So many of you may remember this promotional image of FSX, which was a concept art drawing, rather than in game footage of FSX:

Well, the coordinates of this lake and mountain is approximately, 48,796288, -113,660949.  On my computer using an NVidia 3060 Ti card in 1080p, with most settings on medium to high, when I try to recreate this scene, I get this:

Unfortunately, I couldn't quite figure out how to get the right cloud cover.  And I couldn't quite figure out how to get the right wind direction and wind speed to better mimick the water in the original FSX promotional photo. Maybe somebody with a better computer in 4K, and knows how to tinker with the cloud and wind settings better than me, can figure out how to make a better photo that is closer to the FSX promotional image. As I mentioned, the coordinates of this FSX promo photo location is at 48,796288, -113,660949 so just copy and paste these coordinates on the main menu screen to create a flight, and you will be taken to this location.

But voila, I think MSFS 2024 shows how far we have come since this FSX promotional image.  I remember when I saw this promotional image for FSX back in the day, I was super excited, thinking that FSX would look as good as the promotional image 🤣.  Well, it turns out that FSX didn't look anywhere close to that promotional image 🤣.  But almost 19 years after FSX was released, I can say that MSFS 2024 is somewhat close to the FSX promotional image, despite my poor tinkering skills with the cloud and wind speed 🤣. We finally got there!

You can also try this with MSFS 2020 as well, but I don't think it looks as good, because the trees look better in MSFS 2024. I hope someone else with a much better computer than mine with settings at ultra, can figure out how to make a better looking screenshot from MSFS 2024 that is closer to the FSX promotional image!

 

Edited July 28, 2025Jul 28 by abrams_tank

So what are you trying to say? that computer technology has had some progress over some 20 odd years? 

So it looks pretty similar to the promo published 20 years ago?

I reckon a comparison with FS1 from 1982 would look even more impressive!

Edited July 28, 2025Jul 28 by ha5mvo

1 minute ago, ha5mvo said:

So what are you trying to say? that computer technology has had some progress over some 20 odd years? 

I reckon a comparison with FS1 from 1982 would look even more impressive!

Lighten up and have some fun 🤣.  It's a comparison of MSFS 2024 vs a promotional image.  The promotional image was hand drawn and hand painted. It's not even comparing FSX graphics.

28 minutes ago, abrams_tank said:

Lighten up and have some fun 🤣.  It's a comparison of MSFS 2024 vs a promotional image.  The promotional image was hand drawn and hand painted. It's not even comparing FSX graphics.

Careful, certain folks around here get triggered when anything positive (or remotely positive) is said about MSFS, or about anything that's not on their fav/precious list 🤣
 

Glacier national park also has photogrammetry coverage in 2024 which is why the mountains have so much extra detail.

Edited July 28, 2025Jul 28 by Tuskin38

This was a pretty cool comparison of IRL places vs MSFS 2024 from a few months ago: 

 

Pollution hit that body of water hard in the last 15 years apparently 😕

 

1 hour ago, lwt1971 said:

This was a pretty cool comparison of IRL places vs MSFS 2024 from a few months ago: 

 

Yup, thanks for posting that link!  The comparison of the real life photos, to the locations in MSFS 2024, are amazing.  Show you how advanced MSFS 2024 is, when you pick random locations outside of cities.  That's why MSFS 2024 is so good for bush flying, it's like a bush flyer's dream.

5 hours ago, ha5mvo said:

So what are you trying to say? that computer technology has had some progress over some 20 odd years? 

So it looks pretty similar to the promo published 20 years ago?

I reckon a comparison with FS1 from 1982 would look even more impressive!

Yes, and i reckon a comparison between your comment and a bunch of sour grapes will taste strikingly similar. 

6 hours ago, abrams_tank said:

But voila, I think MSFS 2024 shows how far we have come since this FSX promotional image.

Seriously Ha5mvo beat me to it. Not much to compare. Just a couple of photos rendered in very different time periods. Actually since re-touching digital images is commonplace one might assume these images have been created for maximum marketing effect in there respective time periods.

6 minutes ago, tpete61 said:

Seriously Ha5mvo beat me to it. Not much to compare. Just a couple of photos rendered in very different time periods. Actually since re-touching digital images is commonplace one might assume these images have been created for maximum marketing effect in there respective time periods.

🤣 Yes Ha5mvo beat you to misunderstanding the point of the thread:  one was an artist's rendering, the other was rendered by the game in real time.  And had abrams_tank ramped up the winds and got the clouds right it would have clearly looked better than the fake, artist's promo rendering.
 

 

37 minutes ago, tpete61 said:

Not much to compare. Just a couple of photos rendered in very different time periods. Actually since re-touching digital images is commonplace one might assume these images have been created for maximum marketing effect in there respective time periods.

Nope, not two "photos rendered"... one is a hand-crafted artist's image from the FSX days, the other is a screenshot (from the OP on his MSFS 2024 installation) of the same location in-sim of the 3D rendered world. Quite a lot to compare actually.
 

Edited July 28, 2025Jul 28 by lwt1971

5 hours ago, abrams_tank said:

So many of you may remember this promotional image of FSX, which was a concept art drawing, rather than in game footage of FSX:

Sure i remember that lovely picture. It perfectly represented the fact that flightsimmers never stop dreaming. Even now with FS2024, right ?.. F.i. sofar i have yet to see a Jacob's ladder in 2024 as so eloquently represented in this pittoresque picture. Back then the whole setup *did* make me think of Bob Ross quite a bit.. The cool clear water is also something for us to keep dreaming about, isn't it. We *do* have to be thankfull for the fantastic new float plane water spray effects we have been dreaming about for so many years (atleast i know i did..)

In any case, thanks for this wonderful reminder, AT, i can't really believe it's already 20 years ago ! How time flies, even virtually ! 🙂  

Also interesting is the Windows XP "Mountain Background" that a lot of people that "WAS" art... 

In reality and credit to https://www.instagram.com/insidehistory/?e=3a93fc60-9153-4cfd-b372-76b6d7a773f3&g=5

The “Bliss” photograph, featured as the default wallpaper for Windows XP, is one of the most iconic images in computing history. Taken by photographer Charles O’Rear in 1996, it showcases a lush green hill beneath a vibrant blue sky with scattered clouds. Captured in Sonoma County, California, the image was later purchased by Microsoft and became synonymous with the 2001 release of Windows XP.

Despite widespread belief, the photograph wasn’t digitally manipulated; its stunning colors and sharpness were naturally achieved with a medium-format camera. “Bliss” has since become one of the most widely viewed images worldwide.

-
#history #photography #explore #nature #california #nostalgia

6 hours ago, lwt1971 said:

Careful, certain folks around here get triggered when anything positive (or remotely positive) is said about MSFS, or about anything that's not on their fav/precious list 🤣
 

Yee of little faith!

dd

Edited July 28, 2025Jul 28 by Sky_Pilot071