and found and deleted the offending download) the global Flight Sim community -of which we must number in the millions- might treat a new Microsoft platform with a dose of scepticism.

The staggering amount of work third-party developers have put in to provide the Flight Sim world with quality freeware and payware add-ons will not just be forgotten or abandoned by our community. If, as indicated, the new Flight Sim involves a totally new engine then one hopes MS provides a crossover from, for example, FSX.

In terms of what the new Flight Sim might be titled, perhaps Microsoft could engage in a survey of the Flight Sim community. Microsoft certainly needs to engage in a PR job as well as a new product.

Kit Stevens New Zealand Flight Simmer

How can we played with the Xbox controller?

Having owned MFS since the early 2000's I am looking forward to purchasing the new version.

This is good news for simmers but bad news for your bank account if like me you have spent a fortune on FSX add-ons. Let's hope Microsoft will consider this and think of its past supporters.

About time that Microsoft came out with a new version of FS.

I suspected that Microsoft had this planned from the start by selling off the old FSX.

The new version will be totally new and probably not compatible with what we have enjoyed for many years. I guess we shall have to install Windows 10 or even a later version. Upgrades or additions will have to be purchased from Microsoft.

However, it looks wonderful and we look forward to further news. We shall probably have to go for a newer version of a graphics card, which was a limitation of good old FSX. I have had endless fun from way back FS98. Get a move on Microsoft, I am getting old!

It looks great, looking forward to it!

Can’t wait friends! I’ve been waiting, like you, for a quality of graphics and flying! Please deliver this to us soon. Hopefully, many of us can be put on a list of people that can put this NEW FLIGHT SIMULATOR through its paces!

It sounds like a fine idea whose time has come - it would be a very good idea to include enough tuition tutorials to learn more and in-depth about instrument flying so you can learn how to reach a destination in instrument conditions which is what I have been doing for the last years with FSX, also through the use of add-ons. It should be possible to choose between more demanding instrument lessons and simpler visual flight VFR.

I think this is most important - instrument learning and familiarisation for the enthusiast.

Have been a fan from day one. At 79, I'm running out of time so bring it on.

If it is mot for PC's then forget it.

Will there be railroads?

At last, it looks much improved. I've been an owner of Flight Simulator X; seen it started. Can't wait to get the new one next year.

It is nice to see Microsoft Flight Sim be back in action although I have lost all my flight sim due to fire... now I have a chance to get some back and up to date sure hope it will be sent on hard copy and will be it for sure will it be compatible with Windows 10?

Can hardly wait to buy this new version. I am flying X-Plane 11 for now and it is nice to go back to the pioneer in FS. Let me know if it would be possible to buy it outright.

I have purchased all versions of Microsoft Flight Sim over the past several years.

I currently run FSX on a new HP gaming computer along with a BenQ gaming monitor. Everything seems to run just fine, but would not be nearly as realistic if it were not for the add-ons of aircraft, scenery, and weather.

Let's hope the new Flight Simulator has it all, plus being able to purchase add-ons if necessary.

Being a retired professional pilot, I appreciate the realism I have achieved. Hoping for more of the same.

With all the tens of thousands of airplane, rotorcraft, etc., "sim objects" out there, are they going to be made obsolete and unusable overnight so that only Microsoft sim objects will run on the new platform... requiring all the old aircraft to be rebuilt and re-released by their developers? That would be a "big wrench" into the works.

Beta testers anyone?

Is Microsoft interested in offering some beta testing versions?

X-Plane has done that for several releases.

I think it would be a good move on Microsoft's part and would be a lot of "free" public relations for them. I doubt that it would hurt their future sales. I, actually, think it would prime the pump and increase them.

Having gone from FS 9, FSX, FSX Steam Edition, I tried X-Plane 10 with my dual core computer. No way. Then the announcement about FSW. Wow. But still no way. So I upgraded to an 8 core AMD Athlon and I was ready.

About the time the computer was set, the death announcement of FSW came out. Ouch! BUT I was able to get one of the last working copies and have run that.

Love the graphics but limited aircraft choice.

Went to X-Plane 11 and that works very well but I still pull up FSW for the better graphics despite the uncured bugs. If the announcement here is real, I am all set for the new product. Can't wait.

P.S. I am former Link C-11 instrument trainer instructor/technician SSGT USAF. Simulation has sure come a long way!

I have been using FSX for many years and love it. Glad to see that it will be continued. It would be nice, however, to be available for Mac!

Fantastic preview! How about a comparison between this new MS flight sim and Prepar3D v4? Prepar3D has already developed far away from FSX.

Delighted to hear this; have FSX & x-plane 10, prefer FSX, bring it on ASAP.

An incredible new approach to Flight Simulation. It would be great from Microsoft to advise what recommended hardware requirements will be.

I have just bought a new gaming computer and I am now not sure if my Intel I7 chip, my Samsung 970 Pro NVME M.2 or my graphics card with Turing architecture will be enough.

I will surely wait for more news from Microsoft before adding any new Hardware or Software.

In fairness, I have all the Microsoft flight sims, from 95 to FSX SE. However, after spending a small fortune on addon aircraft for both 2004, FSX and FSX SE, I gave up and moved to X-Plane 11.

The flight dynamics are incomparable. Unless Microsoft, allows some very high end freeware addons to be incorporated, I will be avoiding what has always seemed to be a money pit of a flight Sim. X-Plane 11 is the way forward.

I would only hope Microsoft will bring out a Virtual Reality version to work with their Mixed Reality Platform. Now we have the HP Reverb device with a really awesome resolution, I don't want to only sit in front of my computer screen. I want to be surrounded by Virtual/Mixed Reality.

Fantastic. Great. Finally an improvement.

Great news, but what at what expense in purchasing a new gaming, high-end PC?

I gave up on FSX Steam and switched to X Plane, both for graphics and flight models. X plane delivers in many areas but the scenery is not as detailed as I would like to see for VFR flying.

Also, I sincerely hope that MS will include some "affordable" general aviation aircraft in their release, like Piper Archer, Piper Cub and Cessna 172. Some prop transports and warbirds would be a joy to us "senior" simmers.

Overall, I am looking forward to reviews of the program and the computer requirements to run in a realistic fashion.

My first flight sim was in the early '80s, a black and white linear image on a floppy disk. Next, I thought I was flying state of the art with flight Sim 1 on my Omega computer system.

Back then I could only wish for a flight sim with this kind of resolution and detail. Can't wait to fly over the old neighborhoods that I grew up in as well as explore the world and this program.

Probably need to buy a new computer!

I have enjoyed MSFSX and previous versions. I have purchased add on scenery which was great but not compatible with Windows 10. MUCHO BLASTO. This took away a lot of my enjoyment as I flew a lot of light aircraft in real life and the scenery kept me up to speed. I hope the new edition will enable good scenery and add on aircraft.

I have been using the FS2004 and FSX simulators continuously since 2005 or 2006 and with some problems that I have been solving over time such as changing equipment with better resources and some technical flaws in the software.

Now we are presented MSFS or whatever you want to name, FS NN, it does not matter. I look forward to really being as shown in the video and not having to make too many changes in the equipment I have, although I have an excellent video card you never know what the results will be with the arrival of new software.

Hopefully, I will arrive soon as I will try to obtain it to continue enjoying the wonders of the virtual flight. I also enjoy the real flight to be a private pilot in my country.

Thank you very much for the information. I will wait very attentive. German Diaz.

I don't care if any of my FSX add-ons work, the graphics are stunning, if this comes out in 4K, I will invest in whatever hardware it takes to make it awesome.

From the video, it's by far and away the best VFR sim yet. Microsoft, bring it! I'm buying.

It looks really good but I'll wait to see is if a PC version comes out at a reasonable price.

I haven't really forgiven them for cutting off all support for their products in 2008 - MS lost a lot of my trust after that debacle. However, perhaps I should give them some praise for inadvertently creating an FS environment where a whole market opened up which created more realistic products like X-Plane, independent developers of aircraft, scenery and such.

I hope Laminar and the others stay in business with their fine product and I hope MS allows them to create add-ons that work with MS' new product.

The rich finally get the good stuff. Yay me.

As I understand it, it will be 4K, which means New 4K monitors, and graphics card. However, it will be worth it, also what will happen to real weather programs?

Much appreciated efforts. I am still a novice but been a follower for some years. I have some trouble. I can download but get lost with the following steps. 83-year-old ex-air traffic controller from NEW GUINEA.

It looks amazing! I just hope that it has realistic weather, realistic ATC features, and live or AI real-world traffic with the authentic airliners and planes! This is what I've always thought would make FSX and true flight simming "As real as it gets".

It seems to be a product that will change the parameters of Flight Sim as we know it, the quality of the graphics and overall presentation are almost unbelievable, if this is going to be as it appears in the promo video then you will have a product that will eclipse everything else on the market at present.

I for one will certainly be very interested in this product when it eventually gets released, I am currently using ORBX products at the moment and am using REX Skyforce for weather which is both really good, but this is even streets ahead of what I can see of P3D as well, and I would be interested in what systems it would need to run on in terms of computer capability and performance and so on, but I am sure that you will release this info soon.

Regards

John MacDonald

Finally, Microsoft realized we're getting nowhere with the crap studio that Dovetail is and sooooo slow evolving X-plane that still has no working ATC after 11 versions!

Thank you, MS that must be one of the most exciting gaming news I had in the last 10 years!

Somebody says it's fake but the trailer is uploaded on Xbox site if the game is released and add-ons also work on then I think X-Plane 11 is no more.

Oh WOW. Thank you, Microsoft. I have flown every version of FS and fly continually with FSX still loving it. But WOW those graphics are beyond my wildest dreams.

High the expense, I'll buy the new version Welcome back Microsoft, you have been missed.

Looking forward to the new FS. I love to fly instrument approaches in real-time weather situations. Bring it on soon in 2020!

Well, the only way they are going to get graphics like that is using 64 bit, more than 4GB ram and full use of graphics card. Nothing 32 bit is going to work and no way for my add-ons at the moment to work. Do I want to spend hundreds again? Sorry, no...

Please whatever else you do, do NOT do a Flight simulator game because you will be laughed out of the community.

The preview video looks fantastic - let's hope that's what it will look like out of the box.

I'm trying to sign up as a Micro. Flight Sim. 2020 insider. I get a message that an email will be sent to me with a link verifying my email address but I've never gotten the confirmation email. Has anyone else tried to register and had the same problem?

I know the MFS 2020 site is brand new but...

It`s a long time coming but I am not surprised, Microsoft Flight Simulator is the granddaddy of them all.

I hope this isn't as buggy as FSX was. I bought three PCs over the last 10 years hoping to run FSX to its maximum settings with my addons. Unfortunately, Windows 20 updated stopped it from working on my PC permanently back in 2016 and I have not flown since then.

I miss it but I am waiting till they get it right (hopefully soon).

Would like to see some passenger animations and proper interactive missions.

I've been an MSFS fan since its early days when it came on 7 floppy disks which ran on my DOS 6 machine. Then FS2002, FS2004 and finally FSX.

I recall back in the day when FSX was new and everyone complained about it being so "bleeding edge" that very few "home" based computers could run it at its full potential with all sliders "maxed out". Many users enjoyed FSX but with most features tuned low to avoid overtaxing their hardware.

Now; having seen the promo video with its fantastic, almost photoreal graphics; I believe we're going back to early FSX days again. The graphics appear great! Do I believe my existing hardware can duplicate this feat? Never!

The new FS's full capabilities will take high-end, top of the line hardware (translation = expensive) never mind your run of the mill I7 with 16G ram and 980GTX card. Your average flightsimmer cannot afford $3500.00 dedicated sim rigs.

I still run FS9 alongside FSX-SE on my modest I5 Win10 rig and likely will be doing so for a while yet. But I am very happy to see Microsoft back in the flight sim game again.

Myself, I've got a TON of money into flight panels; in the thousands Along with many others.

Aircraft? That's another story. Time will tell as the public will decide if this is going to fly.

Myself, I'll wait as I did with Steam for the end results.

From what I can see by the results of this video, this has the chance to blow the market wide open and lock it up tight if they play the poker hand right. But then again, this is M.S. we are talking about - sorry my opinion of M.S. is not very high as I've seen the game from them way back when.

For now, there is an old saying which I will stick with; if it works, then don't fix it!

It is great to have the new version since I am not able to reinstall FSX due to error 1722. Should we wait? When it will be available... Thanks.

I think, it will be again the big juggernaut with astronomically graphics card and CPU consumption, so 90% of users will have set 50% details or will play with 10FPS... maybe I am wrong, it will show in time, but from history, I guess again the same...

But have to say, the weather effects look absolutely insane, and I think it was not only directly from the game.

And finally the flight model... I hope they will manage other systems, the old precalculated behaving is simply an anachronism.

And about community and free content, XP wins at all... to the FS you have to almost all thinks buy...

Looking forward to having a chance to compare :)

Most likely NOT TRUE!

NEW "MICROSOFT" FLIGHT SIMULATOR (in 2020 REALLY?)

I personally don't believe it.

Looks fantastic. I just wish they would pick up and update CFS3. I still play the original CFS3 online on a private forum. It would be so nice if they updated it.

Waiting for it. Hope we can have it soon.

The new SIM looks great! I use both FSX SE and X-plane 11.

Both have their pros and cons. X-plane has better default scenery, but FSX SE seems to be less sensitive on the rudder pedals on takeoff.

All I ask now is please, please, PLEASE have the option of removing the yoke so the entire panel is visible, just like X-Plane does.

