I saw this interesting post in Reddit on the latest IVAO statistics from September 18, 2022:

Compare the IVAO statistics from 2021:

And compare that to 2020:

As I don't have an IVAO account, I cannot verify this data.  So the source is from that Reddit thread. But if this data is accurate, then MSFS is now the dominant simulator used in IVAO. I would guess VATSIM would probably show similar data (although I don't think VATSIM is making that data public).

No Surprise there. 

Interesting.  If it's real it's believable.  Most people who use vatsim/ivao tend to be more serious about flight simming.

We got the Fenix, PMDG and MD80 all in 2022 right?

I'm GA flyer most of the time but people love flying those boring tubes haha 

Edited September 20, 20223 yr by ryanbatc

I'm more surprised by the fact that there's still somebody flying on ivao. 

29 minutes ago, ryanbatc said:

Interesting.  If it's real it's believable.  Most people who use vatsim/ivao tend to be more serious about flight simming.

Well, it's consistent with the Navigraph survey from December of 2021 showing MSFS is the most used simulator in Navigraph.  Navigraph users also count as the "hard core flight simmer" demographic, IMO. And Navigraph users overwhelmingly endorse MSFS.  There is probably a lot of overlap between Navigraph users and VATSIM / IVAO.  Mind you, the Navigraph survey from December of 2021 didn't even capture the hard core flight simmers that switched over to MSFS this spring, when the study level airliners were released in MSFS during the spring.  So it's possible that the Navigraph survey this coming winter may show even more people using MSFS than December of 2021.

I think the IVAO charts above show the huge switch to MSFS after the study level airliners came out this spring for MSFS.

Edited September 20, 20223 yr by abrams_tank

Fun thing is: Since MSFS started there are A LOF of noobs on the VATSIM network.

Sometimes I just sit at the gate and monitor the frquencies and admire the controllers. Some people connect to VATSIM without ANY preparation at all. Some don't communicate at all. Some weeks ago there was a pretty heavy day at Munich, lots of traffic. And one guy was just flying around there and no one knew what he was doing 😄 lol. It was really funny. I don't know why they didnt disconnect him, but it was hilarious.

Also the readbacks are kinda funny and the controller has to repeat the departure clearance like 8 times.

Fun times to fly online.

31 minutes ago, MySound said:

Fun thing is: Since MSFS started there are A LOF of noobs on the VATSIM network.

Sometimes I just sit at the gate and monitor the frquencies and admire the controllers. Some people connect to VATSIM without ANY preparation at all. Some don't communicate at all. Some weeks ago there was a pretty heavy day at Munich, lots of traffic. And one guy was just flying around there and no one knew what he was doing 😄 lol. It was really funny. I don't know why they didnt disconnect him, but it was hilarious.

Also the readbacks are kinda funny and the controller has to repeat the departure clearance like 8 times.

Fun times to fly online.

Yeah flight simming really needed something like MSFS to happen. I remember how it single handedly caused a peripheral shortage when it launched and now a lot of fresh simmers are being exposed to things like VATsim.

I doubt if there are any substantial numbers of pilots flying on either IVAO or Vatsim. I have an app called Landing Rate monitor, and one of it's features is that it tracks all flights when someone has that app on their PC. Right now there are around 100-200 flights in the air. I just looked at Vatastic to see what was happening on Vatsim, there were 2 controllers in Europe online, and zero in the entire US and Canada. I used to fly on Vatsim years ago, but got sick and tired of no controllers and talking to Unicomm for most of my flights, so I got an ATC program instead. Would be nice to see actual numbers of active simmers, and which sim  they are flying... 

4 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

I doubt if there are any substantial numbers of pilots flying on either IVAO or Vatsim. I have an app called Landing Rate monitor, and one of it's features is that it tracks all flights when someone has that app on their PC. Right now there are around 100-200 flights in the air. I just looked at Vatastic to see what was happening on Vatsim, there were 2 controllers in Europe online, and zero in the entire US and Canada. I used to fly on Vatsim years ago, but got sick and tired of no controllers and talking to Unicomm for most of my flights, so I got an ATC program instead. Would be nice to see actual numbers of active simmers, and which sim  they are flying... 

It's 4PM in Central Europe, morning the in US, how can you expect people to be online?

4 minutes ago, Jeeeno said:

It's 4PM in Central Europe, morning the in US, how can you expect people to be online?

I'm on line half way through a 500 mile flight in Alaska. Oh,l and I have ATC for the whole flight, PF3......🙂

When the high level widebody's are released for MSFS, think PMDG 777/747, that will further erode the P3D numbers. 

Edited September 20, 20223 yr by B777ER

3 minutes ago, B777ER said:

When the high level widebody's are released for MSFS, think PMDG 777/747, that will further erode the P3D numbers. 

I think when the widebodys are released, it will erode the XP numbers too.

1 hour ago, ryanbatc said:

Interesting.  If it's real it's believable.  Most people who use vatsim/ivao tend to be more serious about flight simming.

We got the Fenix, PMDG and MD80 all in 2022 right?

I'm GA flyer most of the time but people love flying those boring tubes haha 

I agree. The stats from IVAO are but a slice of the sim community, those who choose a live form of ATC.  Difficult to tell the proportion of all sim flyers who fall into that category.  I find no surprise that those who do are flying the aircraft types represented in the graphs in the proportions represented.  

50 minutes ago, abrams_tank said:

I think when the widebodys are released, it will erode the XP numbers too.

We already have two very good choices free!!! (but we often look down on them out of ignorance).

The Salty 748 (Development) is really becoming a reliable fine aircraft, the FMC in particular is extremely detailed, although it may not have all the working buttons yet, it is a fantastic freeware nearly on par with the FBW A320 and with a working VNAV.

The HD78X (Development) is also moving in the right direction, a bit behind the Salty B748 in terms of refinement, but a beautiful aircraft that can be safely flown on very long distances.

We should be thankful to these three teams (FBW, Salty, HD) delivering quality freeware to our sim through their passion.

Edited September 20, 20223 yr by Bernard Ducret

1 hour ago, MySound said:

Fun thing is: Since MSFS started there are A LOF of noobs on the VATSIM network.

Sometimes I just sit at the gate and monitor the frquencies and admire the controllers. Some people connect to VATSIM without ANY preparation at all. Some don't communicate at all. Some weeks ago there was a pretty heavy day at Munich, lots of traffic. And one guy was just flying around there and no one knew what he was doing 😄 lol. It was really funny. I don't know why they didnt disconnect him, but it was hilarious.

Also the readbacks are kinda funny and the controller has to repeat the departure clearance like 8 times.

Fun times to fly online.

Interesting.... not long ago ( lets say before pandemia and MSFS) the users (Pilots and ATC's) of VATSIM were  - in general - quite a bit more strict than IVAO in terms of procedures and knowledge.

Again, this is in general because it depended on the region/country. 

So... things have changed one supposes....

Regards