Benefits of Steam, Windows purchase stores

[EmaRacing 302]

I'll try the game with xbox pass for PC at first, see what it is and what is fixed after a couple of months, and wait for something like FSeconomy to pop up before purchasing.

[hangar 661]

I have 2 questions regarding using the Steam option:

1. If I have it on Steam am I correct in assuming that you can only buy addons either directly from Steam OR directly from vendors who offer a "Steam ready installer?" i.e. NO MS Marketplace or non-steam installers

2. Addon patches for Steam version (as well as game patches for Steam version) may also lag behind as compared to when actually released by their developer, is this true?

I suppose this goes out to those of you who used FSX on Steam and had to deal with the above issues.

Edited August 3, 2020 by hangar

[Jeeeno 314]

The main question for me is: If I buy the game on Steam is it still necessary to launch the Microsoft store? It happens for example with Rockstar games: you can buy them on Steam, but you are still required to launch their own store.

I would definitely prefer to have MSFS on Steam, however if Microsoft Store has to be launched as well to play, the benefit of Steam is much less.

[in2tech 588]

3 minutes ago, Jeeeno said:

The main question for me is: If I buy the game on Steam is it still necessary to launch the Microsoft store? It happens for example with Rockstar games: you can buy them on Steam, but you are still required to launch their own store.

I would definitely prefer to have MSFS on Steam, however if Microsoft Store has to be launched as well to play, the benefit of Steam is much less.

That's why I am doing the 1 month Game Pass, to get info about the Market Place on the Steam version. I want to be able to buy from the MSFS Market Place, in the Steam version? And also 3rd party on Steam. So many questions, hopefully we will know on the launch date? 

[OzWhitey 3,353]

DCS and X-Plane are both available on steam.

In both cases, you do not want the Steam version. Every time there is an update, Steam users are tearfully asking "When is it coming to steam? Why do we not have it on Steam yet??"

DCS has the added issue that addons from Steam are not necessarily cross-compatible with the version you get from the developer.

I love Steam, but my experience with sims suggests that direct-from-developer is the safest option.

[Paladin2005 440]

In steam you have full access to all game files as in every other game and in FSX and P3D.

In the MS Store, they are encrypted and somehow invisible.  I was never able to locate the files of Forza Motorsport 7 and Forza Horizon 4.

 

Could be relevant when we start to finetune CFGs and other files.

But maybe someone found a solution to access the files from the MS Store.

[jr6000dk 3]

Just preordre the premium Delux version on MS Store, bec i see no benefices to buy it on Steam! Have alle my games on steam an some on MS Store, whatever you buy on steam or ms store, it just download that launcher, that installs the files from the Xbox servers, so it dont download the Hole game from steam only the launcher and i want to support so at ms store they g’et 100% of the money on steam only 70% of the money....Have always had a good experence with MS Store...just my 2 cent...

[joec63 253]

The long and short of it is no matter where purchased there is a requirement to sign into your Microsoft account to play

Edited August 6, 2020 by joec63

[Mengy 814]

On 8/3/2020 at 10:37 AM, EmaRacing said:

I'll try the game with xbox pass for PC at first, see what it is and what is fixed after a couple of months, and wait for something like FSeconomy to pop up before purchasing.

FSE is already working in the beta/preview build, and planes are already aliased into the FSE database.  Official details won't be posted until the 18th but a few testers are already flying in FSE with MFS.  😎

[Asterix2112 14]

On 8/6/2020 at 7:04 AM, Paladin2005 said:

In steam you have full access to all game files as in every other game and in FSX and P3D.

In the MS Store, they are encrypted and somehow invisible.  I was never able to locate the files of Forza Motorsport 7 and Forza Horizon 4.

Could be relevant when we start to finetune CFGs and other files.

But maybe someone found a solution to access the files from the MS Store.

