If you had asked me 10 years ago if I thought we would ever see Microsoft come back to the world of flight simulation, I would’ve said “probably not”. That was proven very wrong. If you had asked me if I thought we would see Microsoft Flight Simulator on Xbox, I would have said “very unlikely”, given the power requirements. Again, I got that wrong. And if you had asked me if I thought we would see Microsoft Flight Simulator on PlayStation, I would’ve said “absolutely not”.
Well, here we are. The review for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PlayStation 5.
Based on the above, you might say we’re just bad at predicting the future, but I think it’s just a testament to how fast-paced the technology and gaming worlds are. The release of MSFS on the Xbox platform has been an undeniable success for growing the market and getting more and more people interested in the hobby and aviation in general. The writing has also been on the wall for a long time now that Microsoft would be bringing its franchises to other platforms. This will, again, grow the market – perhaps even more significantly than Xbox ever managed. The install base of PS5 is much bigger than Xbox Series, so we should see a massive influx of intrigued gamers looking to fly over their house, visit their local airport, and see what other crazy things they can do.
But once that initial scratch has been itched, will Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 be able to keep players interested and engaged? It was clear that Microsoft wanted to make the 2024 platform much more engaging to the ‘casual simmer’ through the use of career mode, world photography mode, and the plethora of aircraft. When it was originally released for PC and Xbox a year ago, it felt almost overwhelming. PlayStation 5 owners will be going into the sim with a year’s worth of additional development time (including the latest Sim Update 4) and a few extra goodies chucked in exclusively for PS5 users.
Many of you reading this will already be flying the simulator, or perhaps gave it a go and returned back to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. But the release of MSFS 2024 on PS5 also brings with it the awaited Sim Update 4, which, for PC owners, could be the perfect time to jump back in. So this review, whilst primarily for those looking to purchase on PS5, will mention any improvements due to SU4, as all platforms will benefit from this massive update.
Performance and Visuals
The first areas I want to focus on are performance and visuals. This is undoubtedly a beautiful and well-optimised simulator for PS5 and PS5 Pro. Sim Update 4 certainly is doing a lot of the legwork here, but I believe that the PS5 is managing the simulator extremely well. Colours and contrast are exquisite, cloud quality is sharp and detailed, and the displays in the aircraft have a great refresh rate.
Airliners like the A330, B747 and the B737 MAX 8 out of hubs like Heathrow, JFK and LA all ran smoothly. This is with the default add-ons and no DLC from the store, so once that begins being added, results may vary. But fret not, as there are options to optimise your experience should you find performance is not to your liking in certain scenarios.
You are able to adjust a number of options to help improve performance between Medium and Low. This gives the user the ability to adjust to suit their flying styles. If I’m being picky, it would be nice to have a simple “quality” and “performance” toggle. Options, in my book, are always a great thing.
Picture quality was also great. The resolution was maintained for the cockpit and exterior, even when loading in new areas of the world. Throughout my experience, the anti-aliasing meant jagged edges were not instantly visible, and image clarity was sharp – which is amazing considering we’re now using 5-year-old hardware. Whilst I can’t say for sure how PlayStation’s PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) handled things like ghosting, I’ve spoken to some other people who play-tested the beta and found it was a non-issue. If anything, they saw even greater performance thanks to the system’s additional power and tech stack.
For Those New to Flight Simulators
For those completely new to the concept of flight simulator, here’s a brief overview of what you can expect in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PS5:
- An in-depth and multi-faceted career mode.
- The ability to free-fly anywhere in the world in a massive number of aircraft (with more added via DLC).
- Compete in landing challenges, race your friends, and discover scenic areas of the world.
- Fly with friends and/or other simmers around the world in massive free online multiplayer servers.