That alone will give me more incentive to use the new MS FS. I am looking forward to trying out the newest version...

This new Microsoft F/S will be welcome for the simmers of all the world.

I hope the new F/S would not be a mere game platform for kids but a wonderful tool to be into the realm of serious F/S.

Hope it could be adapted to cockpit builders and suitable for addons, and controllers such as throttles, pedals, and fs hardware.

In the future, many new pilots would be needed. This would be very good for youngsters to practice.

Hello,

You are fantastic! I just come back for using FSX and I never imagined to have the possibility for loading free your airplanes and all others.

I will subscribe but not yet, I am also an amateur musician and I don't have time to play with FSX regularly. But I will do!

Many thanks

Patrick

I will buy the sim as soon as it become available.

I had every sim from Microsoft running on Windows; 95, 98, 200, 2004, FSX, etc. I had them all now since lost all in a house fire I fly X-Plane from 9 to 11 so I will buy the next copy out.

Judging by the trailer and screenshots alone, this looks to be a STUNNING upgrade to FSX that we have all been hoping and waiting for! My only concern is what kind of powerhouse PC would you need to run such high-level rendering and frame rates without seeing smoke come out of your machine?

Perhaps it is streamed to your PC via the cloud which could erase worries about processing from your PC but then that would lend itself to connectivity issues for some.

Anxious to find this out because what good is incredibly life-like textures and renders and frame rates if your PC can't handle it? I have a decent graphics machine that does pretty good but this looks next gen stunning and I hope I can enjoy it on my existing machine to its full potential.

I have put several hundred of dollars in FSX add-ons.. Especially on geographical items. Now I fly FSX over photoreal countries. I wonder if the New platform will do better...

Not interested. It will be way too expensive and I will probably need a new PC to run it on effectively anyway.

Flight simming is O.K. but there are better things for me to waste my money on than yet another flight simulation platform. If simulation is your passion, then why not? As for me, after using Steam FSX and all the problems that that has entailed, I have lost my interest in the subject altogether despite my initial enthusiasm and interest in aviation.

FINALLY --- I've been through it ALL from FS5 to FSX and everything in the middle. I've predominately settled on FS9 (FS2004) because of the variety, etc. But having looked at the sample screenshots of 2020, I will definitely move up, as long as the Third Party people are allowed in.

With that weather and scenery, it looks like a superb winner for us old guys that can't go to the Real Stuff anymore. Thanks, MS for not forgetting about us.

I have been an FS flier from the beginning but changed to X-Plane because to be honest, I thought it a better product. But will definitely be coming back if the SIM is anywhere remotely like the trailer it looked is amazing.

Keep on keeping on the development.

I'm skeptical. I have never seen a new v. hyped as bad, yet everyone paid but didn't like FSX/2004.

This huge change is touted as being worth the thousands to tens of thousands of dollars paid while patches and updates try to catch up to the "screenshots" shown here.

I have also never seen screenshots look other than real when in real use, only to find yourself hoping one of the updates (and there will be updates) will help it to appear close to the hyped screenshots.

Here's hoping it's worthy.

Guess I'm old school, still using Flight Sim 2004. Has been reliable for years. Am hoping I can upload the new Flight Sim 2020 with few or no issues.

Will be quite the jump for those of us who have enjoyed 2004 to date. Just hoping…

What new planes can we expect for FS2020?

The new Microsoft Flight Simulator looks great I can't wait to buy it download it and start using it, I have had both previous versions and now running FSX Acceleration with multiple screens yoke controls and joystick.

I wanna see the price and the difference between the Microsoft Flight simulator NG and the x-plane 11. Will x-plane 11 still hold the first place on flight simulation or Microsoft's FS is gonna win it? We have a big fight here.

Will I need a Mainframe to get that level of detail?

MS should consider developing a dedicated PC that delivers that level of graphics power for maximum resolution and frame rates.

I would consider buying one even if it's dedicated to only FS.

I went over to X-Plane a couple of years back when they dropped FSX. I have always been a builder, mostly.

When I went to X-Plane I was happy to see they many 3rd party software development tools, including their own scenery development tool called WED.

This software is so easy to use and intuitive, also making do with scenery objects ported over from other sims. Some of my favorite Art Poole scenery that I have ported over to X-Plane and used it with his permission.

In X-plane I can build an airport using an imported photo scenery in WED in about a day depending on how dense you want to make it.

I will be testing the new FS, but it must have the pliability that X-Plane has before I consider going back on top of having a bad taste in my with all the thousands of dollars I spent on FSX.

Looks great - will it be VR ready?

One simple question. Is this new 2020 release going to be made available through Steam?

Looks very promising; trust it will be making the most of full 64-bit software and having 3 party add-ons is a must! I will reserve final judgment for a downloadable pilot/trial program...

Been flying MSFS since the world was green lines in Chicago. Can't wait.

I have always loved aviation, I have FS 2004 & FSX, love them, patiently waiting for the new FS, I am sure it will be great.

I loved the fact that you could walk, drive and sail in flight sim x and when that all stopped I moved over to X-Plane.

I never got used to X-Plane even though its graphics are beautiful but I miss the simplicity of Microsoft FSX: things like choosing a route, flying any plane without falling out of the sky and the thousands of add-ons.

I wait with bated breath for the new FS 2020.

It has been an entire roller coaster; I have used FS2000, 2004, X and now P3D v4.5 which I find more stable.

I'm still unable to enjoy flying as much as I would like to due to various reasons, such as bad framerates the need of many add-ons which have a significant impact of the frames, trading graphics for performance since it’s not multi-core optimized and mostly run of the CPU rather than GPU.

If I play say GTA V my CPU is running at 35 Celsius almost idle since almost everything runs on the much more powerful GPU... When I run FSX or P£D that is basically almost the same core code the CPU hits 55-68 Celsius.

Active Sky, Ultimate Traffic Live, ORBX, PMDG, FS Labs, FS2Crew are add-ons that are a MUST but are very heavy on FPS - you could make them as payware extras, rather than a third-party code being used.

The more 3rd party the more unstable and frame heavy the sim will become.

For further updates and extras, you should listen to the community. You could also make different versions say FS2020 basic for the ones that just want to play around for a smaller price and FS2020 pro for the real diehard simmer with extras preinstalled for a higher price.

If Microsoft will be willing and able to code all the extras that are necessary, like various professional aircraft: Boeing, Airbus, MD-11 etc. and do it at PMDG and FSLabs level, the community will rather buy the addon aircraft straight from you.

The same goes for all the other add-ons.

My rig today is Ocz 1250W, Intel 8086k running on Asus Maximus X formula motherboard, Nvidia RTX 2080 8gb, and 16GB RAM and still I can’t max the settings.

All other games that run off the GPU run like a dream.

Really, what Microsoft needs to do for winning the community back is to listen to our needs.

For all who cares about frame rates...

Forget current FSX, P3D or X-Plane; those runs very outdated graphics engines and everything which are not able to utilize the power of current hardware effectively, all stay at single core rendering, so the performance of single core is what current sims are able to do for frame rates.

Graphics we seen in the trailer is nothing special for current video games running even few hundreds of frames per second with high-end hardware and are able to run at FHD with over 60FPS on moderate gaming PC.

Physics simulation and system simulation is cheap on resources, those, of course, can utilize other cores on our multi-core CPUs...

Finally at last... Wow! Like staring life again after death.

I hope they keep the process of doors opening on the various aircraft. Also, hope they make it so we can talk to the controllers during VFR (something X-Plane does not).

Please continue to make the boarding bridges moveable. In my previous version of FSX, the planes were very small on my screen, even on the ground.

This sounds like a good flight sim and equal or better than X-Plane.

There needs to be a massive update on ATC Operations.

FSX has some great graphics as does the new release when it happens, but their interactive ATC is totally unrealistic.

Real ATC gives you specific approach speeds and two miles or more separations, ground operations require permission for pushback, taxiing, hold short positions at various points by giving numbered and phonetic locations to taxi to and hold for further instructions, then they hand you off to the tower, departure gives you specific vectors to Waypoints, VOR's and NDB's during climb outs, plus pilots can request vectors to specific locations during IFR flights.

Sometimes they get those vectors in real life, sometimes they don't.

ATC will also turn aircraft during developing storms to avoid serious encounters, there are no real enroute NOTAM'S in FSX, nor any of the previously mentioned routine ATC Communications in real life, plus I haven't even mentioned declaring emergencies.

For those of us who choose to not fly that often online with other actual humans who are doing ATC Operations or during those times when no humans are available, realistic ATC is a definite requirement.

The current ATC is completely robotic and highly predictable. Warnings of aircraft and other vehicles on the Apron, Tarmac, and Taxiways come too late....of at all. Warnings of aircraft separations in-flight come way too late.

Thankfully, I have not experienced collisions in the air, but I've had plenty on the ground where other aircraft collide with me and keep on going. It happens so much, that I have to stop and hold near other aircraft and change viewpoints. Plus, what's with aircraft that disappear waiting in line at a runway and those ahead of me in 'Position and Hold'? Or aircraft landing that must Go Around and disappear at Climb out?

These are issues that take away from the pleasure and experience and greatly diminish expectations of a flight game versus a Simulator.

We're SIMS, not Gamers!

Purchasing music was the same. First, we had 78's, then vinyl, then tape recordings, then CD's Then MP3's then I subscribed to Spotify.

After buying the same products over and over filling up storage space at home the solution is the same. If this works and I think it will a monthly subscription could be the answer as well in MSFS.

Along with an open world with all the scenery there, everything, supported by developers and the community supporting them in this way would bring in a much more steady income and predictability to aid funding further development.

We've all been there, especially my generation having paid again and again for the same products only to find they were superseded a year or two hence by must have upgrades.

Go for it MS!

Like many others, I've been using Flight Sim since it came on floppies and I'm excited to see what this new product brings.

However, like others who remember the days of *purchasing* software (not leasing a license-to-use), I'll be less than enthused to get hit with a big purchase price AND a monthly subscription fee.

I don't mind paying a hefty sum for the sim, especially if it is as good as the teaser looks, and I don't even mind paying for (reasonable) updates but I'll be less likely to let Microsoft put their hand firmly in my monthly pocket.

Would any of us STILL be flying FSX *13* years after release if we had to pay $10 per month (my guess of the minimum MS would expect for the privilege)? I doubt it.

I would have flown for a few years and then realized how much it was really costing.

All that said, me and my kids KNOW that I'll be kitting out a new PC when the game is released and realistic specs are tested.

Can't come quick enough for me, started flying with FS 1998.

It really helped me get through a stroke, just love the whole product and will definitely purchase the new system.

Bring it on.

I bought FS98 and FSX Gold Edition. I thought that Microsoft wasn't interested to continue the project, but, the fact is another.

I'm very satisfied and I hope that the future version:

• Increases the level of reality using the Windows 10 Pro 64 bit technology.
• Includes real weather (doesn't work at the moment).
• Include information about real traffic (like AI traffic).
• Increases the level of ATC (more options, flight followed by radar, and so on).
• Increases the level of image quality (today the graphics cards have the potential to do that).
• All models developed and airports created to FSX Gold have to be usable in FS2020.

Sure, I'll be a user.

Never stop believing in Microsoft and here is the proof. Huge thanks to Microsoft for your work.

The trailer looks wonderful. But it seems to be a game for the Xbox. If you like to enjoy the forum for development, you need an Xbox. For most current flight sim users it would be a disappointment.

Microsoft Flight Simulator X is a basic platform for earth-wide education. As Earth steadily turns more frightened and cynical--and mercenary--it will be interesting to see how flight simulation is implemented in public education...

I am very pleased to hear MS has decided to return to developing a flight simulator. I was very disappointed when the franchise was shut down after FSX.

I hope they will allow 3rd party developers to offer add-on's, including aircraft, avionics, and utilities. I suggest they have a working G1000 & 530 WAAS which have become industry standards.

I hope they will build in an SDK with the capability to design an aircraft. The engine should be capable of using the vast power of modern Intel processors with multi-layer. I also hope they will work with simulator developers who want to use this software in a training role.

The future is hopeful, and we need to train a lot of pilots, therefore we need also to inspire young people who may want aviation as a career. I wish the MS development team Tailwinds and Blue Skies.

So far, all sounds promising. I’ve been a part of Microsoft Flight Simulation from the beginning. What worries me is that nothing has been posted or discussed by M S regarding approximate general computer requirements, hardware, processor etc.

No doubt, it will require a high end or top of the line computer. Currently, to run some of the 64-bit platforms, one needs a pretty expensive set up to run them smoothly with all the associated add-ons and eye candy. I for one am retired and my fixed income doesn’t leave much room for most of the higher-end setups.

I am also a licensed private pilot. Haven’t flown much, primarily because it is expensive to do so. I rely upon my current set up and some study level aircraft to keep me engaged.

This may not be possible with newer releases. I also have never owned an Xbox set up. The announcement is exciting, but I await the information that will either include or exclude me from this new platform.

This looks super dope and I can't wait for this to be released!

Only thing I wish they would change is that they should make it a one time purchase game instead of a subscription, like the current FSX Steam Edition, the one time payment makes it SO MUCH better for us teens who don't have their own money to throw into the game, as I know that many of the people who play FSX Steam Edition are younger and can't afford to throw money into a subscription game, not that it's not worth it, I'm sure it is.

Another £200 per year subscription?! I would rather continue buying add-ons with this money for my copies of XP11 & FSX Steam.

Co$t models; just my thoughts - Preamble - The money you've spent for what you have now, works with what you have now. What you have today is in the past by tomorrow.

