I reckon 2024 Premium Deluxe version, should include: monthly AIRAC updates, Jeppeson charts and improved flight planner (in sim) including weight and fuel calculations.  Simmers would be happy to pay a bit extra (say $200) for all of this and for the Convenience. Microsoft will get an absolute tonne in sales with more simmers choosing Premium Deluxe.

Also the sids, stars and approaches should display neatly when choosing on the map so that flight plans can be easily created in seconds! And it would be convenient to have an option to display little wind or metar icons as well.

Edited April 28, 20242 yr by Greazer

You’re dreaming. 

$200??? No thanks. 

I'm pretty certain that I would prefer to use a 3rd party for the airac data as I know it's from a reputable dev who's one goal is to get that data correct.

3 hours ago, Greazer said:

Simmers would be happy to pay a bit extra (say $200) for all of this and for the Convenience.

I would pay absolute NOTHING for this worthless stuff - all this live-service nonsense and Simbrief and monthly liveservice payment AI ATC solutions and whatnot because I have: Google Earth and Google Maps. Plus the perfect tool for flight simulation which is Little Navmap and Skyvector, with all Waypoints and VOR info and all beacon and VOR and airport frequencies. All Jeppesen charts SID/STAR info of every airport can simply be found on Google Picture search, or as PDF somewhere on the web.

But give me photoreal looking study-level planes, with perfect cockpit visuals, the outside 3D-model even showing an animated rotating low-pressure turbine in the exhaust and the rotating beacon actually having a rotating light bulb inside, two dozen possible failures several different radio stack and instrument options, and my wallet opens wiiiiide 😉 

Edited April 28, 20242 yr by JetCat

Monthly AIRAC updates would definitely be a monthly subscription, not a once-off. I will rather pay Navigraph (as I do already), they are the experts and doing a pretty good job.

Bit tender re Microsoft version of MSFS  2020 Premium Deluxe

Had a computer crash and now my Microsoft Store copy is irretrievable in spite of my Microsoft Account showing the purchase-a lot of money lost

Got a Standard MSFS 2020 Version via Steam and that operates -is retrievable too as out with the arcane Microsoft systems

P3D and XPlane straight forward and in much more use again by me especially P3Dv5 and 6

xxd09

I'm not even sure i need the new version, let alone pay 200 for it.

I always get the cheapest version possible, then i'll decide what to buy for it.

5 hours ago, Greazer said:

I reckon 2024 Premium Deluxe version, should include: monthly AIRAC updates, Jeppeson charts and improved flight planner (in sim) including weight and fuel calculations.  Simmers would be happy to pay a bit extra (say $200) for all of this and for the Convenience. Microsoft will get an absolute tonne in sales with more simmers choosing Premium Deluxe.

Also the sids, stars and approaches should display neatly when choosing on the map so that flight plans can be easily created in seconds! And it would be convenient to have an option to display little wind or metar icons as well.

So... you think the best move for Microsoft would be to try to replace Navigraph and Simbrief? Really?
Most 3rd party addons are using Navigraph, Fenix and PMDG are not even looking at the (faulty) MSFS navdata format. Let alone that you actually think people would replace Simbrief with some wonky MSFS default w&b and fuel planner. What you suggest would lead to actually nobody buying the premium version.

4 minutes ago, Fiorentoni said:

So... you think the best move for Microsoft would be to try to replace Navigraph and Simbrief? Really?

The OP doesn't say it will "replace" those other services.  That can still remain.  Any simmers on any FS version could still use those 3rd party services.

The OP is regarding giving simmers the choice for an MS updated AIRAC and MS in sim charts and flight planner that doesn't require 3rd party tools. As I understand it, MS has a long term partnership with Jeppeson, so it makes sense they should go ahead with this plan.

They absolutely don't and majority of the people who actually fly this have absolutely no idea what they'd do with charts and flight planners. The people who use that stuff seriously is in the minority and would probably like to know what they are buying, get the navigraph applications, not get some crappy combined package, using the awful in-sim interface to mess around with it and the store to update, stuff like that.

I would be the target demographic for a package like that and I wouldn't touch it with a 12ft pole, let alone pay $200 for it, god no.

Edited April 28, 20242 yr by Sethos

I think the vast majority of simmers are perfectly happy with just the simulator, a varied selection of quality aircraft, and a flight planner like Little Nav Map.

16 minutes ago, Paul K said:

and a flight planner like Little Nav Map.

Little Nav Map is showing it's age by now. Need a more modern planner that's fits the bill in 2024.

2 minutes ago, Greazer said:

Little Nav Map is showing it's age by now. Need a more modern planner that's fits the bill in 2024.

Okay, well, I don't understand what you mean by 'showing its age'. LNM is regularly updated, and is as useful for me today as it was when I first bought MS2020, three years ago. Given that, no matter what innovations and developments MS2024 brings with it, LNM's utility will remain undiminished - I will still be able to navigate perfectly well with it.

23 minutes ago, Greazer said:

Little Nav Map is showing it's age by now. Need a more modern planner that's fits the bill in 2024.

"Showing its age", even if it were true, is not a reason to abandon such a useful, well-supported and freeware package.
Using your line of thinking, we would need to cull every human on the planet at 40 years of age and 
replace them with a newborn.

(Apostrophe Use | Apostrophe Protection Society)

Edited April 28, 20242 yr by Reader