- Expand your library of detailed hand-crafted airports, aircraft and other tools with the in-sim Marketplace to get a plethora of DLC.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Aviators looking to discover the sky on Sony’s platform will be able to access up to 125 aircraft, depending on the edition you purchase. Household names like the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 MAX 8 are all part of the standard release, along with a massive library of smaller GA planes. Also included are what Microsoft calls “hand-crafted” airports, which are more detailed renditions of airports instead of using generic buildings and data. These airports are more meticulous in design and provide a bit more detail. About 150 of these airports exist across the base game and the plentiful free World Updates that stream even higher-quality data into your simulator.
If you flew flight simulators many years ago, those included planes were lacking in detail, to say the least. What is exciting with this sim is that a fair chunk of these aircraft are very detailed. Excellent modelling and texturing for many of the planes, with those wanting a more advanced simulation able to discover and learn. There are some exceptions where it felt like the ambition grew too much, with some aircraft not fully functional of buggy. Microsoft outsourced a range of them to third-party developers to include as default planes, some of which haven’t been updated to function correctly. This stems from small issues like lights not functioning to instances of engines not being able to start correctly.
Career Mode
This is why career mode is great fun. It puts you on a path that starts you with easy-to-grasp knowledge and slowly lets you climb your way through the ranks in any play style you wish. You can take on a number of missions such as firefighting, tornado chasing, VIP transfers and even mountain rescues.
My biggest gripe, which has remained since launch, is the slow-paced start if you already have some experience. You can’t skip through missions to get to the more fun stuff, even if you forfeit the in-sim currency to progress. Furthermore, there is no cross-progression from PC/Xbox here as your gamertag isn’t synced with PlayStation.
Whilst career mode certainly has appeal, it can’t be said it’s not without bugs or issues. In my playtime, I experienced a few instances of missions failing through no fault of my own and the occasional crash of the game. Nothing to take away from the overall experience, but worth mentioning as it caused a little frustration. There are still plenty of unresolved issues with career mode as a whole on PC, Xbox and now PS5, but with this release, we should hopefully see some bigger scope issues now addressed.
This issue also extends to the aforementioned DLC. On PC/Xbox, purchasing on one meant you had access on the other. It worked because it was all under the Microsoft ecosystem. For PS5, this isn’t the case. Probably not a problem for those coming to MSFS 2024 on PS5 for the first time, but if you already own a bunch of add-ons as a PC user wanting to fly on PlayStation, you will need to double-dip. It appears to be out of everyone’s hands and is a broader business decision, but I do feel like this is edge-case stuff.
Stability and Streaming World
Fortunately for Playstation users, the base simulator is now in a stronger and more stable state than the initial launch, and for many, the default content will certainly be more than enough. If you read the headlines from a year ago, it wasn’t a pretty picture, but SU4 and 12 months of continuous patches and improvements mean these issues are firmly in the past.. Things load fast, and you can store on your local storage those areas you frequent the most.
Is a Console Practical for a Flight Sim?
One question I often find myself asking is just how suited to a console is a flight simulator? I’ve asked that a lot on Xbox with Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) and I felt that it worked just fine – for the most part. Having a keyboard and mouse and a piece of hardware like a stick or throttle certainly helps, but using just a controller presents a few challenges.
It’s unfortunate that I still feel the UI design with MSFS 2024 just isn’t console-friendly at all.It certainly feels gamey in style, but navigating feels clunky and cumbersome. The speed of menus is certainly vastly improved thanks to SU4, but navigating menus, especially when preparing for a free flight, needs a lot of work. It feels counterintuitive to have to select the airport box, type via the onscreen keyboard, press back, and then scroll to select the airport. It may sound like I’m being fussy, but considering the console was always a goal for the platform, plus the years of knowledge and experience with two titles, I hoped this would be easier.
Flight simulators are extremely button- and axis-intensive. lot of action and input are required in order to fly a plane. The smaller planes are intuitive enough, and the control scheme is functional for them. For larger jets, requiring more input, it does take a lot more effort, especially without a mouse – something we take for granted on PC. With the PlayStation 5’s unique controller, I think Microsoft missed a trick with the built-in trackpad as a mouse controller. The default control binding has you click two buttons to enable mouse cursor mode, which then needs to be toggled again when you then need to control the plane. In quiet moments during cruise, this is fine, but in busier phases of flight, this can be a challenge.