Your older FSX & modern-ish P3D & X-Plane sims will continue to run as well tomorrow as well as they run today. > If you pay to see a movie, concert, sporting event, play a round of golf, you get to enjoy it at the moment, then it's gone. You don't get to keep it. It's the "cost of doing business" for entertainment.

Our previous "Versions" of Flight Simulators are still very enjoyable when we choose to play them. And, as long as we have them, our enjoyment won't change. But, if we keep what we have, we cannot expect much change in quality.

Current Co$t of the Flight Sim hobby - Buy the base sim, then buy the add-ons. Those Software add-ons, over 12 months, can add up to $100 to $300 or More if you can afford it. Really, it is like spending $10 to $30 a month as if it were a subscription.

NEW technology is a Capital Investment. How to PAY for it?

1. A Once in a Lifetime Purchase to access the Base Flight Sim - provides the "start-up" Capital (money).
2. Subscription - Annual or Monthly Subscription to access a "Cyber Library" - offering hundreds of products to chose from and to use with the Base Flight Sim; not being limited to only one product for your money spent like it is now. Satisfied your purchase or not, your money is gone. > Different Subscription Rates would allow users to access "Casual" to "Hard-Core Study Level" offerings. For a small one-time "Surcharge" - a month of access to a higher level offering as a "try before you buy". > The developers wouldn't risk recovering their cost of production and would have a stable source of income by which to govern their production. Everyone pays a little and everyone gets to enjoy a wider selection.
3. No Subscription - After the Purchase of the Base Flight Sim, collect what you want as "Payware"; just as it is now. The User would have access to the "Software Code" that has already been written for the "Cyber Library". > Accommodating the "Ability to Pay" of the Community Marketplace would ensure that everyone would be able to participate... some contributing in a small way and others in a big way depending on each one's requirements. If you could get just 5 cents from 1 million people, you'd have $50,000. It's all in the numbers.

... Good-bye to 2000 to 2019 and Hello to 2020 ... just my thoughts at 73... Thank You "subLogic" (1984) Happy Flights...

Will it work with Windows 7?

Sounds great. I have had every copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator since the very first. Looking forward to seeing the new edition.

I am having a long love with simulators since 1990 with my first computer.

I then started with Microsoft Flight Sim 95, 2000, 2002, 2004 and FSX.

I also have X plane 11 - I am eagerly waiting for the new Microsoft simulator FS2020.

Looking forward to it!

I try out a lot of new ideas in flight simulation, even the Flight Sim World, which was really a disappointment.

The new beta of FlyInside Flight Simulator, being a completely stand-alone venture aside from X-Plane or P3D looks promising. As for now, I use Monitor for display, it's not ideal as it doesn't support TrackIR.

My yoke and stuff work fine. That what I expect of Microsoft too: hardware support and usage of all modern computer bases, not only single-core Intel brands.

It's possible obviously and could gather many simmers.

The behavior of aircraft, jet and propeller engines, drag by gear and flaps, controllability of slats and spoilers AND airbrakes could be defined not in tables but in algorithms for more natural behavior.

OK, that's a lot and enough for now. Big expectations from my side and as I said: I'm looking forward to it.

I'm both excited and leary of this new sim.

Excited in the sense that it will take full advantage of high-performance graphic cards instead of relying solely on the CPU... this should make for much smoother flight in high graphic loads.

The leary part comes from the possibility of it being available only via download, no SDK so it would eliminate outside developers, would only run while connected to the net and all add-ons would only come from Microsoft's online store.

If the leary come true then this is nothing more than a game for Xbox and not for the serious flight simmer who wants as close to the real thing without leaving the actual ground.

It's about realism.

I've added on to FSX with Orbx, various freeware such as ships crossing the oceans to ports, some animals, clouds, and environment; the only thing I haven't found are realistic ocean waves.

The 2020 Version, if it incorporates even part of this and allows add-ons, it may be worth the purchase, like most judgment is reserved 'till it arrives.

What about hardware add-ons such as Saitek yokes, rudder pedals, throttle controls etc?

Brilliant, can’t wait to get my hands on it but does anyone know if my full Saitek package of instruments, rudder pedals, yoke and throttle quadrants will work with the new package?

I have been playing Microsoft Flight Simulator since FS98. I’ve owned every single version of the simulation since then. That being said, the improvements that I am looking for...

1. A more realistic AI - I should not have to buy third party traffic packs. I want to see all the modern airliners with airline liveries, along with better GA and military flights.
2. A career mode is what I am longing for the most. You create your pilot, earn your PPL through a series of lessons. Get your instrument rating in the same manner through training flights. Then eventually commercial rating. Once you acquire your commercial rating it would then start the real sim portion of the game. Three levels of difficulty based on money at the start, equipment failures, and other factors. The money aspect would allow you, in turn, to start your own airline with you as the pilot through the purchase of your first sim aircraft. Have an easy livery designer and other features. If you are thinking this sounds familiar look up FSPassengers for FSX. If the guy had the help that developed this add on it could be really brilliant.
3. Better weather. The feature to pull the weather from the internet is awesome just make the textures better with improved real weather characteristics. Turbulence!
4. Lastly better airport scenery textures. I want all the gates with current airport configurations. This gives players that actually fly the ability to practice real-world approaches.

With the addition of these 4 simple fixes, I would gladly pay monthly to play this sim. The addition of those features is invaluable.

The lighting engine in this game is staggering. Lighting, for me, goes a LONG way to making me buy into a world and FS2020 looks just beautiful.

If they can pull off that level of detail without lag I'm going to cry flying in this. I am beyond excited for the Insider release.

There are times I love doing super accurate flights, but then there are just times I am playing simply for the magic and wonder of flying and seeing the world from above.

I use FSX as a flight currency tool when I cannot fly my own aircraft.

The Cessna 152 add on that I use is remarkably close to the flight dynamics of my 150. I constantly practice landings on the simulator and easily transfer my skills to the actual aircraft.

I hope the new edition keeps the current realism and also adds to it. AMAZING PRODUCT!

I’ve been used to Sims since Flight Simulator from floppy disks to FS Steam and X-Plane 11. But, as I’m a real pilot, all Sims I used are more games than really aviators' sims.

I think it’s time that Microsoft goes a degree ahead and bring us (real pilots or not) a real simulator and not a game. If that occurs, I’ll buy the “FS2020”, whatever may be the cost of the software and the necessary hardware.

I hope that my wishes will come true.

I would like so much to see the Saab JAS-39 Gripen C/E in Microsoft fs 2020 it could be the new fighter jet in Microsoft flight simulator 2020.

Excellent improvement - you just need to see the resources you consume on the computer.

So what kind of computer system will we need to run the new PC version?

Will it have a multiplayer segment that includes session lists like steam and what about communications -- built into the new simulator or do we still need to use TeamSpeak or Discord?

What about shared aircraft? Sharing of aircraft was a big thing when FSX first came out but many planes were not truly sharable. It would be very realistic to have a pilot and co-pilot flying shared airliners props or other 2 seat aircraft. Maybe even other seating could be included for some real passengers that might want to fly with friends

How about the formation flyers or military possibilities? For now, we add on TacPac for weapons and military aircraft like the F18 superbug. And what about precision flying teams like the Blue Angels team how will they fit into the new simulator?

Will there be ships like AiCarriers for carrier missions and landings? I run a steam session that uses F18 aircraft KC135 refueler that works, an AWAC to coordinate aircraft flying missions.

I have a really nice B29 B50 B62 B1 bombers from various eras but none of the weapons can be loaded.

We can do some very realistic flying simulations already in FSX including military missions using various payware and freeware aircraft with TacPac added on.

It would be great if the ACES team could include all of these features as well.

OMG, those graphics! Yes, bring on the new version. I'm a bit sick of buying add-ons for regions I regularly fly just to get scenery and traffic that's more than blocks.

I am hoping that they will include real weather updates again? I am an FSX flight fan and have been flying flight sims for quite some time.

Can not wait to see what the graphics are like and no doubt will be memory hungry.

At last. Since the launch of FS 2004, Microsoft has evolved, leaving the community with headaches of note, just to keep ourselves in the air. Looks great.

Absolutely astounding graphics, I'm 27" iMac... will it be coming to Macs in the future?

Wow, what a treat. Can't wait to have my love of FSX re-invigorated.

Talk about a 'mid-life kicker'.

Keep up the good work.

This new and exciting version of MSFS just screams for VR!

Integrating VR into the sim will finally fulfill what was tried (and in my opinion failed) with the virtual cockpit.

If anyone of you has ever tried an Oculus VR set up you will know what I mean.

MSFS, Oculus VR, and Bluetooth CH yoke pedals etc would be a combination to make fight simming truly "as real as it gets".

Would it be possible to take a stab at providing potential system requirements for desktop pilots?

So we have had all the fluff how about some real info? Will this be a 64-bit system? Will developers get the same access as FSX so that FSUIPC can be upgraded for example.

I think one of the important questions is, what and how much computing power FS2020 will require for the amazing graphics we keep seeing in these glimpses of the sim.

Many of us, I am sure, would like to be prepared to jump into the virtual cockpits when the final version becomes available.

I have been using both FSX and FS2004 including PMDG and freeware add-ons with great success overall and have learned my way into instrument flying along the way by my use of FS2004 etc over the last 20 years.

The way forward no doubt is to include interactive lessons such as will benefit all, also I've found out that naturally most FSX users etc are hardly able to fly by the instrument as they don't know how to use them properly.

An extensive flight school would be very important integrated into the software and should include things like VOR and NDB use as well as techniques such as procedure turns, DME arcs, as well as entering a hold from various positions.

Include an aerial map overview so that users can see where they are going. It should be necessary to be able to include in the menu of the new sim world to adjust the software for lesser detail settings so that all computers have a good chance of using the sim properly.

Sensational new is this new installment of Flight Simulator, I hope this new version of a program I use in a fairly complete flight simulator, using FSX Steam with PMDG Boeing 737-800 NGX, Windows 7 64bits and multiple addons, will solve the bugs and difficulties to keep a stable situation.

I am constantly looking for a compromise between realism, performance (FPS) and graphics. A major difficulty for me, in the fact that FSX only tolerates the cockpit instruments offset on up to 4 screens. The addition of a fifth screen (possible in my configuration) immediately leads to the blocking of the program and the PC.

I do not know if this phenomenon is due to FSX or PMDG, but that jeopardizes the further development of my simulator.

I think that the new FSX 2020 will run on windows 10 and that it will be able to exploit the resources of our modern PCs. I also hope that it will be able to integrate effectively into the elaborate flight simulator configurations, wanting to reproduce all the flight controls, and the characteristics of the aircraft used.

We must also consider the financial aspect of this new platform and that it is accessible and integrable to our simulators.

Thank you Microsoft, there is a long time that we dreamed of this upgrade.

If the new MSFS gives us what they are promising, then X-Plane 11 is going to have some real competition to deal with.

I am a private pilot who wants a SIM that is as close to the real thing as possible. I'm not thrilled with the "out of the box" graphics in FSX SE, and for that reason, I moved to X-Plane 11. Its graphics are pretty good.

I don't mind paying a little for add ons that improve the scenery, but I'd like to see a flight sim where adding scenery or other aircraft is a simple process.

I'm 72 yrs old and don't have the patience to download an add on and then have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out what needs to go where to make it work right. I recently purchased Orbx NA SC, and I've not been successful in getting it to work. I also don't like having to search through forums to find someone else with the same problem I have.

I purchase products to make my flight sim experience more enjoyable, NOT to get stressed out trying to install it and make it work the way advertisers promise it will work.

Also, I prefer to fly GA aircraft. I have no desire to fly in the commercial airline environment, but I do want the realism of an airport environment, as well as being able to enjoy some very realistic scenery while just flying for the enjoyment of flying.

I'm hoping that MS 2020 will put as much effort into the GA portion of the new SIM as they probably will for the Commercial side.

Amazing. It is impossible to wait any longer for this wonder. I use MSFS since the 90s. Congratulations.

I have flown Microsoft Flight Simulator since everything on the screen was a jagged stick figure, and a primitive, rattling, buzzing noise for engine sounds.

I relished each addition, every upgrade, every little touch of additional realism, and any news of developments from Microsoft. I considered glitches as the price of learning from making footprints where there were none.

If I had an issue I might have wished to get more visibility through the years, and still exists today throughout all flight sims it would be the preponderance of attention given to catering to heavy metal while other customer groups were, in comparison, thrown a crumb now and then.

A huge group of users are or would be if given the tools, BUSH PILOTS, and rural airport farmers, ranchers country doctors, and more. These pilots possess incredible skills, honed by the demands of their trade. They traverse the choice slices of all scenery areas. They visit small towns, rural airports, mountains, lakes, and streams. They are the only lifeline for food and supplies, and the only link to hospitals for thousands of people. Indeed, they are the only link with civilization for many of those people.

Imagine what the talents and creativity existing in those groups who actually animate and illustrate flight sims could do with the many faces of BUSH FLYING! I used to own a BC12D Taylorcraft. It was a pretty decent little backcountry plane. It couldn't haul much. But beyond that, it could outperform most of its peers.

The Piper J3 and a handful of other old rag and tube planes were redesigned and repainted over and over in flight sims but where was their superior brother, the Taylorcraft? Can you recall ever seeing one in a flight sim? That's just an example.

Please do consider some detailed bush areas and planes for "the rest of us".

I believe I speak for a large segment of your marker when I say that If I could have some wilderness areas with detailed scenery, challenging airstrips, cargo to haul, mercy missions, the ability to hydroplane my bush plane on the stream in order to add length to a sand bar too short to land on otherwise.