Files are in a hidden folder called 'WindowsApps' on whatever drive you installed them on. BUT

You cannot access them by default. You have to go to advanced security to manually take ownership of them to even access the files. Even then you still cannot do anything with them. For instance for the game 'A Plagues Tale' I wanted to replace to intro files with ones someone uploaded that would save load time, but you can't do it. And if you are not a computer geek (I am) you probably should not try or you might end up with an unplayable game.

I hate Steam, i just want to install the game on my PC and have NO store overlay. But Steam might be the lesser of two evils here. Plus Steam has the NVIDIA Inspector which will optimize your graphic settings for games, which it cannot do for games in the Microsoft Store.

I have the one month $1 thing. I will play it for a week or so after the 18th, but I will probably buy it (I want the $120 version) from Steam (even though I will hold my nose doing it)

I wish GOG games had it. The only friendly one.

[Mike44 22]

My Win10 Store always says offline. 😡 Something's wrong with my pc.

[Sethos 4,343]

Absolutely getting it on Steam, of those two. Microsoft Store games are that UWP junk, with folder encryption / permission spaghetti and insane folder paths, making it a headache to work with, especially when we modify, tweak and install so much third party when it comes to flight simulation. Stuff like injectors don't work properly, ReShade and the likes. Nvidia profile inspector settings have a difficult time with UWP games. Some overlays don't work well. Really difficult to framerate cap with RTSS, need to do it globally. Just making it more difficult for yourself by buying it on the MS Store. 

Edited August 8, 2020 by Sethos

[ludekbrno 302]

49 minutes ago, Sethos said:

Absolutely getting it on Steam, of those two. Microsoft Store games are that UWP junk, with folder encryption / permission spaghetti and insane folder paths, making it a headache to work with, especially when we modify, tweak and install so much third party when it comes to flight simulation. Stuff like injectors don't work properly, ReShade and the likes. Nvidia profile inspector settings have a difficult time with UWP games. Some overlays don't work well. Really difficult to framerate cap with RTSS, need to do it globally. Just making it more difficult for yourself by buying it on the MS Store. 

I'm sure, that folders and files structure (hidden and maybe crypted) will be the same in a both buyig posibilities via MS Store or Steam. It necessary for an on-line actualization etc. MSFS is a modern game, and manual intervention to game folders/files isn't wanted and isn't needed. Every configuration can be set via user interface and add-ons comunication with MSFS via official API. So i'm sure, that there will be not any advantage or difference between buy on MS Store or Steam.

[Sethos 4,343]

58 minutes ago, ludekbrno said:

I'm sure, that folders and files structure (hidden and maybe crypted) will be the same in a both buyig posibilities via MS Store or Steam. It necessary for an on-line actualization etc. MSFS is a modern game, and manual intervention to game folders/files isn't wanted and isn't needed. Every configuration can be set via user interface and add-ons comunication with MSFS via official API. So i'm sure, that there will be not any advantage or difference between buy on MS Store or Steam.

Can tell you neither the alpha nor beta didn't. UWP games don't run a simple folder and permission structure, so you can be absolutely sure the final game won't either. It's not a developer decision, that is how UWP works and they are meant to conform by its standards. And if you believe you'll never have to mess with files, work with overlays, easy setup of RTSS, all that and everything can be done through the sim itself, then knock yourself out with the MS version 🙂 I know for sure I won't shoot myself in the foot by buying an objectively worse version, because you can be 100% sure post-release we'll see "I wish I bought the Steam version" posts slowly start when people realize they have to fight it every step of the way due to the way UWP games work. Just like every other new release. Believe it was The Outer World on the MS Store, people found that more difficult to work with when it came to modifying it, whereas every other version was a breeze. 

Edited August 8, 2020 by Sethos

[ludekbrno 302]

Ok, we have to wait on 18. August and we will see. But i'm sure, that you will be disapointed and there will be not any advantage with Steam, except that you will see MSFS in a your games list on Steam 🙂 .