All isn’t lost, though: Microsoft has masterfully used both the adaptive triggers and the gyroscopic controls of PlayStation’s DualSense controller. The triggers are primarily used to operate your rudder controls. When you’re battling strong winds or rolling down the runway, these triggers become harder to press, as though the wind or motion of the plane is fighting you. It is my favourite feature of the controller in general and MSFS 2024 uses it to great effect. Equally, I loved flying smaller planes with motion controls. You can use it in conjunction with the joystick and I found big sweeping movements were fun with the motion, but then I could use the joystick for more precise movement. They complemented each other really well.
All New Content
Alongside the PlayStation 5 release, we finally have Red Bull Racing missions available (for all platforms). This is a fun, but extremely challenging mode. You see yourself in the air at various authentic course locations around the world and your goal is to weave between specific markers in a specific formation.
You are timed, given feedback on your performance to ultimately sit at the top of the leaderboard. I found the planes were extremely sensitive to even the slightest input. It was fun for a while, but some of the later courses just felt impossible. There are different difficulties and a nice selection of tracks to choose from, so you can jump in and out.
It’s another fun addition to an already content-heavy game, but the novelty wore off quickly for me. Once more people are competing in the leaderboards, I think I will be more inclined to jump back in.
For those who pre-ordered the PS5 edition, you are also able to access the Northrop T-38 Talon (by Blackbird Simulations). As a legendary military trainer aircraft, it brings a different flavour to the lineup with its sharp handling and responsive flight model. It’s fast, agile, and demands precision, especially when manoeuvring close to the ground or performing formation-style flying. The cockpit is clean and functional, giving players a great introduction to a jet with military DNA without being overwhelming. Flying around on my big TV with the T-38 was fun, as the aircraft behaves elegantly in the skies.
The other piece of the release puzzle is the inclusion of the Boom XB-1.
In the air, the XB-1 offers a unique experience. Supersonic capability is well represented, and managing fuel transfer to maintain centre-of-gravity adds an extra layer of engagement without feeling overwhelming. Approaches and landings require care and practice due to the aircraft’s higher speeds and lack of conventional control surfaces, but remain manageable once familiar.
Overall, the XB-1 feels thoughtfully implemented, both balanced between realism and accessibility. This will likely appeal most to simmers interested in testing something unconventional rather than those seeking a routine passenger or cargo experience, which on PlayStation 5 is a sure-fire win. To be clear, though, neither the Boom XB-1 nor the Northrop T-38 is exclusive to PS5.
Content Parity
Which leads me nicely onto being clear that the PlayStation 5 version of the simulator isn’t different from its counterparts in terms of content. Each platform is one and the same, with the exception of controller utilisation and upcoming PSVR support. A few bugs, such as floating aircraft and spawning issues, were present, but a quick reload and things were fine again. Equally, those items on the wishlist and bug tracker are also present here, so don’t expect to find this version of the sim more capable than others.
All that said, this is a very complete and robust launch of a lofty and ambitious title that has really only just become stable on the other platforms.
Final Thoughts
It’s ironic, to say the least, that this is the definitive version of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 for console. The absolutely gorgeous visuals, silky performance and massive array of aircraft make this a fun couch experience. What makes it stand out from the Xbox version is the incredible use of the DualSense controller’s haptic triggers and gyroscopic controls. The ability to fly the simulator on your PlayStation Portal is amazing, and the promise of VR via PSVR just adds so much more than anything that is possible on Xbox.
For PC owners, there could also be a benefit of double-dipping if you already own a PS5. With the PSVR headset being a pretty reasonable cost, the ability to simply plug and play into your PS5, could be a lot easier than trying to set it up on PC. This all depends on how it functions when VR does come along; it could be a great way to try that out. It remains to be seen when the update will be released, but it does seem promising.
