Is it just my eyes getting old... or is the text in most cockpit displays really, really tiny and hard to read?

On my 40" television, if I run MSFS at 4K, I can read it decently well... but I can't imagine how small it must look on more standard-sized monitors.  Unfortunately, to preserve frame rates, I'm restricted to 1080p right now (my GTX1070 is due for an upgrade), and a lot of the labels and indications can get pretty blurry and smudged unless I zoom in really close.

How is it for everybody else?  Should we be calling it Microsoft Flight Simulator 20/20 ?

Not just tiny but dark, much zooming is required. Using 1080p here also, but on a much smaller screen. On the opposite end, if you have display airports/cities/parking etc. the markers are huge. In the world map the tags are so big they take up the whole airport you are trying to view. And of coarse those taxiway ribbons seem made for someone that normally needs a magnifying glass to read. Edit:I think in the past those buttons have been a little enlarged for useability, but Asobo went for exact to scale, which isn't that great.

Edited September 4, 20205 yr by desbean

Its very hard to read and I find myself zooming in if I need to really see something. I felt the same way with the FSLabs A320 compared to the Aerosoft A320 Professional. (although I LOVE the FSLabs Bus) 

It's hard to read.... especially the text on the CJ4 PFD.  I'm only at 1080P though.

Soooooo tiny! Impossible to read even with my old man reading glasses 🤓

7 minutes ago, snglecoil said:

Soooooo tiny! Impossible to read even with my old man reading glasses 🤓

I hope folks are reporting this to Asobo.

Al

32 minutes ago, desbean said:

"Not just tiny but dark, much zooming is required...."

 

16 minutes ago, ryanbatcund said:

"It's hard to read.... especially the text..."

I totally agree. The panel & analog gauges are much too dark in virtually all of the analog gauge equipped aircraft that I have thus far flown in MFS. It should not be *mandatory* to have to zoom wayyyyyyy in to read the gauges. I understand the "well-it-recreates-&-reflects-realistic-ambient-lighting-conditions" argument. Um, respectfully? B.S. The panels are too dark.    (PP/IFR/SEP)

The default cockpit views are too zoomed out. I set up custom views that are realistically close, and I'm not having an issue. On a few planes with electronic displays, there are times when I need to zoom in.

Only thing I can see is " Do Not Touch Screens"    😞

7 minutes ago, FlyingInACessna said:

"The default cockpit views are too zoomed out. I set up custom views that are realistically close,..."

Completely took that into account. What is "realistically close" to some though, is unrealistically close & over-zoomed to others. But what do I know about realistic flying?

(PP/IFR/SEP)

Edited September 4, 20205 yr by RustyFlyer

5 minutes ago, RustyFlyer said:

Completely took that into account. What is "realistically close" to some though, is unrealistically close & over-zoomed to others. But what do I know about realistic flying?

(PP/IFR/SEP)

Very true haha it's all a matter of personal interpretation of perspective

I don't have any problems reading the text. 

1 minute ago, MikeT707 said:

I don't have any problems reading the text. 

I hate you

jk lol

18 hours ago, FlyingInACessna said:

The default cockpit views are too zoomed out. I set up custom views that are realistically close, and I'm not having an issue. On a few planes with electronic displays, there are times when I need to zoom in.

haha... you and me both.  I am always amazed at how far back folks sit in the sim in the videos I see. In the real 172 I fly this was specifically measured by me for just this reason.  Here's a trick you can try, sit with your back straight and perpendicular with the floor, place your left arm at your side (shoulder to elbow touching your rib cage with the elbow directly below your shoulder), then extend you forearm parallel with the floor, extend your fingers out, Bingo... about 2 inches from you finger tips is the panel.  You sit much closer then you think, this is especially true in the Baron 58's that I have flown.

I know most are trying to get a 'periphery effect' and that is cool but probably only achievable with VR (which I dont have).

18 hours ago, MikeT707 said:

I don't have any problems reading the text. 

I can read that text better than I can read text on a G1000 from 3 feet away! To be fair to this sim, modern avionics are a complete mystery in the way they prioritise readouts. You have all that HUGE screen and all you can see is the horizon. You have to move very close or have binoculars to see any salient info. Take for example the climb or descent rate. Yes you can see a vague icon moving up and down, but you cannot see the text of your climb rate (it is tiny) unless you zoom right in or translate forward until everything else is blanked out.

The wonderful thing about analogue gauges is that a moving needle can be seen at five times the distance of a similar readout on glass gauges. This is not about being "old fashioned". It is about being practical. You can't really blame simulators. But you can point the finger at glass gauge designers who seem to make it their life's work to obscure as much vital info as possible, while claiming their products are more "safe" than ever before.

 

Edited September 4, 20205 yr by robert young