After couple weeks tweaking p3dv5 I'm back for some MSFS (for the scenery of course!). Started Map Enhancement mod and see this (to me) worrying message.

Is this good or bad? Are we pc users being 'mandatory downgraded' for the console market or streamlined of stuff we don't need for better default performance? 

I'm not restarting the mod yet, gonna have one last flight in hi-res mode (unless MSFS will of course just kill this option on start). 

Will those of us who spend time and money tweaking high end pc systems to get the best possible quality scenery (LS/AutoFPS etc) going to see a loss of quality (at ALL flight levels) or am I just worrying over a feature that makes ZERO tangible difference in the game/sim?

If I've missed a thread that discusses this already please redirect me!

Hmm, I am also a bit concerned about that. They had better not be lowering the resolution of the terrain textures.

22 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

Hmm, I am also a bit concerned about that. They had better not be lowering the resolution of the terrain textures.

If "no longer support" means you can use at your own risk then I'm ok with that. Their 'support' is non-existent anyway. If it means "no longer ALLOWED" then like you I am indeed concerned.

Just started MSFS 2020 and no forced update yet, the high res updated Bing tiles are loading in ME mod and look fabulous as always....

Edited July 26, 2025Jul 26 by sloppysmusic

5 hours ago, sloppysmusic said:

Just started MSFS 2020 and no forced update yet, the high res updated Bing tiles are loading in ME mod and look fabulous as always....

I'm also concerned about that, because it seems after SU16 the sim (MSFS20) will not allow the loading of High Resolution map tiles anymore, so the Map Enhancement will not work with High LOD and that's why He Sicong (developer oif the Map Tool) have removed the option from the menu settings in his very latest version of the Map tool.

Let's see how things look after SU16 in MSFS20, when the terrain imagery of both MSFS20 and MSFS24 will share the same digital data and low-resolution (or, let's say normal) map textures.

Maybe the ones already participating in the SU16 beta can chime in and give us their first impressions about the new look of the terrain. From what I'm reading in the MSFS official forums, there is a mixed bag of opinions.

Edited July 26, 2025Jul 26 by edpatino

I do not use the Map Enhancement mod, so as long as the terrain textures are no lower resolution than the standard Bing textures that I use at the moment, then I will be OK. However, if there is any reduction in resolution compared to how they are currently, then MS/Asobo are going to feel some heat coming their way.

Well, 

I'm walking in the opposite direction, and always try to opt for reduced textures, or reduce them using some app, instead of staying with useless 4k textures when I'm on FullHD 1920 x 180 ...

Just as I set both LOD entries in FS 2024 at 50 instead of 100 or more....

With this settings I get stable & smooth 30 fps with TAA, even on my rather "outdated" rig: 5600x + 3060Ti

Edited July 26, 2025Jul 26 by jcomm

Two interesting discussions. Seems they are mandating standard scenery options from 2024 to 2020, some for better some for worse. Not the sim that 2020 users purchased sadly. 

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-if-su16-changed-default-ground-textures-or-colors/725568/35

https://www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftFlightSim/comments/zsox90/how_can_i_make_the_textures_on_my_xbox_less_blurry/

 

I can't find ANY official info. Where did the Map Enhancement mod author get that info from I wonder? Why can't Asobo just be open and publish exactly how they are changing the simulators we purchased into something else? When it works FINE for most of us why can't we opt OUT of changes completely?

That XBox discussion is three years old.....

22 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

That XBox discussion is three years old.....

You're right! It was this post from that thread last year that was relevant:

We're back to square one actually. On Series X, the LOD, draw distance, and ground texture quality has deteriorated again. Apparently, it's affecting PC users too since SU15. Hopefully, SU16 will address this. Paris, flying towards the Eiffel Tower... blech!

I posted this thread to the official forums and it got flagged and hidden. Not a good look:

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/can-anyone-confirm-if-su16-changed-default-ground-textures-or-colors/725568/57?u=sloppysmusic

Your post was flagged by the community. Please see your messages.

 

View ignored content.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 26, 2025Jul 26 by sloppysmusic

57 minutes ago, sloppysmusic said:

I posted this thread to the official forums and it got flagged and hidden. Not a good look

That's hardly surprising. It's a link to a discussion involving the map mod. Highly verboten!

10 hours ago, sloppysmusic said:

Started Map Enhancement mod and see this (to me) worrying message.

Yeah, I agree — that message is definitely worrying. The texture resolution reduction might be connected to some Xbox-related limitations or issues. Hopefully it gets sorted out soon.

1 hour ago, DD_Arthur said:

That's hardly surprising. It's a link to a discussion involving the map mod. Highly verboten!

IKR? i was going to post the pic there but posted this thread instead. Which is NOT about the mod, the mod is in fact the only way we KNOW something is going on they not telling is.....

25 minutes ago, sloppysmusic said:

IKR? i was going to post the pic there but posted this thread instead. 

You bad boy, slap on wristy....

Have you thought of going for the double-whammy? Post them a link to the Autofps thread?😃

This "one size fits all" approach from Asobo clearly does not work.

Both the xBox and PC platforms should be coded entirely separately.  It has always been the case with flight simulation that if you want better performance then you buy better hardware.  With the limitations of the xbox it appears Asobo feel they need to downgrade the sim for performance on the console, rather than insisting console owners wait for better hardware. What is the point of us pc users buying bleeding edge equipment like a 5090, but then be subjected to limited textures simply due to some performance limited console?

6 minutes ago, cj-ibbotson said:

This "one size fits all" approach from Asobo clearly does not work

Seems like they are tuning 2024 (which is streaming for consoles mostly) then copy pasting settings to 2020 for 'simplicity'.

They are used to people complaining...then giving up. Especially if pc is much smaller market. But...its NOT is it? When you count Steam users on 2020 and 2024 surely?