Several titles have challenged for the mantle of finest visuals in a online game, and whereas there have been loads of worthy contenders, only a few ever tried what Microsoft Flight Simulator did in 2020. As a successor to the seemingly forgotten Flight Simulator franchise, it provided essentially the most reasonable plane simulation, from business flights to rotorcraft, set in a large rendition of planet Earth. You possibly can fly nearly wherever in startling element, due to an answer that utilized Microsoft Azure and photogrammetry.

The outcomes have been spectacular and solely improved over time with subsequent updates. With Microsoft Simulator 2024, Asobo Studio and Xbox Sport Studios have gone even additional past. Over 100,000 sq. kilometers of the countryside, 150+ airports, 2000 factors of curiosity, and extra have been handcrafted, whereas about three trillion bushes, 40,000 airports, and 1.5 billion buildings are procedurally generated. Additionally, for the primary time within the franchise, you’ll be able to step outdoors of your aircraft and discover the world on foot with 27 totally different biomes created.

It’s known as Asobo’s “digital twin” of the Earth, and based mostly on gameplay to date, it’s been beautiful. Launch day dampened a variety of that hype with server points and lengthy preliminary loading occasions, which the event group kind of resolved. The query now’s how Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 measures up visually. What’s the efficiency like on PC and Xbox Collection X, and the way do they evaluate?

What’s New

Earlier than we get into all that, it’s essential to debate what’s new and the way Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 improves on its predecessor. This contains simulating the Earth in additional staggering element with machine studying. Studio co-founder and CEO Sebastian Wloch defined to Home windows Central that AI is educated “with actual photographs and aerial photographs to acknowledge — and different information like you realize, altitude, as a lot data as doable — to attempt to guess ‘Okay, is there rocks? Are there pebbles? Is it sand? Is it Earth?’ to seek out the precise kind of floor.”

Flight Sim head Jorg Neumann additionally informed RockPaperShotgun how the group picked out 28,000 tiles representing totally different features of the Earth – forests, deserts, and so forth – to outline for the machine studying system. “And then you definately feed that right into a machine studying system, and also you say ‘any such coloration and any such sample is that this’ – you feed it in, and also you get the whole lot again, you have a look at the outcomes, after which you’ve got human intervention once more. You principally say: ‘Oh, okay, obtained this unsuitable.’ And then you definately retrain it. We did that in 4 totally different levels.” The data is then streamed to gamers in actual time. Instruments like Blackshark.ai, Microsoft Azure, and Bing Maps are nonetheless a part of the sequel’s DNA, however the quantity of knowledge being streamed is greater than its predecessor (about 5 GB per hour, per Neumann).

After all, there are many different noteworthy enhancements to the sport’s particulars, from 10,000+ rigid-body surfaces for simulating numerous plane, delicate physique physics for balloons and fabric, new plane programs, a pre-flight planner with IFR charts, ETOPS planning and NOTAMS. There are additionally new additions to the climate system, together with auroras, a brand new photometric lighting system, and many extra particulars like ship site visitors, air site visitors, and wildlife roaming the lands and seas. It’s lots to absorb and make no mistake, you’re going to wish some fairly highly effective {hardware}.

PC Settings and Take a look at Bench

PC was our platform of option to expertise Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, with our take a look at bench consisting of an AMD Ryzen 5950x, a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and 32 GB of RAM. It’s properly above the advisable GPU and CPU, particularly an RTX 2080 and AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, however under the perfect necessities, which demand an RTX 4080, a Ryzen 9 7900X and 64 GB of RAM. Additionally, as a facet word, you want a good web connection to stream its intensive quantity of property, starting from 10 Mbps on the minimal and 50 Mbps for advisable to 100 Mbps on the perfect settings, so maintain that in thoughts.

We performed the sport at 4K, setting DLSS to High quality Mode. For anti-aliasing, Nvidia DLSS Tremendous Decision was chosen with nearly all settings – like off-screen terrain caching, texture decision, ambient occlusion, raymarched reflections, procedurally generated constructing high quality, bushes, vegetation, rocks, and so forth. – set to Extremely. Terrain and object degree of element, which decide how good the terrain and different objects look, are set to 200. Windshield results, which affect the standard of rain results and reflections on the windshield, have been set to Medium, whereas glass cockpit refresh charge is at Excessive for plane that help the identical.

PC Efficiency

Primarily based on how a lot was happening in a scene for PC, efficiency ranged from 30 to 45 frames per second. The issue is the stuttering inflicting sudden dips within the body charge out of nowhere, and it feels jarring. It additionally feels odd when all of a sudden loading to and from maps – like there’s a sudden drop in body charge, and the whole lot slowly stabilizes. The event group ironed out issues stopping many from logging in, so this can be because of {hardware} constraints. Regardless, some optimization would go a great distance on PC, however with the whole lot thought-about, the numbers aren’t too shabby contemplating our settings.

Xbox Collection X Efficiency

On the Xbox Collection X, the story is kind of totally different. It targets 4K decision and 30 frames per second – there are not any modes to select from. Although we spent minimal time with the console model in comparison with PC, the body charge felt fairly secure at 30 FPS with a couple of minor drops, much less stuttering, and even fewer of the beforehand talked about map points. The general visible constancy can also be good, so if you happen to’re not assured in your PC dealing with the title, the Xbox Collection X is a viable different.

PC vs. Xbox Collection X

Although the PC model is superior in draw distance, it’s unimaginable how properly the Xbox Collection X measures up. Each variations present some pop-in, as seen within the reflections of the Golden Gate Bridge within the water because the participant attracts nearer, which seems even odder as you get nearer. You can too clearly see some minor particulars, from buildings and a little bit of their shadows to definitions on hill ranges, loading in at shut vary. It’s all noticeable if you happen to look arduous sufficient, although, at occasions, it may possibly get much more egregious, with total mountains price of textures all of a sudden popping in. Whether or not this can be a {hardware} or streaming challenge is unknown.

However, the sheer quantity of element and high-resolution textures on the terrain, coupled with site visitors, water high quality, and reflections, is inconceivable to disclaim. The planes are additionally handsome, with gentle naturally casting shadows in attractive methods. Nonetheless, you would possibly discover finer shadows from smaller components blinking out and in with distracting readability on Xbox Collection X. Efficiency is extra secure on the console, with fewer body drops. Curiously, when going from cityscapes teeming with buildings, site visitors, water, reflections and quite a lot of vegetation to much less busy terrain and extra flat terrain, the PC model’s efficiency turns into extra secure and seamless.

When evaluating cockpits, each variations look superb, capturing the sheer element of the devices and their efficiency with beautiful realism. When trying outdoors the home windows, the PC model barely wins out. Each characteristic correct lens flares towards the glass and little bits of mud and snow, which might even smudge. The latter seems barely higher on PC alongside the reflections of the dashboard, however each variations nonetheless supply an insane quantity of element from the cockpit.

One other facet word: The character fashions depart one thing to be desired. They’re pretty insignificant in comparison with the actual meat of the sport, but it surely’s nonetheless price mentioning because you’ll see your avatar lots in post-mission screens and interacting with NPCs throughout Profession Mode.

Conclusion

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is an incredible-looking recreation and a major step up from its 2020 predecessor. Even with {hardware} that falls properly under the perfect specs, it delivers first rate efficiency at 4K with Extremely settings and DLSS High quality enabled. Some extra work must be finished with the optimization. The most important challenge proper now’s the loading out and in of maps, which shuffles alongside at an uncomfortable charge. After all, that is solely the start, and with such a robust base to work off of, the expertise will solely enhance over time.