P3D V7 in 2025 or 2026?

[Daube]

15 minutes ago, DChockey08 said:

Conversations like “here’s a feature from MSFS that I think is better than in P3D and I’d like to see it implemented” should be fair game, IMO. 

Even this would probably be considered unacceptable by some users here, unfortunately 😕

 

[Ray Proudfoot]

@DChockey08, don’t worry. That’s a standard warning I post whenever I see posts going off topic and unhelpful to discussion.

Mention of other sims isn’t forbidden. If they have some context that’s fine. Saying my sim is better than your sim isn’t.

There is a report option if you feel a post infringes rules or is baiting. We’ll review it and issue warnings or even holidays for repeat offenders.

I too am happy with P3D although with the sunny weather of the last 10 days the computer hasn’t been used much.

[Hamilton_]

1 hour ago, Daube said:

Even this would probably be considered unacceptable by some users here, unfortunately 😕

Of course, this is the Prepar3d Forum, so I understand that this is the place to discuss everything related to P3D, to discuss about msfs there is a specific forum.

[Daube]

3 hours ago, Hamilton_ said:

Of course, this is the Prepar3d Forum, so I understand that this is the place to discuss everything related to P3D, to discuss about msfs there is a specific forum.

😄 

 

 

[Zatoichi]

With the compatibility issues with v6, I seriously wonder who will use v7?

[Patco Lch]

12 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

I too am happy with P3D although with the sunny weather of the last 10 days the computer hasn’t been used much

Good for you Ray. Get away from the desk , get outside and enjoy. Good advice for all who are able. Turns the temp down and puts a lot of things in perspective.

[CO2Neutral]

On 4/11/2025 at 1:01 PM, Zatoichi said:

With the compatibility issues with v6, I seriously wonder who will use v7?

The same people who moved to MSFS with zero compatibility with P3D or FSX.  MSFS was reasonably successful with zero compatibility to anything prior.  Sounds like you’ve already judged V7 as not being able to deliver a better flight simulation experience without knowing anything about it.  

Dare I suggest zero compatibility is most likely a better option for V7 … no ball and chain to drag it down and leave 3rd party to decide if they do or don’t want to implement its feature set.  

There is A L o t of improvement and opportunity from what MSFS currently offers, so why try to shoot down a development effort before you’ve even seen a preview or know anything about it?

[Cognita]

 

1 hour ago, CO2Neutral said:

The same people who moved to MSFS with zero compatibility with P3D or FSX.  MSFS was reasonably successful with zero compatibility to anything prior.

Yea, I have no issue with 0 compatibility. If v7 has high visual fidelity, basically accurate weather and well modeled atmosphere that allows for high fidelity flight dynamics then it is a go for me. I do not mind rebuying--but it would have to be meaningfully superior to what is already available. It is pretty hard to see how P3D can evolve in that direction without substantially if not completely breaking compatibility.

[CO2Neutral]

2 hours ago, Cognita said:

I do not mind rebuying--but it would have to be meaningfully superior to what is already available. It is pretty hard to see how P3D can evolve in that direction without substantially if not completely breaking compatibility.

Agree.  LM have several other training simulators (flight and more) not based on ESP (Microsoft) … from Unreal 5 engine base to from scratch simulators … it’s what they do to produce real world results.

[Daube]

I don't know if they really have several "other training simulators", but they definitely have something since they mentioned it in their past communications.

However, to this day we still have no idea if a P3Dv7 is coming at all, and if it comes, we don't know if it's going to be based on ESP or the Unreal engine. I too am a supported of the "no retro-compatibility" way, but days are passing without any communication from LM on this topic at all 😕

 

 

[G-RFRY]

1 hour ago, Daube said:

However, to this day we still have no idea if a P3Dv7 is coming at all, and if it comes, we don't know if it's going to be based on ESP or the Unreal engine. I too am a supported of the "no retro-compatibility" way, but days are passing without any communication from LM on this topic at all 😕

And there never will be any communication from LM on this forum why should they when they have and control their own forum. They have never given a heads up, MS never gave away anything until the new XBOX launch, which is why they returned to flight sim for XBOX and Game Pass. 

[Daube]

1 hour ago, G-RFRY said:

And there never will be any communication from LM on this forum why should they when they have and control their own forum. They have never given a heads up,

I was referring to any communication channel. Where did you see that I was specifically referring to avsim ?

1 hour ago, G-RFRY said:

MS never gave away anything until the new XBOX launch, which is why they returned to flight sim for XBOX and Game Pass. 

We were talking about releasing news to the public, and on that precise topic, MS announced MSFS2020 one year before the release and made many communications about it in the meanwhile.

 

[UrgentSiesta]

21 hours ago, Cognita said:

 

Yea, I have no issue with 0 compatibility. If v7 has high visual fidelity, basically accurate weather and well modeled atmosphere that allows for high fidelity flight dynamics then it is a go for me. I do not mind rebuying--but it would have to be meaningfully superior to what is already available. It is pretty hard to see how P3D can evolve in that direction without substantially if not completely breaking compatibility.

With the abandonment of all the developers, even v6 has arguably "0 compatibility" for the vast majority of users. 😕 

(Which is to say, I agree with you).

Edited April 14 by UrgentSiesta
Clarification

[CO2Neutral]

On 4/14/2025 at 4:06 PM, UrgentSiesta said:

With the abandonment of all the developers, even v6 has arguably "0 compatibility" for

Abandonment of many (not all) developers for V6 was for two key reasons:

1.  MSFS came out

2.  P3D market share was too small to begin with as it only existed primarily due to compatibility and the USAF contract, John Venema (Orbx CEO at the time) made it clear that if LM significantly broke compatibility with FSX, they would NOT continue development of FSX/P3D products as the ROI was just too small.

On 4/14/2025 at 9:23 AM, Daube said:

I was referring to any communication channel. Where did you see that I was specifically referring to avsim ?

You might want to adjust “any communication channel” to “any public communication channel” … LM have a Beta Developer forum 😉

But as MSFS is proof that an “All new Flight Simulator” can indeed survive and customers will transition and new customers will come onboard, should be relatively clear that compatibility in V7 is NOT needed.  However, as suggested, V7 will need to deliver more than what MSFS currently offers (and there is plenty of opportunity to do exactly that).

Edited April 17 by CO2Neutral

[UrgentSiesta]

2 hours ago, CO2Neutral said:

Abandonment of many (not all) developers for V6 was for two key reasons:

1.  MSFS came out

 😉

But as MSFS is proof that an “All new Flight Simulator” can indeed survive and customers will transition and new customers will come onboard, should be relatively clear that compatibility in V7 is NOT needed.  However, as suggested, V7 will need to deliver more than what MSFS currently offers (and there is plenty of opportunity to do exactly that).

Oh, yes - agreed.

Like you said, more a comment that backwards compatibility with consumer add-ons "can't/shouldn't" be a major factor in re the next release.

It's really rather a chicken/egg situation.

If the next publicly available version had Default scenery and Default aircraft as good as MSFS, or even X-Plane, I'd be willing to go for it since it would be a self-contained product.

And if enough people buy "v7" for that reason, it could be enough to revive at least some of the 3rd Party development.

But as it stands now, I'm limited to v5 entirely because of just a couple add-ons that aren't available for v6.

And we all know the Default aircraft in P3D are no longer up to snuff... 😕

Edited April 17 by UrgentSiesta