If there could be activity around the main airport, not crowds, but just someplace to sit outside and watch a plane shooting landings, or maybe wave to a fellow bush pilot working on his plane under a tree, just a feeling of being back home safely again after a day' work in my bush plane, I could die a happy flightsimmer!

In the meantime, my hat is off to all of you who use your time and talents to create the programs that bring so much pleasure to all of us who love things that fly.

I have been willing to pay full price for a version of FSX that would not have .Net framework errors and work in Windows 10 with 64 bit systems.

I do hope I won't have to spend another two to four hundred dollars for another graphics card upgrade that my current computer won't handle.

I am looking forward to this since I have had to fly using FS9 on my Windows 7 laptop and have missed the better graphics and all that came with FSX when it would work.

If I do try to fly FSX not on Steam and sometimes even on Steam it locks up and I cannot fly long flights without expecting problems.

I sincerely hope, that all the cities and locations have copies of the then-current approach plates built-in. So COM and NAV frequencies can be added into the flight you are creating.

Additionally, a relatively medium-priced set of realistic control yoke system also needs to be at least partnered with for those of us who want to be as realistic as possible sans not having a real cockpit.

Not to disparage any set of controls, but the Logitech one is not realistic, and the most expensive ones are just that too expensive to justify purchasing for a hobby.

I have lots more things I need than a 1,400 dollars set of yoke and foot pedal set. Please MS, get someone to make them which are excellent quality and won't break the bank.

I am looking forward to this new simulator, but, I won't rent it from "the store" make sure I can purchase this game on a format so I can reload it, or take it off for a while and not have to download thousands of GB's because I live in the backcountry and my internet is slow to give us access to all the files necessary to run the complete game. That was my biggest complaint with Steam you took it off, you had to redownload the whole thing to use it again.

And yes, this will require me to purchase a new laptop, but that is in the budget anyway for late 2019 or early 2020.

Well, this is all very exciting BUT by the look of the graphics on display, it looks like you are going to need an I7 CPU, at the very least 16GB of RAM and a top of the range graphics card to take advantage of what is on offer.

For people like me who can fly FSX comfortably on an older machine, this will, for sure, mean investing in a new computer as well as the new sim.

As a 30 year veteran of Flight Simulators and ORBx pay-ware scenery, I have two thoughts on this information.

First, given the quality of the screenshots, I cant see that Microsoft will need to rely on Third-Party add-ons for this version of Flight Sim, and in fact, we may not even choose to add third-party scenery to it, because we won't need it.

Secondly, because of the quality shown and the expected full immersion flying, I can't see anyone with less than an i5 system is going to be able to run this program (that includes me), and you may need to upgrade to an i7 to be able to enjoy a decent FPS and the high-quality graphics scenery...

The next 12 months will be very interesting...

I am a pilot and use Flight sim X as well as X-plane, I have a Cessna yoke, rudder pedals, trim wheel, and throttle quadrant. I want the sim to be as real as when I fly.

I am very interested in what I see and I am definitely a customer. Please tell us what the hardware requirements are to run the sim with the knobs set to full realism. Thanks.

As others have noted, I have been using MSFS since its infancy of the 1990s. I actually bought my first computer in the early '80s with the intent of flight simulators coming forth.

I have tried the Sierra product and some Jetfighter products. Still, MSFS always gave me what I was looking for in a flight sim. I have to say though being a real world pilot, all Flight Sims left much to be desired for the actual feel of an aircraft and its dynamic response to Inputs. Still other parts of the sims, radios, Nav beacons, airports were pretty accurate.

I hope the new aircraft flight engines are able to replicate real-world flight dynamics of flight. The other part of our industry was you could make it as real as you wanted.

I am very frugal with spending on addons and prefer to put my money into the computer so it has the horsepower to effortlessly have the sim be smooth and accurate.

There was always freeware out there to enhance what I wanted and for the couple of planes that I wanted a better experience with, those purchase were well worth it.

I am looking forward to what Microsoft is going to bring and really have no expectations so I am leaving myself wide open to be amazed.

Like a lot of others I have invested a small fortune in addons for FSX and it would be nice if they would work in the new sim.

Great news but I hope the community remembers what a fine job Lockheed has done with the sim since Microsoft walked away.

They’ve clearly made it better and are they going to do a lot more development if the support simply melts away on a potential promise from Microsoft for 2020.

I’m of the opinion that until there is actually a sim ready to buy then all this is just a promise. I’ll keep supporting P3d meanwhile and hope they will support the community still.

What is it in this release that has changed?

Obviously, one thing has to be the way the scenery is displayed (truly excellent!) but what about the "flight" software ... you know, the "stuff" that controls the presentation of the aircraft and how they fly in response to our controllers.

If that's all-new, is that going to make every aircraft currently flyable in FSX instantly inoperable and obsolete?

To cite a specific case, are the VRS people going to have to extensively modify their F/A-18E Superbug, or start all over? Please explain.

I'm going to need a better computer for this bad boy. I'm so getting it!

Has the word "HELICOPTER" been mentioned anywhere?

Jorge

Pretty sure there won't be a Linux version so unfortunately, I won't be using it.

The new Microsoft Flight Sim looks great, I can't wait to buy my copy.

I have been a registered user of the Microsoft Fight Sims now for over 16 years and if the new one is half as good as FSX Deluxe I will be very happy.

Bring it on in the Land Down Under.

• Will the new sim be optimized for multi-thread core processors such as i5 & i7?
• Will it be 4k or higher?
• What computer specs will it take to run smoothly with all sliders maxed out?
• Will ai ship and rail traffic be modeled as well as road traffic?
• Will a software developers kit be included/available?
• How detailed will the weather be modeled?
• Will sea waves breakers and waterfalls be modeled?
• Will there be an online flight portal built into the sim?
• Will updates be automatically detected and installed?
• How detailed will the standard scenery be, as good as Orbx or Google Earth?

Look forward to your comments, many thanks, Rob.

Screenshots appear very, very good. However, we use Flight Sim in a whole different mode. McDonald's always has good images of the Big Mac but mine never appears that way when I visit.

I have been with MSFS since FS2000 and I can’t wait for the 2020 edition, it looks superb and magnificent, I am so excited!

One thing I hope MS does is when we fly into/out of a foreign airport, or fly within a section of the world, the ATC controllers have the correct sounding accent. Just flew from Mildenhall, UK to Prestwich, UK and all the ATC controllers spoke American English.

Don't think so, but English and USA measurements are the worldwide standard of aviation, nevertheless, the controllers will be employed by those nations they are in, and most likely from that country as a norm. Realize this is also nitpicking, but realism is the goal here.

Oh, MS, please try to identify the hardware requirements early on, so those of us who are going all the way with this have enough time to upgrade, or purchase new hardware so it will run.

Intel, if partnering on this are you listening, get the I-9 Chip and the Chipset in the mainstream market soonest so we can save our money and get what we need for PC's so the game runs seamlessly on our equipment.

Currently, FSX would not run until I upgraded the C drive to a larger SSD, once I did that, it runs fine.

Get us some specs out asap so we can budget and plan for what we are going to need, please.

I hope that planes etc from Flight Sim X will be transferable to 2020.

The return of land-me would be welcomed by beginners.

A question: what is going to happen with all the purchased DVD for FSX goes in hundreds of dollars or euros and francs. I'm disappointed with the company Microsoft.

I bought P3d 4 because FSX was out of memory and too long to boot.

Would be nice if Microsoft had something to say about it.

Sincerely, Fluianer HB-RMA

There are certainly some questions: Will operating multiple monitors be supported the same as the FSX?

Hardware compatibility with Saitek, VR Insight and soon also Honeycomb possible? Nice would be synonymous Spadnext for programming the hardware and and and...

Like so many others I got my start in flight simulation from all the Microsoft Flight Sims and continue to this day with the Dovetail version on steam which runs great.

I have purchased many aircraft and programs from them and they are in use almost every day. Like everyone in the flight community I am VERY excited to see what the new version is like but also am hoping I don't lose anything I now have that has been built up over the years.

If indeed Microsoft is monitoring these comments I have a question I don't think I have heard anyone ask. What happened to your last Flight Sim "Flight" I know many complained because it only had Hawaii and Alaska but I found PLENTY of fun places to fly in Hawaii and ESPECIALLY Alaska with the purchase of Vans R-V and the Carbon-Cub.

Actually, it became my favorite sim with great graphics and ran beautifully. Even after you got out of the flight sim business I continued to enjoy Flight for I think a couple of years until my computer was hit with malware.

My local geek squad got it cleaned and running again but lost Flight. Repeated calls to Microsoft Games brought only the response of "we don't service flight sim's anymore" as I can understand at the time.

When I purchased Microsoft X from Dovetail I asked them if they also got "Flight" and they said it was still a Microsoft product. So my question is there still a server with "Flight" that I can get hooked up to again and where do I go with password's etc, or was it just dropped?

I think I would be willing to pay if I could get it back with all the aircraft I purchased I enjoyed it so much.

While I hope to get this information on "Flight" I continue to enjoy Microsoft X on Steam and look forward to seeing what the new version will be like.

A VERY useful inclusion would be a database of printable checklists!

Not meant to be a negative but better save your cash to build a beast machine. Those graphics are awesome but they wont come without some serious hardware.

Boy, it's amazing how everyone is so excitable about MS2020, pretty pictures do not tell how the program will run, it's simple salesmanship that seemingly has been bought by many. Talk about selling igloos to Eskimos.

I have been with MS since FS98, they're OK but not like the newer boys on the block, P3D, and X-Plane, the latter being used for assisting pilot training and it's the one I would move onto. But miracles can happen and FS2020 maybe the wonder flight sim...

It sounds like a fine idea whose time has come - it would be a very good idea to include enough tuition tutorials to learn more and in-depth about instrument flying so you can learn how to reach a destination in instrument conditions which is what I have been doing for the last years with FSX.

Also, through the use of add-ons. It should be possible to choose between more demanding instrument lessons and simpler visual flight VFR.

I think this is most important - instrument learning and familiarisation for the enthusiast.

What kind of computer must I have in order for this new system to work well Right now I have a desktop Mac bought in 2013.

I hope in first more traffic on the ground and in the air.

I hope to have an adventure like the others versions, and in this section, it is possible, to have a section that offers to work on-air drama, like the accident of skully in the Potomac River or Capt. Piché when he as to landing his aircraft in the middle of Atlantic océan.

I pray that the new technology won't ask to have an expensive PC for having a good quality of looking on the screen.

Anyway, this will be something wonderful to have a new Flight simulator. Thanks.

Is this only an "improved scenery" release or does it also include brand new flight dynamics modeling?

If also the latter, will our existing collection (hangar) of FSX aircraft be flyable with the new release?

With respect to scenery issues, even now--though I have a pretty powerful system--if I try to fly a complex aircraft (e.g., F/A-18E Superbug) over complex and dense scenery (e.g., San Francisco, Dallas), I get "out of memory" messages and the flight sim freezes.

One heavily invested in P3D 4.5 with way too much money dumped on add ons such as ORBX, PMDG, A2A, Pilots Global, etc, etc, will there be any compatibility?

Will this cater to the bush crowd as well as the tubes? I have been into flight sim since the early 90s having all versions up to FSX.

P3D was leaps and bounds better and this promises to be groundbreaking!

Been involved since day one. If I can't take my add ons with me I won't bother.

Many of the add ons are planes I've flown in the Air Force and as an ATP for over fifty years.

The sentimental value can't be underestimated and I hope the new product incorporates that...

For those of you asking about having the hardware needed to run it, I’d say you’ll probably have to upgrade.

I’ve been flight simming since about 2003 and ran an overclocked Dell for many years with the FSX package until X-Plane came along. The new FS looks to be a lot like X-Plane in regards to graphics, scenery, and FPS.

You basically need a machine that only does flight sim to run X-Plane at max settings. Here’s what it took me:

Asus TUF Z390 gaming motherboard Intel Core i7 8700K 4.7 GHz Corsair H100-i CPU cooler Crucial Sport AT DDR4-3000 8GBx4(32GB) Corsair RMX 850X power supply GTX 1080 ti FTW 3 (16 GB) 250 GB SS drive for OS (Windows 10 Pro) 1 TB Samsung SS drive for programs and scenery packages

Total: $1600

X-Plane on Steam is 80 GB alone. Start adding your favorite airports and scenery packages and before you know it, you’ve burned up 500 GB!

Micro Center is your best friend if you live near one. They always have the best prices and return policy. Hope this helps!

In all these comments what I would like to see is either a list (or a link) showing the specs of the machine used to produce these teaser videos.

Also, are these videos recorded from the game itself or are they specially created to sell the sim? Call me an old cynic if you like!

I have been using Microsoft sims for years and only recently have I moved over to P3D v4 because my FSX failed.

I look forward to seeing the new Microsoft offering and decide then. The videos etc certainly look really good.

What will be the ultimate cost of this wild upgrade?

How much just in dollars and how much do we have to lose in our planes currently being used?

Should we stop purchasing until this new sim is launched?

Hello Carl, please check out the forum on installing FSX, as I believe I posted the "correct way to do it" which fixes issues with Windows 10 and FSX. In a nutshell:

2. If you have to reinstall the DISC version of FSX, you will need to load the installer patch. Installer patch must be run from the command prompt. Here is what to do: a. Run mskb928080 from the desktop, it will unzip and create a folder called "C:MicrosoftKB928080", open a command prompt as an admin move to that folder. b. Then Run "resetsldl.exe /all" and it will clean up the installer files and the MS Store files. This should fix MS FSX so it installs correctly.

