Hello everyone.

This is my first post on this forum, after 11 years of learning from you all and having introduced myself in the introductions forum a few minutes ago.
I started in flight simulation with Flight Simulator and stayed there for many years. Until I switched to P3D. Now I'm on v5.4.
I bought MSFS 2020 from the Microsoft store since it was on sale for €34. Well, to see it.
After 15 days, I've already formed an opinion. MSFS is a game, a good game with very good graphics and performance. P3D v5.4 is a FLIGHT SIMULATOR, and I'd add PROFESSIONAL.
I'll use MSFS sometime for a short low-altitude flight somewhere interesting. P3D for simulation is the closest thing to professional.

Thanks everyone.

Oh boy, this isn't going to end well.

P3D is more a simulator, MS 2020 is more a game ... but with that said MSFS 2024 has much improved flight physics but comes with a lot of bugs.  If MS/Asobo can fix MSFS 2024 bugs, I will likely change my perception of MSFS as a game vs. P3D as a simulator and embrace MSFS 2024 as my goto "simulator".

 

Let me grab some popcorn and  good seat...

I abandoned P3Dv4.5 almost five years ago after installing FS2020. I enjoyed very much my time with P3D, but it was time to say goodbye.

Just to share my experience...😉

Switched to MSFS20 two years after its launch. By that time most of the bugs had been ironed out and devs were producing a tonne of add-ons for the platform. I had a lot of $$s invested in P3D and was hoping MSFS would be bit kinder to my wallet and up to a point it was. There are also many amazing freeware apps in flightsim.to fleshing out MSFS20.

MSFS20 won me over purely on its visuals. You mentioned that P3D was a simulator whereas MSFS20 is a game. I disagree. Physics-wise, the aircraft in P3D were as much "on rails" as they are in 2020 but the atmospherics and ground textures gave MSFS a decisive edge. MSFS2024 has a game aspect to it (the Career mode) but the physics are improved and will, hopefully improve even more once MS/ASOBO manage to get the sim to a state that is as stable and bug-free as 2020.
However, my main reason for switching was the fact that more and more 3rd party devs (big names) were ceasing coding for P3D and turning their attention to the new kid on the block.
I suspect that this reason and this alone will eventually push me towards MSFS2024 (or 2028...).

Welcome to actively using AVSIM.

8 hours ago, Jordixvz said:

Hello everyone.

Thanks everyone.

Cheers then!🫡

I use all my flight simulators, I switch back and fourth since I have enough drive space to keep them all installed.  I'm not ready to give any of them up yet.  Retro flight simulation has become a hobby for me 🙂

I find that they all have their positives and negatives.  Whatever flight simulators it is that you enjoy, all that matters is that you're having fun.

8 hours ago, Jordixvz said:

 P3D v5.4 is a FLIGHT SIMULATOR, and I'd add PROFESSIONAL.

 That is no great surprise since Lockheed-Martin intended from the outset to be a professional flight simulator. In actual fact, they had originally intended for P3D to not be sold for "recreational use." It took a lot of "lobbying" from simmers to change their original plans.

Having ONLY 1 simulator adds up to "boring, boring, boring"!  It's wonderful to fly P3d on some long airliner type flights, and it's wonderful to fly MSFS 2024 for some low flying GA adventures.  I do enjoy using the Garmins in some of the GA aircraft (especially like the Cirrus), and I still fly 5000-10,000 feet at most!  That's where MSFS dominates.  The eye candy is tremendous and accurate.  I cant say that for the photogrammetry, however.  It's like flying in a Zombie world.

P3d v5.4 is awesome for some Boeing, Airbus, CRJ, Embraer aircraft especially flying over 300 miles or longer.  At 10,000-34,000 feet, the scenery is quite realistic and accurate.  The airports are where they're supposed to be...the runways are exact as well.  The planes and cockpits look great and it's hard to ask for anything more.

You see...there's no need to jump down anyone's throats because they prefer a singular sim.  We should feel SORRY for them because they don't have enough disc space to enjoy at least 2 vastly different simulators.

13 hours ago, Jordixvz said:

Hello everyone.

This is my first post on this forum, after 11 years of learning from you all and having introduced myself in the introductions forum a few minutes ago.
I started in flight simulation with Flight Simulator and stayed there for many years. Until I switched to P3D. Now I'm on v5.4.
I bought MSFS 2020 from the Microsoft store since it was on sale for €34. Well, to see it.
After 15 days, I've already formed an opinion. MSFS is a game, a good game with very good graphics and performance. P3D v5.4 is a FLIGHT SIMULATOR, and I'd add PROFESSIONAL.
I'll use MSFS sometime for a short low-altitude flight somewhere interesting. P3D for simulation is the closest thing to professional.

Thanks everyone.

P3D is just FSX updated and renamed P3D , its still essentially FSX

Edited May 17, 20251 yr by jason74

3 hours ago, spilok said:

You see...there's no need to jump down anyone's throats because they prefer a singular sim.  We should feel SORRY for them because they don't have enough disc space to enjoy at least 2 vastly different simulators.

Only two???  I still run P3D v4.5 and v5.4, XPlane 11.55 and 12.2, and MSFS 2020 and 2024!  Every one has it's raison d'etre.

Agree that there’s no reason to just use one sim unless disk space is limited.  P3d is still my primary sim but I enjoy flying in 2020 and the new xplane 12 beta looks stunning. No need to pick one sim or pick on each other about which sim they prefer/fly.  They are all different and have their pluses and minuses.  It is incredible how many great options we have these days. 

5 hours ago, Zylx said:

I use all my flight simulators, I switch back and fourth since I have enough drive space to keep them all installed.  I'm not ready to give any of them up yet.  Retro flight simulation has become a hobby for me 🙂

I find that they all have their positives and negatives.  Whatever flight simulators it is that you enjoy, all that matters is that you're having fun.

I say the same thing. I laugh when someone says im going to unstall P3D or MSFS2020 because I purchased MSFS2024. I will retire 2020 when everything avalible on that platform is in 2024. As for P3D, That will be on my system for atleast a few more years. Storage is cheap and having mulltiple simulators installed doesnt effect the others. I have spent thousand on P3D add-ons over the years so I see no value tossing them all aside with the mind set that I can only have one simulator. Crazy! I still fire up P3D once or twice a month. 

 

Edited May 17, 20251 yr by YukonPete

47 minutes ago, jason74 said:

P3D is just FSX updated and renamed P3D , its still essentially FSX

It was actually developed from MS ESP, not FSX.  Your comment suggests you have not explored P3D in any depth.

There are very significant differences from FSX, especially in the options for multi monitor use, or things like saving panel states, which are totally reliable in P3D, when they certainly were not in FSX. I currently run a fully functioning cockpit on P3D 5.4 which I could not even begin to run using FSX.

2 hours ago, Bob Scott said:

Only two???  I still run P3D v4.5 and v5.4, XPlane 11.55 and 12.2, and MSFS 2020 and 2024!  Every one has it's raison d'etre.

Love it!