Great to hear a real pilot's viewpoint on MSFS 2024. 

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2025Nov 2 by alanw2005

Nice video, and I don't think #1 is minor at all. 

21 minutes ago, Ricardo41 said:

Nice video, and I don't think #1 is minor at all. 

Noted. Edited my post.

I've said here many times that I don't care about the piloting stuff, but even I would agree about the ground handling in MSFS. Actually, it's a relief to hear that my wobbling about all over the place when taxiing may not all be down to my incompetence. I'm certainly aware of having much better control over such things in XP, using the same physical pedals and settings.

No thoughts on ILS (other than "I wonder what  that does? <grin>), and the clouds are a big variable for me. Sometimes great, sometimes "you cannot be serious"

6 minutes ago, alanw2005 said:

Noted. Edited my post.

My comment wasn't a criticism of your post, but, rather, to point out that this is, indeed, an issue that has plagued MSFS for years. 

8 minutes ago, andy1252 said:

Actually, it's a relief to hear that my wobbling about all over the place when taxiing may not all be down to my incompetence.

That comment is so foreign to my multiple thousands of hours of MSFS 2020/24 I'm assuming you're being dramatic.  Taxiing is pure smoothness here and always has been.

36 minutes ago, Ricardo41 said:

Nice video, and I don't think #1 is minor at all. 

This A320 driver highlights some weird statements, especially regarding the ILS. 

See this @killsapm8883 on YouTube.
While this MSFS2020/2024 has some undeniable shortcomings, he's not familiar with the SDK. Many of his valid complaints can be addressed if Microsoft/ASOBO would use a good programmer (FDE) with proper aviation knowledge. A good example that comes to mind is the Ifly738, SkySim, Leonard Maddog MD-80, Fenix, with a good FDE programmer who listens to real/qualified pilots, and their dynamics are quite plausible. Now, we have to understand that not even LEVEL D simulators are 100%. Unfortunately, ASOBO has a long way to go before it is desirable in this regard, and it will not hurt to listen to qualified, proficient pilots on certain equipment.

Good obervations, and I agree with most of what he says.

Regarding the ground physics, as well as in some way the "air" physics, it should be noted that only very recently ASOBO fixed a long standing bug / limitation related to the way mass distribution is taken into consideration for the calculation of inertia (moments of inertia), and the flight dynamics have been updated to cope with it, but only two of the default aircraft include that new group of parameters (inertia tensor matrix), so probably most aircraft we use in FS 2024 will feel different if / when their devs update their FM parameters accordingly...

Regarding clouds, indeed stratified clouds fail to be correctly represented, and some "in-cloud" effects, specially near / inside convective clouds are unrealistically tame. But with the help of ASFS and RealTurb thing can get better....

The good thing to retain is that FS 2024 hasn't in any way gone final. The project is dinamically evolving and we get new stuff at each SU. I believe we can get much more until the next version is announced.

Edited November 2, 2025Nov 2 by jcomm

I recently discovered the friction issue post-landing is massively affected by how the rudder  axis sensitivity is set.  As I don't have pedals I use a Cessna Trim Wheel for rudder control.  For reasons I don't understand the Fenix A320 needs a massive bump up in initial sensitivity.  I have it set at 65 and that is the only plane that needs the curve adjusted this way, in my 6 or so models I use.  Because I do this at the hardware level all profiles are affected so whenever I switch from Fenix to another model I have do dial that way back.  Ever since getting on to this my landings are vastly improved.

Next, with regard to cloud depiction the 'they look like dirty smoke' comment apparently has a great deal to do with how this gent's settings are.   I use HDR10 and just don't see that--I don't see what he portrays on the video.

On the topic of ground physics, what aircraft is the YT creator using? A 777 (PMDG?) and MD11 looks like? Other 3rd party or default ones? He seems to be making sweeping statements but as well known the ground handling (as well as flight dynamics) ultimately comes down each aircraft implementation, and what features/etc they make use of in the core sim platform and its FDE toolkit. I've always felt that aircraft like the Fenix, iniBuild's big birds like the A340, the default Cessna 172, etc all make good use of the 2024's ground physics features and provide for a much better/realistic experience than various other default aircraft (that Asobo haven't really properly updated for 2024 yet unfortunately), and some 3rd party aircraft too. Not sure how PMDG implemented ground physics on their 777.

Also, it is it clear if he's using 2020 or 2024? Or both? Would've been good if he stated exactly what sim is being shown and the aircraft.
 

Edited November 2, 2025Nov 2 by lwt1971

Great to think a sub $200 piece of software in it's most expensive form gets so much RIGHT about flight... 

Pretty much agree with everything said in the video but that leaves a tremendous amount of goodness.  

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Noel said:

That comment is so foreign to my multiple thousands of hours of MSFS 2020/24 I'm assuming you're being dramatic.

I agree with him. I’ve logged nearly 4,000 hours in MSFS and I’m still impressed by how much it gets right, there’s a lot to appreciate. But I’ve also found that if MSFS is the only simulator someone’s flown, it’s easy to think that’s simply how things are supposed to feel.

I’ve spent quite a few hours in 2024 recently, flying the Blacksquare Bonanza and Baron. Both are an absolute joy, but whenever I return to XP12, I’m reminded just how much better the ground dynamics feel there. Ground friction, crosswind handling, rudder control, and even surface undulations come across as more natural and convincing in XP12.

That’s not to take anything away from what 2024 does so well, it’s a fantastic sim in many respects, but having experience in both really highlights how each one shines in different areas.

I totally agree  with the unreal ground friction but he's quite wrong about the ILS range.

ILS systems have a protected range which is given in the National Aeronautical Publication usually 15 miles or so. You may receive a signal but it is not protected or calibrated.

ATC in the UK should not clear an aircraft to establish on to the Localizer outside that range although you might be cleared to intercept the final approach track prior to an ILS approach.

 

Edited November 2, 2025Nov 2 by nippa

1 hour ago, Noel said:

I'm assuming you're being dramatic.

Not at all. I find it very difficult to maintain a smooth line on the ground on the rare occasions I do anything other than hot-start away on the runway in a big tube. I find the plane moves much further and more quickly than I would expect from very small pedal / rudder movements. With the same hardware controls in the other sim I am much more in control of my movements on the ground and it feels much more stable.

This is not an attack on MSFS, I'm just agreeing with one specific point in one video - it matches my own experience just as much as it doesn't match yours.

49 minutes ago, andy1252 said:

Not at all. I find it very difficult to maintain a smooth line on the ground on the rare occasions I do anything other than hot-start away on the runway in a big tube.

Andy, something is gravely wrong with your controls setup, seriously.  IOW, it's not...MSFS.   Bring down the dropdown Controllers applet, select whatever it is you have controlling rudder, and adjust the initial response curve (Sensitivity)and then the Extremity Dead Zone.  Maybe something is unique w/ how I'm using the trim wheel as I also have it controlling ground steering at the same time as rudder.  I tell you--it could not get any smoother for any kind of taxi and any speed, it's...perfect in any plane.  But takes fine tuning and once there it's...perfect.   As said, even landing the Fenix was dramatically improved but I understand what's being said there:  not enough inertial effect on controller inputs as well as not enough friction effect from tires on the ground, but again that is with landing, not taxiing which is....perfect, I kid you not.  I'm on a laptop at the moment but will get back into the sim in a sec and screenshot what I'm referring to.

Edited November 2, 2025Nov 2 by Noel