NOTE: Install FSX then Activate the program, then install SP-1 and SP-2. The activation code is in the box.

This should fix installation and run issues.

NOTE: some updates can mess with FSX, but running the fix/patch again should clear those up. Also, having too small a C: drive can make the program unstable, I had to buy a larger C drive and then reinstall everything to get it to work. It's fine now, recommend a minimum of 512 SSD for C, and if you got the money 1tb SSD.

Does this require a new PC as well?

Interesting reading all the comments.

My feeling is this is a web-based flight sim based on the pictures I have seen. If the whole world is like the Microsoft demo then you would require 2000 Terabytes of data. Which you will not run on your PC. So the most important item will be your internet speed to download the data which you are flying in.

My guess is you will require a 25mbps to 100mbps download speed. Now as to your computer you will not require a top-rated PC if this flight sim can run on Xbox. But a good GPU to handle the graphics data download would require an Nvidia 2070 to 2080 type for sure.

Hope this will answer most of your questions.

Will there be Crossplay for Xbox to PC?

To: Mr. Ian Stephens. I’ve been flight simming since about 2004 (the best sim running under XP windows the best op. system by far).

I kindly ask you if possible, provide me with a photo of the interior of the cabin of an Airbus A380 without pilots but with the displays operating. In order to print wallpaper for my office.

Please with the highest possible definition for printing. Thanks for your kind attention. Kind regards. OSWALDO ROSERO.

It's all very nice seeing almost still images in videos, probably made on an Xbox where the processing power is probably superior to any PC we may have.

Let's see how the performance of aircraft in the simulator compares to real-life performance values.

Hopefully, Microsoft won't screw up their Windows programs so after a few years this Flt Sim will stop working like Flight Sim 2004 did.

Good news, but will we get (in time maybe) any WWII combat additions for the more bloodthirsty of us? Miss the old combat flight sims, still got but won't work on W10. Here's hoping.

THANK YOU! With all the changes for 2020, I was afraid I would have to switch to P3D or X-Plane and don't want to part with my many years of FSX: SE. I want to try this as soon as able :)

Will it work on my Windows 7 platform with three monitors?

Can we use aircraft from FSX in the program?

Is my i7 processor strong enough with the NVIDIA video card?

It looking pretty good. As long as they leave it open source for PC. Without that, we cannot develop add ons for it.

Cheers, Skysong Soundworks.

Have for Mac or Windows only?

Add freight & passenger trains.

I hope there is online multiplayer capability which permits connectivity with third-party applications.

It is exciting to hear that Microsoft is developing a new Flight Simulator program. I've been using FSX for quite a while and had quite a share of the problems with compatibility with Windows 10 and with all the gear manufactured by Saitek company.

I hope that Microsoft will consider this issue of compatibility with the hardware that we already have.

I started to fly with FS98 and was always there for the new flight sims that came with the time, I was very disappointed when windows 10 came about and in a way, blocked FSX.

I am 86 years old and hope that I will have the chance to fly again with FS2020.

This is a wait and see. I started with MSFS years ago, switched to P3D then XP 10-11. As a one time real pilot and avid flight sim addict, I will be looking for realism and flight characteristics especially. With the Xbox a factor can MS serve two masters: Gamers and enthusiasts with the same software. Maybe, DCS does a great job, although I've never tried the gamer option.

If I remember correctly MS developed a flight sim a while back that failed to live up to expectations although the eye candy was exceptional. I would also hope this new platform will limit downtime, controller problems and win 10 updates. There will still be other choices which make this hobby so great and rewarding. Happy flying everyone.

Like many others, I've been around FS since the beginning and still enjoy my barebones copy of FS-X. I'm hoping that the necessary computer system horsepower (minimum is never enough) is provided so that operating system technical issues are not encountered, short of buying a new X-Box to run the software effectively.

Love what I'm seeing but as others have said keep it true to real-world aviation as well as allow the end-user to use the equipment like yokes and other cabin devices that are owned. Don't do pay for play updates. Also needs to work well with online flying communities.

Keep up the good work.

What type of computer will this run on? For example, the power needed graphics cards, etc.

I currently fly X-Plane, mainly because of the multi-screen support.

I have built a sim with forward and side windows which makes this sim totally immersive.

Are you going to include multi-screen support? If so could it be developed so that you don’t need a science degree to set it up? Most of us are simmers and enjoy the experience, we don’t want to be spending hours of our sim time trying to set up the screens.

Good luck with this venture and I look forward to seeing the end results... I may even be a convert.

Regards,

Dylan

MS has been the best and many were hopeful for, even anticipated, a return after FSX. However, if it is to be subscription-based, where you have to pay every month, as has been reported that the MS head guy wants, then MS will lose very many. RELEASE A FULL-FLEDGED PC VERSION WITH A ONE-TIME SOFTWARE PRICE!

I have a new comment that I think is very important. I have hundreds of add-ons for my FSX and FS2004. It is possible to use these aircraft in the new FS2020, or at less the FSX ones? Or we shall buy all the new add-ons again? This is my great doubt. Can you answer me?

German Diaz.

I knew a few Flight Simulators like X-Plane, Flight Gear, Flight Sim World but my FSX Professional Edition is the best I have played with.

It's surprised me every day and I trained with it for 4 Years. I'm looking forward to 2020 to play with the new sim and I'm convinced it will make the great world of flying more interesting and greater.

Thank you for the people which developed and produced FSX it's a lot of fun.

Roger Tschoeke.

FS 2020... this is a wonderful moment! Have they detailed the hardware requirements anywhere? I have flown simulators since the late '80s.

The progressive transformation in realism continues to surprise and heighten the passion for PC flight simulation. Wow bring it on, I say!

Anaesthesiologist & Flight Simulator Pilot.

FS 2020 is a long-awaited upgrade. The immersive realism continues to amaze in PC flight simulation. Hardware requirements anywhere? I have flown PC simulators since the late 80's - ZX Spectrum. Flight Simulator Pilot

I don't know the specs the computer I think this simulator will work with. Streaming and all product's (add-ons) I bought all these years go to trash.

At this moment my simulator is Prepar3d v4.5 and have many add-ons invested going through the barrel but from what I saw the Flight Simulator 2020 is a bomb with all the best and best graphics ever seen, all done through satellite images - because of it my computer to run the simulator all installed needed 1TB.

Can't wait till this is produced and hope it will be soon. I have used Flight Sim now for about 20 years and assume the new model will be even better. ROLL ON!

At the moment, tech alpha should be available on 17 September but nothing... just one email which says the same thing to register. I have preferred email notify "you are not selected for tech alpha" because in conclusion, we don't know if it's started or not.

It's September 20th and tech alpha was supposed to start on the 17th. For now, we just have an email that is copied pasted from the original registration.

In the end, we do not know if the distribution of tech alpha has started or not... an email stating whether we are involved or not would be more adequate. Thank you, team.

I have been flying since 1998 - the days of FS98, and when Xplane came along, I thought this is really something.

Now they are talking of Microsoft returning with MSFS 2020, although it might be good, they are turning this wonderful learning experience into a game for children. Once it goes to pay for, I think the internet will be full of kids, so I wait with the rest of us before I say bye-bye to XP11.

Glad to hear this Microsoft Flight Simulator is getting a new treatment.

FSX was starting to feel a bit dated since the release even before considering most of FSX was just a carryover from FS2004 with minor tweaks & a few new aircraft.

I seriously hope they take notes from FSX Steam edition & update scenery & graphics & add a lot more planes.

I also hope they consider still making the CD version. I know something like 80 percent of gamers download from an online source, some people like myself just prefer it the CD way.

I also hope they include all the previous extensions from both the Gold & Acceleration editions.

My heart stops beating... I'm an FSX player for decades... And this will make my live (rest of)...

Will the Alabeo aircraft for FSX still be supported? Will this release include agricultural aircraft or photorealistic crop-dusting strips and fields to spray?

No support for any of these things will make the new simulator worthless to me. Ag aviation must be represented.

Really looks great, signed up for tech-alpha testing but haven’t heard anything on that. Scenery realistic and the sky looks so real. Can’t wait for the release...

After you stole an FS2004 file out of my computer to try to force me to pay again I want nothing to do with MS ever again.

While the new Microsoft Flight Sim looks pretty great, I haven't seen any mention of it being able to use any of the Virtual Reality (VR) hardware that is available. I currently am using the HP Reverb.

What is the status of VR for the new flight sim?

Microsoft as yet has still not mentioned what spec the computer would have to be to run this. I would hazard guess at an I9 CPU, a top of the range GPU, at least 1TB storage (preferably SDD) and a PSU powerful enough to run a small bungalow!

I wait with bated breath.

I have been flying Flight Sims since Microprose. I stopped using FSX not long after Dovetail took up the reins and switched to XPlane 11, although I have never fallen in love with it.

What I have seen and read of the new MSFS seem impressive and I can see me switching back when it is released.

I was an FSX player for many years. I had FS98 and all versions that followed. I am also a real-life student pilot. Cessna 172 (out of KADS).

I am now a dedicated flyer on Prepar3D since its inception. However, after reviewing the screenshots and trailer of the new MS Flight Simulator, I must admit that the graphics are quite spectacular.

I hope that MS will do a much better job with ATC, which left a lot to be desired. Many segments of the old ATC were simply unrealistic, e.g., pushy air traffic controllers, no options for declaring an emergency, unrealistic ATC instructions of descending from, say FL 180 down to 2,000 feet AGL, and at times, a total loss of ATC.

Let's hope there will be a NEW realistic ATC component, or at least a better one.

I've been a fan of Microsoft Simulator ever since it came out years ago. Still use it today and am thrilled to Microsoft finally upgrade it to a new version. Excited to get my hands on it.

Great news.

For serious simming (personal move from FSX):

1. FS2020 cannot be subscription, - Because there's no way I will sink the amount of time into a system which isn't 'owned' by me
2. FS2020 must run on an offline PC. No steam. - Because if you're serious about it, you don't want to be forced to compromise a stripped/insecure system. You don't want to give CPU cycles to intrusive modern software. I will go with their offline version and add 3rd party if that's what it takes. Though I hope it's possible to download it all. It looks like they won't allow that though, to always keep you online.

Also, I would prefer if it runs on Win7, the last honest OS IMO.

I'm personally only interested in 'serious' simming, which is fun - especially with FSPassengers. Even with FSPassengers the core sim experience is 'serious'.

As long as it will be VR friendly, you have found someone to be the first buyer.

I fly Xplane 11 for the past two years but when I first looked at your screenshots, it erased Xplane completely from my mind... I'm now waiting impatiently for a release of this new simulator, so REAL. THANK YOU MICROSOFT. And please make it VR...

Unreal Graphics. But how realistic is the control of the aircraft?

Really good news for the community... but what about jets?

Great review! Looking forward on getting my hands on this new simulator. It's most likely unreasonable to expect the FSX add on's to be upgraded to work with 2020, but from what your review claims, the new experience will overshadow this loss.

Having made many freeware aircraft over the years for MSFS I am glad they are going to keep that access to freeware development.

I love freeware and making things for FS almost as much as I like flying the sim itself.

I personally am very happy, Microsoft has once again returned to this flagship product and eagerly await the new challenges that freeware development on the new platform present. Exciting.

Any word on how ATC will be implemented? Current Addons provide Speech to text options using real world communication phraseology. FSX had a drop down menu that was quite limited. I'm guessing it will be somewhere in between, but it is one topic I have not seen discussed.

Will the new release be stand-alone? Will we still be able to fly with a closed session multiplayer? Will we be able to use FSnavigator and or flight sim commander or are similarly included with the new Simulator?

Too many questions are still unanswered... I would hope it's not another debacle like FSX.

Hope it works with the PMDG aircraft.

NO CONTINUING SUBSCRIPTION COST THAT GOES ON AND ON AND ON. Microsoft will lose millions of us if it insists on charging some sort of repeating subscription cost.

WE WANT TO PAY FOR OWNERSHIP OF A COPY OF THE FULL PROGRAM, A ONE TIME COST... PERIOD.

It all sounds good and looks good. I hope I misinterpreted the statement I read about new MFS being "subscription" based. I sincerely am hoping for an option to "buy". We're all getting bled too much as is (think Enron, Chevron, etc.). I would likely buy it, but not likely "rent" it. Ken B.

I sold my airplane 2 years ago. I don't miss flying as I can still fly in FSX filling the gap between FS and real worlds using my imagination. But with this FS2020 I think I don't have to use my imagination, or rather I can find a world beyond my imagination.

This is a great moment in the world of flight simulation I'd never think that because when ACES cease his development program in 2009.

I have been in this hobby for 15 years and pass my pilot license. I am in a good position to evaluate the realism of the new version of FS2020.

Let me say one big improvement that I wish the new AIRBOYD could include before the beta phase, is a street view interface because I'm tired to fly just point A to B. This app. is a simple interface to make a car trip in a city that I'd just land at the downtown airport.

I won't buy it if it isn't VR ready. No mention I can find that it is.

Having had every FS release ever, and seeing the scenery shots and videos, I'm hoping that the sim is actually going to have that level of detail, and will have accurate, recognizable scenery, and that AI aircraft and some of the standard commercial airline planes will have real airline paint schemes instead of the weird, crappy-looking standard FS "airlines".

Olde Sims:

Bear in mind that you never own a software by buying it. It's just a license you get to use it but you do not own it, being it a one-time fee or subscription.

