As a long-time enthusiast of flight simulators, I must confess that my initial foray into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has left me more grounded than I would have liked. The game’s potential is as vast as the skies it promises to explore, but unfortunately, at launch, it feels more like treading water in a murky pond than soaring through crystal-clear skies.
The visual spectacle has consistently amazed us, and the hands-on sneak peek at Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 hints at further enhancements in its incredibly detailed digital recreation of our earthly globe.
Reducing the game’s data storage by streaming assets from the cloud could potentially lower the overall setup size from the hefty 150GB of the prior title. However, this raises concerns about the long-term feasibility of continuous internet bandwidth consumption for a game of such high resolution.
Since its release on November 19th, Asobo Studio’s game has faced a multitude of issues, leaving many players unable to get past an initial loading screen or encountering problems and crashes later. After a day, have things improved at all, or are gamers still waiting for essential patches? Here’s my take on the situation since its debut.
What is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?
Since the first edition of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator launched back in 1982, compatible with IBM personal computers, it has continued to operate and evolve.
2024’s Microsoft Flight Simulator serves as an enhancement rather than a completely new version, building upon the accomplishments made by developer Asobo Studio during the reboot of Flight Simulator 2020.
Worldwide, individuals are invited to imagine and execute a journey by air, crossing any nation or continent at their discretion, or choose a structured path in a career-oriented mode that begins with fundamental training in a simulated flight academy.
On both PCs and gaming consoles, players have the freedom to choose between a conventional mouse-and-keyboard setup or a regular Xbox controller. However, for an exceptionally immersive, realistic flight experience, gamers can also select a specialized flight stick that works equally well on either platform.
On November 19, 2024, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will be released, offering access to users who have an active Xbox Game Pass subscription. This version is often found at a significantly reduced monthly cost compared to its retail price of $69.99, making it an ideal choice for those hesitant about the game’s appeal as it allows for a trial experience.
Does it run on PC gaming handhelds?
As a dedicated enthusiast, I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, but my excitement is somewhat tempered by the fact that the Steam Deck compatibility remains undetermined as of now. However, based on the experiences shared on ProtonDB, the previous version of the game ran smoothly on low graphical settings, which gives me a glimmer of hope.
Despite not being able to successfully run the game on my 256GB Steam Deck (LCD) at present, it’s logical to assume that the game will operate smoothly once its graphical problems have been addressed.
Instead of relying on the Proton compatibility layer, as Valve’s Steam Deck does due to being Linux-based, handheld devices such as ASUS ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go that run on Windows benefit from executing native code directly. The original ASUS ROG Ally equipped with an AMD Z1 processor also outperforms the Steam Deck’s custom APU in terms of raw power, which suggests it will handle Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 more efficiently with enhanced performance.
Once the game becomes playable on the Z1 Extreme-based ROG Ally, I will conduct real-world tests. Based on my expectations, I believe that the devices from ASUS and Lenovo may deliver superior performance in this context.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: Launch day issues
Before its release on November 19th, players were given the opportunity to pre-install approximately 1.02% of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, which is a mere drop in the ocean compared to the 32.2GB of storage space needed for the game after its launch on the Xbox Series X. This tiny fraction didn’t make much of an impact on reducing the anticipated day-one download size, as lamented by fans on social media and discussion boards on Steam, and indeed, it did not.
At 11:00 AM ET, along with many other eager fans, I initiated the launch of MSFS 2024, whether we had purchased it at full price or gained access through a Game Pass subscription like myself. However, an extended “Loading uncharacteristically long…” message halted any further progress beyond 97%, following a sluggish process as resources were downloaded from the cloud. In due course, Microsoft suggested restarting the game to resolve the issue.
On launch day, I was unable to view any gameplay due to an issue where the system was overloaded with too many simultaneous connection attempts or because the loading times were excessively long.
Regrettably, during the entire launch day of MSFS 2024, I encountered a persistent issue where my login attempt was met with a queue due to excessive user connections, displayed as “Too many users are attempting to connect simultaneously.” Despite multiple restarts and system reboots on my Xbox Series X, I ultimately decided to abandon the game after approximately five hours. Recognizing this as a common occurrence during large-scale game launches due to server overload, I attempted to play again following a good night’s sleep.
