Which ever route you take, you should if you can, wait to spend that gift certificate until Steam has another one of their big sales, they have periodically during the year. I don't know about X-Plane, but DTG has 50-80% sales during these times. You can really get a good bang for your money. When I bought FSX-Steam, it was 80% off and I got it for $5.00. 

Personally I would wait until DTG flightsim comes out at the end of the year, if you can be patient for that long!

Allthough FSX:SE is great, I would go for X-Plane or as scotchegg says, wait for DTG flightsim.

 

Flying through clouds in X-Plane is just awesome. You really feel the 3D effect, and to date it's the only sim where I had a feeling of flying. It does take som e time and a lot of freeware addons to get it where one is  happy with it, but once you are there it is hard to ignore it.

Plus there seem to be more quality payware addons on the way.

 

I still use P3D for tubeliners, but that's only because the ATC in X-Plane sucks.

Waiting for DTG, and giving a go to their Flight School tittle would be my option.

 

Or, as some have pointed out, buying FSX:SE for just $5 like it sometimes sells is a really a great deal...

I recommend this one:

 

 

Jose

Guys, r you really lamenting on spending ca. 50 $ from a FREE voucher??? (not to say suggest to waiting

for a non released title)

 

Are you serious?

I run FSX & X-Plane. Have for a long time. Contrary to some reports, X-Plane doesn't have better flight dynamics, isn't more of a flight simulator, and FSX is far, far from dead. As I've said, probably hundreds of times over the years, the description of  "flying on rails", doesn't mean much of anything. FSX does not fly on rails.  I personally wouldn't give up FSX for X-Plane, because some of the best third party aircraft flight dynamics I've ever experienced, are produced for FSX/P3D.  However, there are good models for X-Plane too. Just don't believe the hype, that X-Plane is truer when it comes to flight. I was a long time pilot, including high performance, and aerobatics, semi-high performance/aerobatic plane owner, etc.   In the end, get both if possible, as they are different in many respects. 

I have and use FSX, P3D and XP10. I would mirror what a lot of people are saying, which is they all have their pros and cons. For me, it's all about the add-on aircraft and FSX/P3D gets a huge win in this area. Even the supposedly high fidelity add-ons for XP10 leave a lot to be desired. Nothing on XP10 really compares to the offerings from PMDG, A2A Simulations or Majestic. Not to say that all the add-ons are bad for XP10, but there are none that I would call great.

 

Also, the flight model in FSX/P3D may not be as good(I don't know for sure), but all the developers I mentioned above use their own flight model so it's not an important point really.

 

XP10 is definitely the better application, but I find myself enjoying P3D the most with FSX a close 2nd. I'd wait for DTG to come out before making any big move though. It's not cheap to fully switch over to a new sim.

When I look at X-Plane 10, the major thing that it has over FSX is it's global lighting. 

 

When you fly into an airport in XPX, you see tarmac lights actually cast light, light up aircraft, etc. It's a big immersion breaker flying at night in FSX and pulling up to a tarmac only to see total darkness around the light texture. The night lighting of cities also, because of this environment, is just absolutely killer compared to FSX/P3D.

 

In regards to FSX vs. XPX in other areas, you are also going to miss a ton of shadowing options (that are present in P3D though), volumetric fog, and of course 64 bits.

 

Again, P3D makes most of that ground up by having it's own volumetric fog and greatly improved VAS usage even being 32bit.

 

IMO, I'd use the voucher on XPX just to try something different, maybe use it to fly at night, etc. Then buy P3D when you get the money. 

Those that still use FSX are missing out on a good amount, even though they are loathe to admit they see it. 

I was an Xplane 10 user for about a month and then I went back to FSX SE before buying P3D v2. I like Xplane. flight dynamics are a bit more realistic and the scenery looks great but the payware stuff was lacking. I bought the A320 for it which by far is my favorite jet to fly in Xplane. I bought the Worldliner 777 and was not impressed at all. It may fly almost realistic like its real world counterpart but I've been so used to PMDG that I couldn't get into this version of the 777. Bought Xplane on Steam so there it sits in my virtual steam cloud waiting to be downloaded and installed but that won't happen. I run P3D v3 now but recently went back to MSFSX Acceleration since downloading FSX SE will take crap ton of time on this stupid internet connection... Currently using Acceleration because I really didn't feel like buying addons that would work in P3D v3 that I already have for FSX. At some point I will but I want my purchases to be geared more towards getting hardware setup for my simulator.

So if you want almost unlimited amount of payware addons, I'd stick with FSX or go P3D. If you want realistic flight go with Xplane.

DTG just announced the "Steam March Madness" 50% sale so you didn't have long to wait! FSXSE itself is 70% off at $7.49, available addons 50%, so now is the time to try it. Doesn't appear X-Plane is participating, it show regular pricing for it and all addons.

Good point bonchie.

I run FSX & X-Plane. Have for a long time. Contrary to some reports, X-Plane doesn't have better flight dynamics, isn't more of a flight simulator, and FSX is far, far from dead. As I've said, probably hundreds of times over the years, the description of  "flying on rails", doesn't mean much of anything. FSX does not fly on rails. 

 

What????

 

EDIT:

 

Not to start an argument here, but...

 

Nah forget it. Each has the right to his own opinion. 

 

Enjoy your sim of choice.

Contrary to some reports, X-Plane doesn't have better flight dynamics, isn't more of a flight simulator, and FSX is far, far from dead. 

1)Debatable, but it doesn't really matter as long as the plane is developed well

2)How can one be "more of a flight sim" than the other?

3)Actually, FSX is the definition of dead. It is no longer being supported, no new development will ever happen for it, and the studio that created it has closed. There will still be a user community for it for decades to come, but the software itself is indeed dead. P3D, on the other hand, is not dead. 

 

But I agree with your ultimate suggestion to get both. I use the two and jump between them all the time. No reason to restict yourself. 

 

When I look at X-Plane 10, the major thing that it has over FSX is it's global lighting. 

+10000! The night lighting is far and away the best feature of XPlane. I'll never get sick of pulling into the terminal at night and having the fuselage slowly be lit up the the ambient lighting. Also, cities at night are breathtaking. 

...you honestly can't ignore the on rail feeling of FSX.

Add Active Sky Next and the A2A Skyhawk. Rails gone.

 

My biggest problem with X plane is the poor ATC implementation. I'm seriously considering trying VATSIM.

PilotEdge is compatible with X-Plane. If you can get past the cost and the fact that it only covers the southwest USA, it is hands-down the best ATC "add-on" for any simulator, ever.