1 hour ago, Holdit said:

It never ceases to amaze me how many people are happy to pay good money in order to be beta testers.

We'll make sure to keep amazing you then 🙂 
 

I was thinking of creating a whole new topic to cover my thoughts over the past few days, but what the heck—I’ll just reply here instead.

First off, I’m not saying any user type is correct or better!

What’s really clear (at least to me) is that MSFS attracts a wide range of users.

There are gamers who comment, saying, "I’m giving up and going to other games." (For the record, I’m not a gamer—MSFS V1 from the 1980s and each never version is the only “game” I’ve ever played. What grabbed my interest way back then was the idea of simulating IFR flight using VORs and NDBs.)

Then there are “train set” users who enjoy exploring detailed environments, like walking through terminals, simulating buying a coffee, and then heading to the flight deck.

There are also plenty of other user types—people who fly tubeliners and use GSX, among many others.

As for me, I fly only one (!!!) aircraft: the DA-62. I use MSFS as a home FTD—a non-motion navigation trainer with believable graphics. My focus is mainly on flying instrument approaches and occasional cross-country flights, always ending with an instrument approach.

Last night, I watched a YouTube video where the uploader compared MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 in a split-screen approach into SBRJ. The comments were fascinating because many viewers couldn’t tell the difference between the two sims. It was like a blind Coke vs. Pepsi test—some even preferred the visuals of 2020 over 2024.

Since I only fly the DA-62, I’m not likely to move to 2024 anytime soon. The 2024 version of the DA-62 includes a massive EFB tablet suction-cupped to the right seat window. Even if you click the EFB away, the suction cup mount remains. That’s not appealing to me.

Additionally, I’m not interested in career mode features like earning money to “buy” aircraft or designing a pilot avatar. I even hide any visible “people” in the cockpit.

I’ve seen people post screenshots of MSFS 2024 to show its improved visuals, but those images often look worse than what I already see in 2020.

For now, 2020 works reliably for me and exceeds the visual quality I’ve observed in many 2024 screenshots shared on forums. Of course, I’ll eventually move to 2024, but at the moment, it feels like a step backward due to bugs and other issues.

Please don’t get me wrong—my point is that the MSFS community is broad and diverse. Opinions about whether 2024 or 2020 is better are interesting to read, but it’s clearly not black and white.

I’m glad Microsoft made the wise decision to keep 2020 available alongside 2024 rather than forcing a complete replacement. (2020 is still available to purchase in the Microsoft Store, so it’s not an obsolete product.) So you can feel free to choose what works for the type of experience you are looking for - for me even one auto-pilot or navigation bug impacting my flight is annoying and I'm not going to use something until it is superior to my current experience for my user case.

Edited December 26, 20241 yr by mfahey
Clarity

I reinstalled MSFS last night and so many things are better in the old sim 😞 

No crashes/freezes, better and snappy UI for PC (smaller fonts), no stuff popping in at airports, traffic working with all its lights and contrails... I also installed FSLTL again. I don't use their injector because it's too heavy for the CPU, but it works very well also with default MSFS real time traffic. 

Also, I get nearly double the fps than FS2024! I can avoid using frame generation.

Of course graphics and lighting is much better on FS2024. I hope they will fix it enough to be playable after the holidays, for the moment I will stick to MSFS at least for IFR/high altitude flights.

9 hours ago, lwt1971 said:

We'll make sure to keep amazing you then 🙂 
 

I hope you do, and thank you! 🙂

10 hours ago, JonathanC said:

All I’ll say is, if you are waiting till 2024 is bug free to buy, you’ll be waiting a long time. 2020 still has many bugs that purists don’t like. 

You hang on to your money, that’s your prerogative - I’m not telling you what to do with your money. Why tell others what they can do with theirs? 

 

Your should try reading my post again, perhaps for slowly for better comprehension. Nowhere did I say that I was waiting for MSFS 2024 to be bug free, and nowhere did I tell other people to what to do with their money.

50 minutes ago, Holdit said:

Your should try reading my post again, perhaps for slowly for better comprehension. Nowhere did I say that I was waiting for MSFS 2024 to be bug free, and nowhere did I tell other people to what to do with their money.

He just likes lecturing people.

14 hours ago, mfahey said:

Since I only fly the DA-62, I’m not likely to move to 2024 anytime soon. The 2024 version of the DA-62 includes a massive EFB tablet suction-cupped to the right seat window. Even if you click the EFB away, the suction cup mount remains. That’s not appealing to me.

As best I can tell, you can copy your favorite 2020 aircraft to 2024. That is what I did with my Bonanza.

I do not like what they did with the G36 in 2024, so I am flying the 2020 version instead.

