Hello all

I had a question regarding msfs 2024 multiplayer connections.

I know there are several ways to purchase msfs 2024, mine was via win 11 xbox app aka (GamePass).

My question is when adding a player/friend for flying do you all have to have this xbox app to do this?

I guess I am confused with adding friends in the xbox app and adding friends in msfs 2024 is it the same thing??

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but MS has me very confused, not to mention the gamebar, i've heard I do not need this, but keeps

nagging me to install it??

Thanks for anything you can add.

Mark

N1MF97 

Well, I don't know the XBox app very well to be honest, but no matter if you purchased your MSFS (2020 or 2024) in the XBox Store or on Steam, you will anyways need to be identified by an XBox Live account to install and use the sim.

For example, I bought MSFS2020 4 years ago a on Steam, but I still had to create an XBox Live account in order to be able to install and use the sim. In the sim, I am identified by my XBox Live account user ID. Then a few months ago, I bought MSFS2024 on Steam, and I reused by XBox Live account to identify myself upon installing that sim.

Now, when it comes to adding a friend, I have only done it from the sim, I have never tried anything like that from within the XBox app itself... but anyways, having the Xbox app running is at least a nice way to see if your XBox credentials are valid, prior to launching the sim. Even though I have the Steam version of these sims, I always launch the XBox app first, and check that my user is logged in/identified properly. If not, I know that launching the sim right now would just be a source of troubles (lost settings etc...). So I always end up disconnecting + reconnecting in the XBox app, and only if it worked correctly, then I launch the sim.

Edited March 18, 20251 yr by Daube

You don't really need to use the Xbox App at all - it will be installed, and will be logged in, but I never even open it. I just use MSFS 2020/2024 as normal as any other game - double click the icon on the desktop, load into it, and play. I never see the Xbox app unless I'm trying to do something with it. 

You can add friends, use multiplayer, all that directly from the game (2020 and 2024). And no, you dont' need to use the game bar either. Those are all "nice-to-have" features (makes it easy to record the screen, see FPS etc), but you don't need it. 

4 hours ago, N1MF97 said:

My question is when adding a player/friend for flying do you all have to have this xbox app to do this?

I guess I am confused with adding friends in the xbox app and adding friends in msfs 2024 is it the same thing??

When flying with a group of "friends", all that is really needed is to show up at the same airport at the same time, using the same server.  (That last part is important).  At that point you will see each other in the sim.  Friend requests can be initiated within the sim, as noted above.   "Group flights" are limited in the number of participants (6 at last count) and not really useful for most of the multiplayer flights I participate in, which often have 8 or more.

4 hours ago, N1MF97 said:

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but MS has me very confused, not to mention the gamebar, i've heard I do not need this, but keeps

nagging me to install it??

The gamebar is actually useful as a popup, if you want a quick performance readout in the sim. It can show CPU and GPU memory usage, and fps and can be toggled on and off, using the Windows+G keys.

Thanks Bert.

Didn't really want any extras running and not really a fan of chasing fps, an performance stats.

Someone must have a hack to remove the nag messages.

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

Mark

N1MF97