For 17 hours straight, the problems persisted without resolution, and I found myself stuck at a “Customize Identity” screen that refused to display any content. With limited options for troubleshooting and high-speed internet service from my ISP, I decided to uninstall the game and start anew. Despite this effort, I couldn’t progress on the initial startup, but after repeatedly rebooting the game for two hours, I finally managed to access the menu. Regrettably, it didn’t lead to a smoother experience from thereon.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: Bugs and crashes
2024’s Microsoft Flight Simulator kept crashing multiple times on my Xbox Series X, and after the fifth frustrating instance, I stopped keeping track. If the game wasn’t experiencing issues loading previews for the cosmetic items on the ‘Customize Identity’ screen, it was forcefully closing, taking me back to the Xbox dashboard without any warnings or apparent causes.
It appears there are no error messages or codes for me to diagnose issues, and I imagine even an average player would have abandoned the game due to its current state. What makes it worse is that I couldn’t reproduce the crashes by following the same steps; they seem unpredictable. However, the problems that persist the most are within the recently showcased career mode we saw earlier this year.
Before I continue with any more concerns, let me clarify that my internet connection is swift and dependable; speed tests conducted frequently indicate no problems from my end. However, when I tried to select a starting location in the career mode of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, the simulation seemed to struggle, producing nothing but low-resolution smudges and chaotic splotches on its virtual globe instead of clear, detailed images.
Multiple attempts to map a flight route using various airports resulted in collisions at various points in these systems. With persistence, the world eventually stabilized and presented itself as a straightforward simulation similar to Bing Maps in satellite view. However, due to the instability of the interface, the game crashed so frequently that I could not experience any actual gameplay.
Engaging ‘Free Flight’ mode allowed me to get a closer look at Asobo Studio’s depiction of Earth from an aerial perspective, with real-time cloud cover. However, the game would either stay stuck in this top-down view or crash back to my Xbox dashboard. Interestingly, persisting in attempting to enter this mode eventually resulted in me earning the achievement called ‘Achieve a flight completion in any game mode.’
At this point, the two modes I was most excited to try were both unplayable.
After numerous attempts, I ultimately abandoned ‘Free Flight’, just like I had given up on ‘Career’. Both modes seemed unplayable since all I encountered were repeated crashes. Excited to experience these two modes, I was looking forward to them. Career mode hinted at an update to the game’s flight school, while Free Flight aimed to fulfill my lifelong desire to fly over my hometown and view it as a 3D realistic environment from above. Unfortunately, neither of these experiences materialized for me.
Instead, I opted for the ‘Challenge League’ in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, where I achieved my best results by racing through the Grand Canyon at high speed in a Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet. Despite some issues, such as the preview screen not rendering the environment satisfactorily for this minigame, I successfully loaded into the game.
From then on, things remained stagnant without improvement; they didn’t decline further, but neither did they improve. Although I managed to avoid crashes in the challenge league, the experience was marred by disappointments when I observed the subpar gameplay during a guided tour around a predetermined region. If you wander too far, your position is reset. I can tolerate slow-loading textures on distant maps, but this issue I cannot accept.
Using a standard gamepad, familiar with flight simulator control schemes, I took off in my fighter jet over an indistinct, nearly unrecognizable depiction of the Grand Canyon. Navigating through obstacles became my task next. The experience was less than ideal as the jet’s textures were broken and appeared as pixelated rainbows. The graphics didn’t get any better during the flight.
During my high-speed exploration of the canyon for this challenge, certain regions appeared in greater detail due to enhanced assets, but they quickly vanished from sight because of my extraordinary velocity. Despite multiple attempts, the same issue recurred as the cloud-streaming struggled to match my gameplay pace, resulting in a blurry, clay-like terrain that I kept soaring over until my engagement with the game waned completely.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: Should you buy it?
At this stage, I can’t endorse Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 due to its lack of functionality. I’m holding off on giving it a rating because there seems to be nothing to evaluate at the moment. The gameplay, additional content, and compatibility with peripherals are all questionable as the game doesn’t even run properly in its fundamental state. For now, I advise using an active Game Pass subscription to test its stability before making a purchase decision.
As a fervent admirer of its precursor, I must express my initial disenchantment with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. However, the innovative technology powering the game is captivating, and I remain hopeful that the developers at Asobo Studio can rectify the current issues. The servers have demonstrated an inability to manage stress during high-traffic periods, which is a concern. If I witness a substantial update in the game’s performance, restoring it to a level of genuine playability, I will reevaluate my stance and provide an appropriate rating. Unfortunately, the rocky debut may deter some newcomers from fully experiencing what this game has to offer.
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2024-11-20 19:10