And Windows 7 is already a dead OS. There is nothing wrong with Win 10, and I'm pretty sure FS2020 won't be officially supported on older Windows versions.

Rick Miller:

The same comment for you. You do not own software by buying it. If the software is subscription-based it usually covers future updates and later versions also (just like the Office 365 package). If you think about it Prepar3D is also kinda subscription-based, because you have to buy the new versions at full price every 1-2 years :)

Truly cannot help wanting this new Flight Sim, just amazing. It not only looks real, but it IS also! Wow, you've got me, imagine what amount of more customers with Xbox. It's going to be a whole new world. Bring it ON. Oh and many many thanks to the team of people making this possible. Fred.

@Csongor Szijjarto

1. I was hoping that if I put 'own' in quotation marks, that people would understand what I meant. I own a physical DVD disc with previous FS editions. This means that no changes in the mood of Microsoft (or my online status) will change my system, because I own the DVD. I can pull out FS98 if I feel like it because I own the disc. I'm sure most people understood what I meant, making your reply rather superfluous IMO.
2. No OS is 'dead' when you're offline. Thanks for your opinion, though.

At last. In the past I've devoted a whole lot of thoroughly enjoyable time to MS flight sims, flying every version from v5.0A onwards right up to FSX. However I had a lot invested by then and FSX was, to my mind, not as good as FS9 so I stuck with FS9 for a year or two longer then slowly lost interest.

This new version has really piqued my interest again and, now that I'm retired, I have no doubt whatsoever that I will be right up near the front of the queue to buy this latest version.

Good on you MS for once more updating MSFS and good on you, too, for (as I understand it) not forgetting the small army of coders out there who will be striving to add their ideas to this extraordinarily popular hobby.

Paul

I hope this is not a pay as you go type software meaning a minimum cost of about 70 - 90 GBP per year. Apart from this, I expect some performance problems - and hopefully, add ons may be available for use as in the other fsim over the past years.

I hope there are navigation tutorials available so that flying by instruments will become possible for those wanting to immerse themselves as far as possible.

I am excited to see a circular rainbow while flying. I expect to see aurora borealis and aurora Australia as well.

Been in since the start. Many fabulous improvements for sure.

Questions: Will it be available from the cloud, so not need a very high spec' computer (same or less than at present for Prepar3D V4.5)?

Will it be more glitch-free!? Will the people start to look real and move and have realistic body language?

Will the vehicle movements be much more realistic? Will there be realistically moving trains?

Will the placement and accuracy of roads and buildings be as accurate as on Google earth? Will the jerky frame rates on some of your presentation, be avoidable?

Will FSX and Prepar3D and their add on planes be transferable? If not, will there be major discounts from add on providers for equivalent models?

Thanks for all the hard work by your team, hope it succeeds.

I have been with MSFS since '94 or '95. I have every sim but one, and I have been waiting for the sim to reach this point, I waiting and looking at all the videos, all the details in anticipation of the best flight sim in the world.

... James.

It's looking more and more like MS is going to use a subscription model for FS2020, at least to get the very best detail. Let's just hope they make it reasonable and don't go overboard on pricing, like they're doing with a lot of their hardware.

The fact there has been zero mention of how the sim will perform on a standalone machine or how it will take advantage of the higher performance GPU's over-relying on the CPU to handle the heavy graphics has me concerned.

All I have read is a bunch of Oooooo's and Ahhhhhh's on how it looks and nothing on solo system performance. The other scary thing is it is going to the Xbox community also which screams subscription play all over it.

The gamers are used to this type of robbery and sadly embrace it, flight sim enthusiasts want to fly without the monthly subscription to run the actual program. Sure they subscribe to other services that enhance the sim experience but they don't continue to pay for use of the actual flight sim.

I don't see the hardcore FS people switching over to FS2020 if this is the case, they are to embed with what they currently run free of charge and all the upgrades they have done to make their flight sim theirs.

So, in short, I am not impressed with anything I have read about FS2020 and could care less about the new sim if you can only play it via subscription and/or need to be connected to the internet to take full advantage of the higher-end graphics.

Very impressive views and videos so far but I do have two questions.

1. Since the scenery is downloaded on the fly what is the minimum download speed required?
2. After the launch of FSX, many people couldn’t make full use of it due to PC’s not coping. What is the minimum spec for a user to take advantage of this new version?

I've been a "simmer" since FS-5. This looks too good to be real. As with FSX, "they" recommended certain computer minimums to run the program. That led to poor performance unless you could afford the latest and greatest (costing thousands $).

So my question(s) is: What equipment EXACTLY is needed to run this FS2020 at max settings to get the realism MS shows us with these screenshots? Don't try to convince the novice to think he can run this program on anything but a hi-end system. What are the Frame Rates on these screenshots? Detailed Specs for ALL equipment YOU are using is needed here MS.

OG

Will there be fighter planes, such as the F-18 Super Hornet, the F14...? They could put a mode of war, and do battles with fighter planes, or destroy targets, something like DCS (Digital Combat Simulator), it would be great to be able to participate in battles, under ships, destroy planes and targets with such spectacular graphics.

I have seen no mention of air traffic control and interaction with the ground and co-pilot. ATC has to be as realistic as those wonderful graphics. Any ideas on this aspect, please?

I am looking forward to the newest FS in 2020. I've been flying around for about 25 years with flight simulators of all kinds.

Have totally Saitek control with & instrument panel, radio, etc. Now I wait until the newest comes. The flight simulator X-plane 11 is also super and IL2 Sturmovik, etc. Greeting from Switzerland, Rolf.

Did MS give any indication about the necessary hardware?

If MSFS2020 is going to be subscription-based, then count me out, along with millions of other simmers.

Looking forward, from Argentina, the launch of the new MSFS, to enjoy all the improvements and especially the representation of the land and lakes of our country (Argentina). Thank you very much for the effort you are making.

I would hope that the somewhat costly and advanced modeling of third party aircraft bought for FSX, such as I have, could be ported across to this latest MS Flight Sim technology. Indeed, how would these existing third party flight models and environments (weather, scenery, geography, etc), interact and evolve, within the revised dynamics and physics of this new environment, being developed by MS.

I assume that MS is coding for much better utilization of graphic cards and CPU? As we all know, current FSX is a number-crunching strain for the CPU, which does most of the work, the discrete graphics card is very underutilized.

Interesting days ahead!

How about roads and ground traffic such as cars and trucks? In FSX the ground traffic level was poor, even the roads, Can you provide us for information about it for the new 2020 flight simulator?

Looks nice, but let it come out then only we can say about it, there are no Commercial Jets?

I started as a learner pilot in 1998 and my great pal the late Bob from RC Simulations was my inspiration.

I had no computer so I built one then I went on from building computers and flying Cessna out of Meigs. I learned every plane's instruments and finished with Concorde. Sadly in 2012, I stopped PC flying because of Windows changing operating systems. Then I returned in 2013 to fly again.

I have hopes of flying the MSFS 2020 but at my age now of 84, I can only pray. Thank MS this really looks the best ever. Roll on. Charles, UK

What will be the cost of this program?

The following are the things in FSX that I would like to change for MFS.

1. Users should be able to choose the default directory for their data
   • Don't force the user to put its data in the Documents directory
   • You should be able to chose where to save or load from, your saved flight.
   • You should be able to choose where you load the flight video from
   • Anytime you load or save a file you should have the choice of a directory.
   • Should be able to configure a default directory to * Save Flight * Load Flight * Flight Video * Mission File Location
   • When ending a mission you should go back to the same category/skill.
2. Flight Video should be accessible from the Mission Panel. When flying a training mission you want to easily go back and forth between flying the mission and viewing a video of the flying mission
3. Kneeboard content should also be related to a Mission or Tutorial, not only to an Aircraft.
4. Currently, you can only put content easily for the Briefing Tab
   • There should be a checklist tab for the Mission or Tutorial
   • There should be a Flying Tips Tab for the Mission or Tutorial
   • The Mission Tab is there but I have not found a way to populate it when creating a Mission
   • There should be a Step by Step Scenario tab for the Mission or Tutorial
5. The default day and time for FSX Missions or Free Flight should be Local Time, not Pacific Time.
6. SDK
   • Better documentation, like full description of the XML tags (.xml).
   • Description of the tags in the flight file (.FLT)
   • All tools exe, should be regrouped under a unique directory.

Can't wait, still using old FSX & having tried others it is still my favorite, so hurry, hurry it along with regards, John.

I have been flying Microsoft Flight Simulator since it first became available here in South Africa.

What a change there has been, including computers. Having started with radio-controlled aerobatic model aircraft I was asked way back if I could design a simple program for simulating models.

I did not get very far. I still continue and enjoy flying with others using multiplayer and in improving scenery for our country.

Now at the age of 89 please do not delay the release of the latest version while my mind is still able to comprehend and enjoy flying such a magnificent new version of MFS.

For once, the timing works for me...

Currently sitting in a reasonably bare house (divorce recently completed) and now have an excuse to spec and build a dedicated FSXXXX-ready platform, with no nagging voices off :D

Looking forward to reading the tech specs, doubling them, and melting my credit card!

Mostly interested on offline mode. This is what a flight sim should be in the first place! Please make it also in an efficient offline mode!

Will the new Microsoft make use of multi-core processors?

A lot remains to be seen, too many fanboys on the org though. The big influence for me is if MSFS is FAA certifiable.

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to getting this new fltsim 2020. I am in the process of updating my PC starting with a new high speed Modem-Router to increase my download speed on cable internet. I use my flight simulator to practice instrument flying. I'm also looking forward to being able to stream different parts of the world for increased realism.

Admittedly, that was my biggest fear of what MSFS 2020 would turn out to be - so massively overwhelming and demanding that my current PC components could never handle the load, and I would be compelled to either spend $2k on a new computer or sadly walk away. Your review gives me hope!

Will it have trains like xplane?

First, Thank You for the nice in-depth article! All the right questions and answers along with images.

Can you please comment on the seasons? Seasonal changes such as Fall, Winter, with accumulating snow are obviously very important as part of the "realism" quotient. Pix?

Thank You! Paul

So, what are the recommended PC performance guides for this simulator to work flawlessly? And what's the price?

I would really be interested in shared cockpits. When flying any aircraft it would be EXTREMELY useful and no-one so far has come out with a truly sharable cockpit.

When flying my 737 or any large jet a copilot is almost necessary, this would be invaluable. I do not understand why this doesn't seem to be a priority! Yes in the past there were restrictions on bandwidth, but now the speed is there.

I would really hate to have this not be a stock feature, as it shouldn't be that hard to implement from a dev standpoint. I hope that the team understands this!

I will be buying this, although I do not like the idea of subscription purchase.

I do hope that this new SIM will support multiple monitors, something that was almost impossible in the Steam edition.

The screenshots look amazing. Let's hope that hardware peripherals (joysticks, pedals, etc.) work with the new program.

Also, that third-party developers get in on the act ASAP.

What about real-time weather? I use Active Sky Next.

What is the recommended computer configuration?

You know what would be even better, is when there is a problem you should be able to talk to tech instead of the run around you have to do to get the help we need.

By the way, I will uninstall/delete FSX Steam. I keep losing different aircraft after they update there program. So I really am looking forward to the new MSFS.

P.S. It would be a great idea if the new MSFS comes with a co-pilot to help out in the cockpit...

Looks really good. I was wondering if it will be compatible with Vice VR? I use virtual reality a lot and find that many cockpit features do not work in VR. Unlike the War Thunder that has the two screens built-in? Let me know. Thanks Mike.

I wonder if military jets will be included whether from them or third party. Does anyone know?

Scenery looks beautiful BUT, while I do some amount of flying in general aviation aircraft (Cessna or Piper) for currency purposes, unless and until the new MS product offers or supports complex, very detailed MILITARY aircraft such as the VRS F/A-E "Superbug", I don't think I'm going to be much interested. Please, MS. Tell me "we've got you covered."

If all the hoopla and screenshots hold true, this will be an unbelievable step up for MSFS. Bring it on!

So good to read about increased realism... I do hope that doing a Split-S with a performance aircraft will also be realistic.

In FSX, after inverting, pulling the stick causes a loss in airspeed, as if I was trying to climb. Pathetic! Otherwise, I just can't wait to use it!

I don't suppose there is any chance of porting over the (many in some cases) aircraft purchased from SimShack? The cost to add them again to this new version could be prohibitive.

Do you know if the controls C/A eclipse and Saitek controls will work with the 2020 simulator? Thanks.

What nobody talks about are the benefits of MSFS - is how the PC should be configured, so that MCFS functions at 100%. Please, many users are waiting for this data. Thank you.

I recently invested in Xplane 11 after more than 20 years with Microsoft. Now I have seen this I am sick with anticipation. It looks bloody BEAUTIFUL.

I do not wish to make comparisons with Xplane11 other than to say that so far their scenery SUCKS. I fly with the Delta Virtual Airlines mob and as soon as I know this new Microsoft system is compatible with them I shall be jumping in.

I have just bought a pretty powerful PC and I am dying to see the final product. I hope that you will kill off the negative comments I have read.

Good luck!

So many questions... The Real Game will be like the trailer or...? What kind of PC configuration? The price?

Missions! What about a “career pilot mode” where you work your way through the ranks from private to multi-engine pilot?

Creating an airport with facilities? I know FSX had most of these features and I understand this will be exceptionally revolutionary but adding features like that would truly make this an ALL-TIME BESTSELLER!

Looking forward to FS2020. Does anyone know if it will have helicopter sims?

I have been in simulation since approx.1995 and have been adding scenery and what not to make things look and feel more realistic and I had it pretty good.

