Upgrading from Standard (Games Pass) to Premium (owned)

[JYW 2,980]

I was wondering if anyone has upgraded from the Games Pass Standard version of MSFS, to a higher-specced 'owned' version?

I'm considering doing this, as I'd love the default C172, Pipistrel and some of the other enhanced airports.

....but I'm petrified how the Microsoft Store / Xbox app, etc, etc will mess me up, while doing this upgrade!  It's easier enough to do within the store, but I was just wondering if anyone had done it, to reassure me that it won't kill my MSFS installation, which is currently running really well?

Cheers.

[Winkle Brown 23]

I upgraded a while back. Didn't have any issues. The main changes are the new content to download in the content manager. Keep your community folder empty when upgrading anything, and run it clean a few times.  Good luck !!

[JYW 2,980]

15 minutes ago, Winkle Brown said:

I upgraded a while back. Didn't have any issues. The main changes are the new content to download in the content manager. Keep your community folder empty when upgrading anything, and run it clean a few times.  Good luck !!

Thanks so much for that!    That's all I was after - just an indicator that the process worked ok 👍

[Sigwolf 222]

I just did it last week, and had no problem at all.  Just make sure you get the full Premium (or Premium Deluxe) package from the external MS Store, and not the Premium Upgrade from the in-game store.  I think the only people who have had problems got just the upgrade, which does not give you ownership of the base game if you happen to cancel Game Pass.

[GuyFlyer 34]

As Sigwolf said, be careful which version you buy. If you buy the version on the Xbox store you will own the full version (and benefit from a gamepass discount), so if you cancel your gamepass subscription you will still own the game.

However, if you buy the premum Deluxe upgrade from the flight sim store, you will not own the base game. Therefore if you cancel your gamepass subscription, you will not be able to play the premium deluxe version. Which frankly is disgusting as the upgrade isn't that much cheaper than the full game, and without gamepass is unplayable.

Edited July 31, 2021 by GuyFlyer

[JYW 2,980]

3 hours ago, GuyFlyer said:

As Sigwolf said, be careful which version you buy. If you buy the version on the Xbox store you will own the full version (and benefit from a gamepass discount), so if you cancel your gamepass subscription you will still own the game.

However, if you buy the premum Deluxe upgrade from the flight sim store, you will not own the base game. Therefore if you cancel your gamepass subscription, you will not be able to play the premium deluxe version. Which frankly is disgusting as the upgrade isn't that much cheaper than the full game, and without gamepass is unplayable.

Thanks guys.

I noticed that - that the upgrade version in Marketplace was cheaper, but stated that you had to own the base game.

It was only £15 ($19) more to get the full buy and upgrade package from the store, so I did that.

Pleased to say that as you all suggested, it was an easy process; bought in the store, a very small immediate download, then on launching MSFS, a further update (I think around 8GB).

Pleased to be on Premium Deluxe now, and to own the game properly - it was on my son's Game Pass but if he happened to cancel it, I'd have been up the creek without a paddle!

Cheers 👍