FSX-SE Best 737 payware?

[Boeing_Driver 76]

I'm looking to get a payware 737 for FSX Steam, and wondering which one seems to be the best, in terms of realistic behaviour, detail, and functionality. My use is for training purposes.

 

Thanks in advance.

[David Vega 348]

 

[signmanbob 592]

The Best 737 for FSX= PMDG 737NGX by far

[Raging Bull 23]

13 minutes ago, signmanbob said:

The Best 737 for FSX= PMDG 737NGX by far

Agree, PMDG 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Daylight then perhaps some freeware offerings. 

Its the only realistic 737 NG available for FSX and P3D. 

[signmanbob 592]

1 minute ago, Raging Bull said:

Agree, PMDG 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Daylight then perhaps some freeware offerings. 

Its the only realistic 737 NG available for FSX and P3D. 

I'll keep flying other aircraft for months, then when I come back to the NGX, I get re-addicted to it. It's amazing when you think how long it's been out, yet it is still "Numero Uno". The older it gets, the sweeter it gets.

[jlohrenz 133]

Nobody ever mentions the ifly 737. It is a great representation as well for a lot less.

[scianoir 610]

4 hours ago, jlohrenz said:

Nobody ever mentions the ifly 737. It is a great representation as well for a lot less.

Absolutely agree! Plus there is also the benefit of a 50% discount for previous owners if you upgrade to the P3D4 version whereas with PMDG you have to pay the full price again.

Bill

[SierraHotel 974]

7 hours ago, Raging Bull said:

Agree, PMDG 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Daylight then perhaps some freeware offerings. 

Its the only realistic 737 NG available for FSX and P3D. 

+1 Once PMDG have updated it with Rainmaker and added the Global Flight Operations there really will be nothing to touch it.

Edited October 5, 2018 by SierraHotel

[jcorstjens 63]

I agree that the PMDG737NG is number I, but the iFly737Ng (now with HD textures in and out) definitely is number 2 and getting quite close. It also is a very advanced and realistic simulation.

 

[Holdit 551]

5 hours ago, jlohrenz said:

Nobody ever mentions the ifly 737. It is a great representation as well for a lot less.

I think some people like to pretend it doesn't exist.  A case in point...

8 hours ago, Raging Bull said:

Agree, PMDG 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Daylight then perhaps some freeware offerings. 

Its the only realistic 737 NG available for FSX and P3D. 

...the OP is making a purchasing decision - to make a statement like this looks a lot like deliberate dishonesty or really bad memory, since the poster giving this advice commented (disparagingly, of course) on the new HD iFly graphics only a few days ago, and as such only serves to mislead the OP about the choices available.

(As an aside, I'd be very interested to know which freeware offerings beat the iFly. Perhaps Raging Bull could provide relevant links?)

That said, if for training purposes, I'd put the PMDG in the top slot too. But if bang for your buck is also a consideration, then the OP would surely have to consider iFly, since he won't have to buy it all over again when he moves to P3Dv4, and you get more versions out of the box with the iFly to boot.

 

Edited October 5, 2018 by Holdit

[Chock 17,769]

You've got three choices for the 737 NG. iFly, PMDG and Ariane, plus a few other choices for original and classic variants.

Not much in it between the iFly and the PMDG 737-NGs, assuming you wanted an NG 737 variant (i.e. 600/700/800/900/BBJ). If you wanted an earlier 737 variant (100/200), then you've got Milviz and Just Flight and Captain Sim, who all make versions of those, and of them, I'd say the Milviz one was the best, but since you mentioned it was for training, I'll assume you meant a currently operational 737, so that'd be most likely an NG variant, in which case, it's either the PMDG one or the iFly one you'll be after, the Ariane one is not a good choice.

Of those two remaining NG choices (PMDG and iFly), either will be good. The iFly one offers a bit more bang for your bucks, since you get all the NG variants with it, whereas you only get two variants with the PMDG package, and two more in a further expansion pack should you choose to buy that as well. If you are considering using Track IR/VR, then the PMDG one is a better choice because it has a collimated HGS which works in three dimensions and has correct parallax, whereas the HGS in the iFly one is only 2D, which is fine on a PC monitor, but it won't be an accurate depiction of an HGS if you use Track-IR and move your head around. Beyond this difference, it's really difficult to say which one is better, they're both great and you can't really go wrong with either of them. If I had to choose, I'd say the iFly one, but only because it's more bang for your bucks and because I don't use Track-IR on airliners.

As noted, there is a third option and that's the Ariane 737 NG, but I'd say avoid the Ariane version. Whilst it's a reasonably good simulation of the real thing, it is expensive and the DRM for it to install on your system is draconian, so it is not worth the hassle because it is no better than the iFly or PMDG ones and more expensive too, especially if you want to start adding additional liveries, because you have to pay for those as well.

Other choices...

As far as the current Boeing 737 MAX variant is concerned, iFly, PMDG and Ariane are all working on creating 737 MAX variants, iFly's is slated for a 2020 release date, PMDG have not said when theirs will be available, but it's reasonable to assume it'll be about the same time. Ariane haven't given any date indication for theirs.

On the off chance that you were interested in a 300/400/500 737 variant, your choice is limited to the (quite old) Wilco 737. It's good in terms of system simulation, but as noted, it's quite old now and so don't expect to be blown away by it's graphical appearance, but on the plus side, that does mean it runs great on less well endowed PCs.

So in the end, it's really down to iFly and PMDG, and as I say, you can't really go wrong with either of them and the aforementioned HGS difference and the number of variants you get for the money is about the only thing which separates them.

Edited October 5, 2018 by Chock

[Greggy_D 935]

2 hours ago, Holdit said:

I think some people like to pretend it doesn't exist. 

Agreed.  It's confirmation bias for the other product.

I'd wager a good portion that disparage the iFly product have never owned/tried it.

[Bob Scott 7,715]

I have both the PMDG and the iFly 737.  The iFly is a decent add-on, for less money than the PMDG.  IMHO, you get what you pay for...the iFly is fun and flyable; the PMDG is a more refined product in terms of depth and the user interface.

Ariane?  That bunch is associated with Peter Tishma of Papa Tango infamy.  Never, never, EVER in this lifetime. 

Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it:  https://www.avsim.com/pages/0902/pt_again.html

Regards

 

[Jude Bradley 659]

Uggggg, got the shivers when I saw Ariane. Bought it, - dreadful textures and did not recognize DUB as a waypoint 

[Holdit 551]

14 minutes ago, w6kd said:

the iFly is fun and flyable

So is the default FSX 737. The iFly is much more than this, though.