Then I had to clean install windows and start all over. I am looking forward to the new release and I hope it happens soon. Amazing!

I am a Flight Simulator user who came from a floppy-film disk, then I went to FLIGHT 98. 2000, 2002. FS2004 Century of Flight, and finally FSX.

I hope the new one that comes to 2020, to be able to buy it.

Regards.

Very excited about this new innovation but I have not read what type or operating system one needs.

Could you give the spec on what I need to run this new system, please?

Keep up the good work Looking forward to 2020. Thanks.

Hello - any info on the ATC it will use? Hopefully an improvement on the old one.

You seemed to cover all the bases. I just signed up for the Beta Program on Steam. So what I would like for as follow up is: How will the Beta Data help in the development?

Also will ATC, in " flight following" give in route direction and vectors to approach? Be More proactive? That would give an overall "Reactive Reality". ie. the "Discover" tours. PS I want moving trains also.

I have to admit, looks and runs well.

I just can't wait to purchase this Sim. Roll on 2020!

What is the necessity to have a "steam version" as well as a normal version? I see no additional benefit to the user but only a benefit to the company in increased revenue.

What kind of equipment will run it at max settings, is my question and until answered, will keep me in doubt, and uncertain to buy the product. I have a 27-inch Mac recent version for X-plane.

I'm especially excited to hear that users will be able to download sections of the local areas they fly. The smoothness of the simulation and the high frame rate are very important to me. I am interested in the realism of flying at low altitude and hope that users individually developed local scenery can be incorporated.

So I decided to install the update for FSX for real telemetry, Too bad that is caused my FSX-SE to crash when it looked ready to start. So, I had to go back to no update only now I get an ERROR every time it tries to download Real World Weather.

Will it still be possible to JUMP in and fly without having to read a 700-page manual? Nice if you are a pilot but I never made it there but love FSX because you can have it simple or hard.

I fly x plane and love the graphics etc but really hard to fly plus I like the old-style aircraft (constellation etc). I know some aficionados will scoff at what I have just written but I am 73 years old and too late to learn too many new tricks.

I want the outside to look and feel like the real world and inside to have all the knobs and whistles but want it simplified so an idiot like me can get the dam thing off the ground without studying for a week.

What I have heard so far makes me drool for the first release date and I do hope it lives up to the hype. Yours, Jim Ford.

This is really crap, I had to re-install FSX-SE all-over again after I'd installed the Beta version Thank you very much! Regards Freek (EHAM).

Great review! Do you know if 2020 will support all of my Saitek gear? Having tried all fixes multi-panel stopped working on Steam Win10 whereas opens and works perfectly in X plane 11 running on the same PC. Rob.

Graphics WOW, much better than the FS from Sub Logic back in the 80's, LOL.

Hello, I know it will surpass all that is in the simulator market today. Keep going I look forward to your market launch. Will there be the possibility of a pre-purchase with a better price to stimulate the "fans" of MFS?

Dear Bill (Gates), please call them and tell them to focus more on gliders and free flight.

I flew MFS2004 for quite a period of time and now want to be active again so what will I need to step up to the newest (computer, controllers, etc—)

I am ready to spend money and do it right so I want your recommendation so I don’t waste time and money wrongly—-Thanks and am very anxious to “fly” again.

The quality of this new flight sim is so impressive that it might find its way to actual ground schools...

"The best is yet to come".

I am completely hooked to Flight Simulator since the 2004 (FS9) edition. ( I have rebuild about 200 South African Airports to represent the real thing )

I have 2 questions I would like answered.

No.1 - How is AI traffic going to be improved.

No.2 - What about Helicopter traffic. ( Will they this time take off and land naturally )

Regards - Pierre Mouton

When will we be able to buy this program, and how much will it cost?

Will helicopters be included? What about gliders/sailplanes? Also, will it support TrackIR?

Will MSFS 2020 have modern combat aircraft as well as payware for Xbox? I am considering the switch to Xbox and payware and freeware is exactly what I need to confirm my transition to Xbox.

Please include Boeing 738. Thank you.

I use FSX: SE and the Beta Version.I hope they will give an experience of the airplanes to a more real cockpit as soon as possible.

I only fly VR...so, will consider FS2020 if and whenever ready.

Don.

Looking forward to this new Flight Simulator version, it looks amazing! It would be nice to personalize the tail numbers and airlines, EG: tail number 1836K, Kowall Air. Also would like to know what type of machine we will need to run this at high frame rates.

What would be the predicted recommended hardware requirements? (processor, RAM & graphics cards, etc).

Hello, I think any virtual pilot dreams of having his own cockpit which can be expensive. The cheaper option would be virtual reality. What plans do you have for VR? Respectfully Vali Isbasescu.

Thanks, Microsoft. About time they got back to flight simulation. I have been flight simulators since FS5. My current system running FSX is good enough to run Orbx FTX with all sliders to the max, so I can hardly wait to see what I can do with Flight Simulator 2020. I have well over $13,000.00 into my system with many airports designed by myself and hundreds of aftermarket professionally built.

I will be one of the first purchasers!! Maybe once they recognize how great this simulator will sell, maybe they will re-open their work on the Train Simulator as well!

I can 't wait to have that fs2020. I have been buying MSFS for almost 20 years - the only thing the team has to work is THE REVERSE when you land a 747, 737 etc....you do not feel that vroooommmmm when you activate the REVERSE button.

ABACUS has a far better reverse sound than MSFS. Try to land the A330 from ABACUS and apply reverse you will hear a real sound, you feel it like you are inside the plane. Also, there are some airports that have been added in some countries like Senegal - one airport is added in the town of Sedhiou and also the international airport has been moved to DIASS, 40 miles from DAKAR. Thank you, HUBERT CHABY-HARY.

Well if what I have read so from a lot of simmers is the system we are going to use will cost a mini fortune, and a lot of us will have no choice but yo forget about buying the 2020 version. Which means I will probably sell the kit I bought (YOKE THROTTLES AND PEDDLES). As a retired person with limited income, I guess I will still use the old version and keep the STEAM EDITION.

P.S MSFS will lose a lot of simmers if we have to subscribe with a monthly fee...

I want to go out and tour all the cities. Thank you very much for making a simulator like this!

OMG OMG OMG!

When?!

I currently use X-Plane and have built a full cockpit sim using 3 screens. One for the front and two side windows. I hope FS2020 will support this type of user.

I have been flying FS from the beginning and am so thrilled about this new MS Flight Simulator.

I am staggered by the amount of research that has gone into this new Flight Simulator.

The one worry I have is that having used FSX since its original issue, I have spent a bucketful of cash on all sorts of programs and equipment, such as Panels £75 only last November, and other aircraft ( £80 for a PMDG Boeing) and so on and so on.

Will I now be expected to purchase the same equipment and programs adjusted to use with the new Simulator or am I and thousands of other simmers like me reluctant to do so.

Microsoft will have to be very careful in getting the balance just right because it would be a shame for such an achievement to be trashed simply because simmers will not spend this extra money on FS 2020 that has served us all really well. I hope and pray you will get it right!

Philhen, UK.

Really excited about FlightSim 2020. Are there any plans to include: P51 Mustang, F/A18 Super Hornet, Twin Baron, Please consider these wonderful aircraft.

Will there be flight/helicopters and missions i.e. rescue missions?

Can't wait. Gotta have it. My older version has seen better days. Hurry up eh!

I am sure this is going to be a great MSFS edition. Of course, I worry about the enormous ($$) pile of add-ins I have taken for P3Dv4 (Orbx, Flight1, etc). Will any be compatible?

Stay tuned of course...

Is this version going to be for the older model computers or just for the newer models?

MSFS promises to be the best Flight Simulator of all time.

They made so much progress, it's absolutely stunning and so realistic looking. I have watched most of all videos that came out during 2019 and 2020 and I must congratulate all the crew that made this FS a must-have for anyone into FS. Thank you all and good luck for now and in the future.

Gentleman,

I`m a long time a very enthusiastic of flight simulator with MS FS.

I`m following with great expectancy the development of MS FS2020 and hope it will satisfy all the simmers community especially the cockpit builders.

It is my desire that the new FS 2020 will contemplate with the great BOEING 737 800 NG 2D COCKPIT.

I hope that you take in this FS 2020 in consideration and not a simple game.

my regards

Gabriel Monteiro.

FS2020 is, without doubt, awesome compared to FSX-SE (my one and only Sim), I would love to change my Sim to this. However, for me, by far the most important requirement is to have access to a huge range of FREE and Payware add-ons.

I also live in rural Devon which means slow broadband (5 to 8 Mbps download). Until Fiber to Home is available (at least 5 years away I suspect) I have no prospect of improving this. So, unless I can fly at least most of my FSX add-on aircraft in FS2020 and be assured of a visual experience better than FSX on my slow broadband link I will not be changing.

Unbelievable....truly unbelievable. Talk about a giant step forward. If the new MSFS is one half of what the videos claim then this will be mind-boggling. My question is how in the world will my little 8gb/1TB computer handle this? My other question is, "Will the cost of this program be out of site for most users?"

Roger MSFS user since 1989

Vastly improved from the 1st version developed in Champaign, ILL. I was a 3rd Class Aviation Electronics Tech in the Navy and have flown in Cessnas, DC3s (R4D) P2V-7 Neptunes, Twin Beeches, S2F Trackers, French Caravelles, Constellations, R4Ds.

I have downloaded many of these and flown my old routes from San Diego to Scotland. Your new version is really nice, but have not purchased the latest. I have fueled and taxied aircraft in addition to operating and maintaining the radars, Radios VHF/UHF, Direction finders, Loran, and Radar altimeters.

I have been flying FS from the beginning and am happy about this new MS Flight Simulator. I use FSX for my pilot students!! So I hope so...

I'm not impressed, sorry for all of you that are hung up on cool graphics. Until it can be confirmed that this will be offered as a stand-alone program I will not switch from FSX. I refuse to pay a monthly fee to run a simulator that cannot be purchased outright.

Even if it can be purchased outright you would need to subscribe to some ms service to access all that "cool" HD scenery. Without the subscription, you probably end up running something that will look a lot like FSX offline.

Will or can this be FAA certified as a trainer as in flight schools? Is their a date set for release and cost factor?

FSX will remain my Flight Sim unless all the add-ons that I bought work on 2020. I doubt MS will adapt to the 3rd parties being they lose a ton of money.

IN FACT, I just built a top hi-end XP sys puter just for FSX. This way I will have a designated space for simming. Good luck with 2020............. graphics look good but green in pocket looks better.

As an experienced SIMMER, I would like to say something that I am worried about. It is ATC, NOTAM's, SID, STARS, vectoring, emergency procedures.

All who love SIMMING, know that the default version of every MFS were good but not enough close to the real as it should be. So we had to go very deep into modding and tweaking. For OFFLINE flying in FSX/P3D very nice job for ATC does addon PRO FLIGHT 3 made by on course software. It brings ATC for a completely new level of simming, it supports vectoring, flight following, VFR, IFR, SID, STATS, Holdings, missed approach and basic emergency procedures.

I have hope that developers of MFS 2020 will take into consideration ATC also and the new FS will not be a GRAPHIC simulator only.

Next nice to see things would be a possibility to create an online virtual airline with the possibility to carry goods, passengers, earn money, buy/sell/lease aircraft, do competition with other players (virtual airlines) or employ pilots to our airline. It should contain all features from FSAIRLINES and FSPASSENGERS, so pilot licensing, safety points and even more.

Just try to imagine that all online players have something to do, they are flying to earn money, they do real procedures and try to do everything right to not get penalty ticked and to not lose safety points and then license for the plane. Planes of players are visible to each other, airspace is filled with AI traffic too to keep airspace more crowded, in ATC are sitting players and if it is empty then AI bots which commands are hearable for everyone on the same freq.

Just a dream...

Is there an estimated time when this new Microsoft 2020 will be out?

All - Has MS outlined what hardware we need for this to run. I am seriously thinking of a new laptop, and hate to bite the bullet now if down the road, I will need to upgrade it or the hardware I choose won't run this game.

FSX, is the only game I play, aside from watching movies on PC, I have 32" monitor hooked up to it, so I got lots of real estates. I burn movies, copy media to the laptop, nothing much. I don't do video editing or anything like that but will try to buy near the TOL laptop so I don't have to do it but about 5 years from now. What do you think?

It is exciting how much effort Microsoft has put into the planning and implementation stages of FS 2020. I am anxious to learn about the specific hardware requirements for a stable, detailed and smooth flying experience so that I can make necessary hardware upgrades.

I'm 88, still hold a value PPL, flying a Piper Archer. Whenever it rains I fly a Piper Warrior on my FSX, 3 screen simulator, and train in all sorts of weather, using real Dutch scenery.

It was FS4 25 years ago that taught me to fly. Please hurry, I've got a few years only and I will test this new baby, considering that flying won't stop when my MD tells me it's over. Because your new machine brings me into a completely new world, even better than real! Thank you Microsoft for not letting me down...

I will most likely purchase as soon as it comes out like I did Microsoft Flight. But it looks and feels the same, they have not shown or talked about controllers or the interface to yokes or the like. Well, guess We won't know until Christmas. @jlburg2

As a veteran of MSFS, I cannot begin to tell you how excited we all are with the "New One". One thing that I have been using with FSX (Not with W10) is a product called Softth which allows stretching a screen across three monitors.