As a test, I copied over the DA-62, and here is the result:

 

7 hours ago, Holdit said:

Your should try reading my post again, perhaps for slowly for better comprehension.

Why do so many people on AVsim resort to childish insults ? Do you really think I can’t read or understand what you wrote? 
 

It’s sad when grown adults (presumably.. if you are a kid I take it all back) do this. 
 

Anyway, I wish you have a happier new year and that whatever sim you use makes you happy, without feeling the need to denigrate others for their choices. 

On 12/19/2024 at 12:36 PM, Dillon said:

Seeing that I fly exclusively in VR, 2024 with it's issues is a no go for me (never bought or installed it).  I'm curious about the 2D and VR flyers here on Avsim.

I think that you worded this topic incorrectly. The question should have been who fly's 2020 and 2024 exclusively. For me 2024 runs good with some issues and I'm aware it's a piece of new software and patience will be needed until things get worked out. But majority of all my AC that I enjoy flying is not ready for 2024, so I can't stay with 2024 until everything get ported over. Just because the stats say that 2020 is still being the major user choice is most likely correct until more things are made compatible for 2024, which will cause users to now fly in 2024. For me it's about a 60% to 40% usage where 60 is flown in 2024.

On 12/24/2024 at 3:39 PM, JonathanC said:

Try it out with Gamepass - either you'll have a one month trial for $1, or else if you've already used that, you pay ~$15/20 for a month and get access. Then you don't need to go through the rigmarole of refunding if you find that you still don't like it. 

To be honest, I think I'll just get the sim on Steam, and very shortly too. Enough people are finding the good in it, and the rest will be resolved by the bye. I never could resist the latest shiny toys. 😉 

1 hour ago, Bert Pieke said:

As best I can tell, you can copy your favorite 2020 aircraft to 2024. That is what I did with my Bonanza.

I do not like what they did with the G36 in 2024, so I am flying the 2020 version instead.

As a test, I copied over the DA-62, and here is the result:

Hey thanks for testing!
That's great!

2 hours ago, JonathanC said:

Why do so many people on AVsim resort to childish insults ? Do you really think I can’t read or understand what you wrote? 

Yes, based on your response. Or else you deliberately misunderstood it, but I would expect a mature adult to admit to that.

Quote

It’s sad when grown adults (presumably.. if you are a kid I take it all back) do this. 

Adult who prefers to be polite and friendly right up the the point when people misrepresent what I say. I assumed, not unreasonably, that you had skim-read my post and saw something that wasn't actually there. OK so, maybe you did read it carefully...and still saw something that wasn't there, but to avoid just owning up to your mistake - like an adult would - you try to adopt this unconvincing faux-moral-high-ground position.

Quote

Anyway, I wish you have a happier new year and that whatever sim you use makes you happy, without feeling the need to denigrate others for their choices. 

And there you go again, your fake olive branch contains yet another (third) misrepresentation . I didn't denigrate anyone, but I suspect you know that.

 

Edited December 26, 20241 yr by Holdit

I never switched to 24 and have 0 desire to at this point.  2020 is incredible right now- super smooth, incredibly visually appealing and such a refined sim.  I watch a good deal of streamers who are streaming 2024 and, while career mode does look fun, the base game is no where near where 2020 is.  For now, I’ll save my money and put it into making 2020 as amazing as possible.

It is safe to say that no matter what anyone says- we are incredibly lucky to have these great simulators.  I’ve been flight simming since the late 1990’s- these are remarkable times!

44 minutes ago, Holdit said:

Yes, based on your response. Or else you deliberately misunderstood it, but I would expect a mature adult to admit to that.

Adult who prefers to be polite and friendly right up the the point when people misrepresent what I say. I assumed, not unreasonably, that you had skim-read my post and saw something that wasn't actually there. OK so, maybe you did read it carefully...and still saw something that wasn't there, but to avoid just owning up to your mistake - like an adult would - you try to adopt this unconvincing faux-moral-high-ground position.

And there you go again, your fake olive branch contains yet another (third) misrepresentation . I didn't denigrate anyone, but I suspect you know that.

 

You are right. I am wrong. I owe up to my mistakes and incorrect statements and deliberately misunderstanding you.
 

You never meant to denigrate anyone and are a polite person in real life. I accept that. 
 

I’m terribly sorry. 

2 hours ago, Paul K said:

To be honest, I think I'll just get the sim on Steam, and very shortly too. Enough people are finding the good in it, and the rest will be resolved by the bye. I never could resist the latest shiny toys. 😉 

🙂 yeah I’m with you. I’m fortunate to be in a position where I can indulge these relatively cheap hobbies (seen people into cars? Boats? .. that’s expensive). If I have fun, it’s worth it to me.