This in itself made FSX panels as well as scenery more than worthwhile. If you have experienced it (AMD or NVidia does not work as well) you will find it is even better than Track IR. In all the promos I have not seen any mention of Multi monitors. I hope I am wrong. Regards

I'm 70, and back in the early '80s with an Apple II, and then in early '90s with a 386, and was so excited when Falcon 3.0 came out! I dreamed of the day and hoped I'd live to see it when us virtual/real pilots would see something like this. Now, I have indeed lived to see it!! I feel like, once again, like I did in the early 80's - filled with anticipation and a type of boyhood excitement!

Don’t see a single helicopter. Are we being left out?

The sim does see my HOTAS warthog throttle and stick. To use all elements of the sim during flight, make sure you set the difficulty settings to HARD! This will open up all controls, features, ATC, etc. Sensitivity levels need further dampening, I'm sure this can be done in a different way but that's beside the point.

See You soon fs 2020… but when exactly?

Dear friends, but I didn't know when Flight simulator 2020 arrives on the market, namely the Portuguese market. Is there a date yet? Thanks.

When will this ever be available? It seems to go on and on. Remember the expression, "Actions speak louder than words" or promises.

Hi, my dear. It is amazing for me all. This game FSX keeps me my life. Thank you very very much. Ivan.

I have the Flight Simulator loaded and have really enjoyed it. I am having problems when I add other components and put them on my side monitors. It is crashing. Where can I go for support?

Enjoyed this. Have purchased Flight Simulator Steam.. Where can I go to get help. The program is crashing on me too often. Dr. Brodbent.

Hi, I hope yall don't forget the ATC in the Multiplayer part of the Game. It would be nice not to leave this out.

Thank you, if I have any more comments, you will be hearing from me.

I have a home cockpit with three monitors running a full wrap-around cockpit view. Will the new flight simulator allow the use of multiple monitors? Haven't seen this addressed in definite terms - yet. Any response?

No helicopters Ok but will my latest payware helicopters fly?

I have been a lover of fsnavigator and on to fs tramp the ease of use to plan and fly have complimented fs for so many years, hope it's compatible.

I was hoping there would be an Air Tractor in there for crop-dusting.

Looks fantastic. I hope the cost -software, hardware, etc. will be within my pensioner's budget!

I've been a FSX user for many years and have enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to FS 2020 with excitement. The preliminary videos are awesome. Can't wait to start using it.

I'm loving this more and more with each update! I would love to get in on the beta testing but haven't been invited yet. Regardless, I plan to buy the product as soon as it's available unless it is too expensive to be justifiable.

I know there are changes coming to X-Plane as well, but FS 2020 is going to be a hard one to beat. The scenery and the available airport choices are my main concerns since I don't fly too many aircraft... at least not yet!

Where do I go for any updates for FS 2020?

Will there be good interactive communication with ATC air traffic control? After all, this is the new generation of flight sim. It would be nice to get more info on/if we will be able to fly in another area than the one on the sim itself?

Since the MSF98 I learned to fly with, I've been through all versions and those of other manufacturers. But when it comes to security, I don't hesitate to go back to the reliable and secure 2004 that never fails. I look forward to finally jumping to 2020.

Well, we have seen this before. Wait and see no need for another flight flop. Basically will stay with what I have seems too complex and would challenge a high-end system. Time will tell but no holding the breath on this one!

This new MSFS is unbelievably impressive. In my opinion, the best so far has been FS9 but this blows that away.

I'm in the process fo building a new machine to the high-end spec published by the developers, this new rig was to run my P3d FS9 (due to the amount of software and addons I have) but this new version of MSFS will definitely be added. We will just have to wait and see how long third party developers take to release compatible aircraft!

Looks like MS is very secretive about the PC system requirements to run FS2020! Although I have the newest PC, am still with FS2004 since FSX is sluggish. What are the specs required for FS2020 and on which system it will run smoothly?

I am amazed and disappointed with the airplanes selected for 2020. Specifically eliminating the 737 (the workhorse of the US airline industry) is inexplicable. While I would like to have the new graphics capability, the aircraft selection and the uncertainty over multiple monitors is unacceptable.

What are the computer requirements for the new sim?

I am only interested in the soaring in FS2020. But I have yet to see any mention of gliders or soaring. Will there be gliders & soaring in FS2020?

I am now enjoying Microsoft X on Steam and have many add-on's and really excited about this new flight simulator and the quality I see advertised. In the write-ups, we are told of the mistakes of the last version "FLIGHT" with Alaska and Hawaii. This is my question?

Is there still a server putting out FLIGHT to those of use who purchased it and still think it is the greatest or did Microsoft just walk away from it as many believe? I was still receiving it about two years after Microsoft got out of the flight sim business when my computer was infected with bad malware.

After the geek squad got my system cleaned up even the pros could not find or get connected to the FLIGHT server. Is it still there and could I connect again with the purchase information I still have? Any help with this request would be appreciated.

Disappointed here. No multi-monitor support? No ForeFlight support?

This looks more like a game than a flight simulator.

Terrible. 15 years of wait and this is what they produce? The only thing they can brag about is the scenery and weather. However, flying is another matter.

Just look at the ATC window. Big block sitting there. Click away. Where are 2D windows? My friends and I have 12 screen huge rigs. All we are stuck with is a virtual cockpit with no draggable window.

GPS terrible. The assignable controls were so easy with just pressing the button it registered the assignment. Now try clicking away. The hell with it They can keep the bloody scenery. I’m going back to enjoying my old sim. The rest of the folks may enjoy their one screen and play like kids.

User Manual / User Guide. Where is it? I've found a number of people bemoaning that MS has released this version of Flight Sim, apparently without a User Manual / Guide.

It doesn't worry me, but the X-Plane fanboys are pointing out that indeed there is no manual that you can pick up and read about the Sim. Here's a link to a thread that could really benefit from the presence of a Microsoft representative:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/xbox/forum/xba_wowpc-xba_gowpc/manual-for-microsoft-flight-simulator-2020/f8f1473c-2380-4cb4-b9e5-c3e5bb1b02f2?messageId=f7f4a9b8-e602-4220-82e9-54a754050ced

Funny that it's actually on the Microsoft "Answers" site, but it appears that I, who have/has no relationship with MS, am trying hard to supply the answers to these frustrated people. I recognize that even though released, it is still a Work in Progress and that each time I venture into YouTube there are more and more useful and informative videos, that are getting to the point where they can supply a lot of the information that we all need to be ably to fly this beast, but they still want a manual.

I'm sure that it isn't Microsoft's priority at this stage of the life cycle, where they are effectively "gamma testing" the release (the test that finds all the problems that snuck past the Alpha and Beta testers, and which are much more expensive to rectify now - Oh, where is CMMI when you need it?), but I am serious when I say that there are customers, and potential customers, that find the idea of diving in without some written directions that they can sit down and read.

Apart from that, I love the new sim, and can't wait to get to grips with it more completely.

Well, the game is great except for one flaw that I found and I stopped flying until they fix it. the flaw is while in the G1000 (or any GPS unit), you cannot edit, add, insert or remove waypoints in the flight plan and you cannot activate your arrival proc. ILS landing? forget it. changing your route while in flight, forget it. Until they correct it, I will be using X-Plane 11. But, the game looks absolutely fantastic. I can't wait until they correct it

Since I purchased my first FSX back in the late 80's I've flown it regularly and updated it as when required, I love flying and when MS decided to stop FSX I was a little concerned, but now we're back in business with a new version which has some great scenery and really good graphics the only let down is me having to get used to the new version, but hey there's always issues with something more so at my age. So thanks to all involved for ringing FS2020 to life.

I would like to have a manual... is it available?

It took the best part of three days to download the required 91Gb with a couple of broadband dropouts and system hangs along the way.

My initial reaction, despite the limited aircraft (I could only afford the standard edition at this time), is to be blown away by how real everything seems. Having used Flight Simulator since version 1.3, before it even needed Windows to run, I remember telling my son when version 5.0 was launched, that, "one day, there will be photo-real worldwide scenery but probably not in my lifetime!"

The Global photo real scenery is here and it is amazing. My last experience last night was a beautiful sunset over Nice! As always, there is a whole new range of features and controls to learn about, and my joystick didn't work "out of the box", I had to assign each axis and button myself, but with patience, I will certainly get there.

Older joysticks such as the MSFT Sidewinder Precision 2 don't have a profile. Trying to buy a newer joystick is close to impossible, due to shortages. One would think this could have been anticipated or better communicated. Trying to run the program with only keyboard and mouse seems punitive so I'll wait for a Sidewinder 2 profile or buy a new controller, however long that takes.

I don't call myself an expert daily gamer, but I'm more of an X-Plane 11 enthusiast. Recently I decided to try the FS2020 running on a Ryzen 4800H with RTX2060. I don't have a Joystick or even a gamepad, so I always used the keyboard.

In X-Plane is very easy to fly the plane just using the default keyboard setting, however, in FS2020 is almost impossible. The number keys are extremely sensitive with quite a lag so you end up overcorrecting and crashing most of the time .. I ordered a SteelSeries Duo gamepad so I can use it for my other games also .. I can't wait to see if it make much of a difference in controls response or if the sensitivity can be adjusted.

I buy the new FS2020 and I'm very upset...Not a lot of aircraft, there are NO helicopters like FSX, no fighter aircraft as F-18, F-22 or F-35. Plus the wave on the beach or ocean...not very lot.

We don't see any peoples accept on the airport. For example, I'm from Montreal, Canada. All the airports, you don't see the company names as Air Canada, Air Transat, US Air, etc, nothing. About Bridges, is really bad... You go to Quebec city and the Bridge of Quebec and Pierre Laporte. Why they just put the real Google Earth! I buy the full Edition. Also, with FSX, I could easily play with my Saitek X52 Pro but with FS2020 70% nothing is working well. Also, you could not open doors or windows. I really upset about this new Flight Simulator 2020.

There is obviously a manual since they sent out a printed one and that manual was surely created on the computer. For some reason, they don't want anyone to have it.

This new flight simulator is extremely demanding, I am certain that the video shows the program at its best. I would hope that Microsoft will release a playable demo so that each of us can see how the game runs on our computers.

I think a lot of people will be disappointed if they buy the sim and find that it only runs smoothly on the lowest settings. X-Plane's most recent updates with Vulcan has made a huge difference to the sim's performance. I am definitely not going to buy MSFS until I am sure that it will run smoothly at high resolutions (Not 4K). on my Computer, Which has 32 G of RAM, 8GiG V RAM, and Ryzen 7 2700X.

I am looking for a manual so that I use the keyboard to control the aircraft. It is very strange that they did not include a manual on how to use the simulator. Very disappointing.

I am a very old user of Microsoft Flight Simulator, having flown with FS98/2002/2004/FSX and not yet ready to uninstall my FSX from my PC, as it is part of my life. (not considered as a game but as a real flight simulator).

Meanwhile, I am happy to find out that Microsoft is about to put a new FS on the market, after having been waiting for such a long time.

So, I will wait to have more information about FS2020 prior to buying it. I really appreciate the information's given by "Flyaway Simulation" as usual.

It seems for the moment, that the Airliners as of: B737/B747/757/777/787 and so on, and all the existing Airbus's series, "ATC", have been forgotten in this such awaited FS2020.

Microsoft must not forget all the hardware modules working with FSX, which are essential to fly an airplane. (as a real pilot ! ! ).

I keep very interested in all useful information concerning FS2020, as I will be probably, part of the first buyers. ! !...

Bests.

I have a Logitech Force 3D Pro joystick and cannot get it to work. Does the guide give set up instructions for this joystick? Thanks.

Hi, I have MSFS 2020. The program has a very spectacular graphic but only this. At this time it's a game, not just a simulator. If the developers will change everything on the aircraft's side so, it will become the best. For now, it's not good just a game.

I have gone through a lot of this blogs and there seems to be little response, if anyone actually knows the answers, as to what is the best RAM and Graphics card, etc, what are the suitable specs and connection speeds required to play this simulator that will produce around 25 fps?

The simulator itself looks amazing and is to me all about the thrill of flying, whether I am in a small aircraft or in a commercial airliner it makes so much difference to have the realism both outside and inside. Physics is incredible and the scenery is all part of the experience whether using one monitor or multiple. Obviously at first glitches will be present, but hopefully, in time they will be corrected. Also, I am hearing that joysticks are an issue, and does that apply to foot pedals as well?. I wish every success with this simulation for everyone. Maybe some kind persons who have the game can do a real hands-on review with all of these answers and what they may have had regards problems or how well their PC handles the Simulator...Many thanks to everyone and MS.

I actually found out much too late that the new flight simulator was already available for download, so I started exploring it well.

Let me say it is a great program, but many more people have said that before me.

I first have to find out for myself what else can go wrong, but for now, I am very satisfied with this program.

I like to get updates, but Steam is not very friendly or helpful, I am a pensioner and don't earn a salary and cannot afford what Steam expects from me, I deleted Steam because of this and now I'm stuck with nothing.

Argh - wish I could comment but the download from Microsoft is so painfully slow and error-prone. So far I have used 550GB of cable data plan just to get a little over 1/2 way through the 120GB download. It has taken 3 days so far and I have to throttle the bandwidth right down to 0.5MB/s (1/40th of my cable capacity) just to get it to reliably download (plus lots of other tricks like setting TCP windowing to disabled etc. etc).

Clearly, some people are successful but many are not (search MSFS download problems") and there is ZERO info from Microsoft as to what is going o so fixing it is a complete guessing game. For now, I have to look at your pretty pictures... BTW - before the flames - I am ex-MSFT and live about 10 miles from Redmond campus - I think I could grab a bucket and carry the bits over quicker :-)