No inbetween like in X-Plane. Of course, if you have full joystick or even hotas you dont care about that, but I do. The camera controls are very dull, overally it feels just like a game.
If you like X-Plane for its simulation capabilities and not graphical awesomeness - dont even look at MFS. The menu too looks like it belongs to a game, not a proper simulator. Personally I missed mostly the "Cold start" option and mouse steering.
Define what's a game and define what's a simulator so that we can understand what the hell you are talking about.
Fair enough your points but remember the years and work that gone into x plane 11 the updates, in fact for me x plane was sometimes unflyable before vulcan came out and that been so recent, I'd say give this new sim a chance it hasn't even been 48 hours and people are coming to some conclusions without even giving it a chance.
X plane just seemed boring once your up in the air it was static. Out of the box it blows any sim out with regards to visual and flight dynamics, i get the autopilot issues are there but thats nothing more than a update for a fix.
S there is a cold startup function you have to start at a GATE. I'd say explore a little more because half the things you've mentioned the sim definitely does do out the box and you might fall in love with it.
Thats what I want to know too. What defines a sim vs a game because as far as I'm concerned every game related thing can be done in XP.
I can use an Xbox controller, I can crash and bounce, I can invert a jet, I can land at ridiculous speeds etc. Ryan Butterworth i7 K 4. It comes with dynamic headshake etc. As for the menus etc. Just like Windows 10 UI vs Windows To get a cold and dark start up simply choose gate or ramp as a start spot instead of runway. You won't start a plane cold and dark on a runway anyways. All summarized, I see you're seeing change which disrupts your usual way of doing things and does not fit in your accustomed routine that you've formed for years or decades.
This is to be expected for a fast-moving technology world. The cold start and rudder steering with the keyboard do look like they could cause issues for people. I'm starting to think that flight simmers are masochists. I also reconfigured the default custom view look options to the same x-plane key bindings num pad and it works perfectly. You can still select every feature you need. And it also attracts non-hardcore simmers so that the franchise will survive.
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This donation keeps our doors open and providing you service 24 x 7 x So, with that in mind, it is not particularly a knock on FSX to state that the basic scenery available for the XP program, while in itself not mind-blowing, is of a higher standard. Their use of high-tech street mapping and 3D graphics appear to make the city streets and roads burst into life more than the Microsoft package.
Indeed, at the time Microsoft's Flight Simulator X burst onto the scene a decade or so ago, such graphics appeared top notch. Now, however, especially with such a platform as the latest version of X-Plane showcasing more up to date and overall stronger graphics and scenery textures, the older Microsoft platform is beginning to appear a little dated. Mesh scenery add-on example in X-Plane Their use of 3-D graphics and realistic mapping would appear to continue to set it apart.
As the hour approaches evening on your virtual flight missions, the ground below will begin to glow an orange color to reflect the lights of the cities below. It appears the scenery of Prepar3D, while certainly authentic, still lags behind XP11 for intricate detail, particularly, as one user complained, around the airport scenery. Furthermore, it would appear that cost is a big issue with users when deciding whether to make the switch. A great many of the scenery add-ons come at an extra price, meaning that to set up an authentic flight plan with airports and scenery could become a very expensive business.
In terms of night lighting and night flying, however, P3D, boast some of the best night-time lights and graphics available. In fact, this might be one area where P3D has the edge on the other two flight simulation programs. And while that might not be enough to swing the deal for prospective buyers, for more veteran virtual pilots who are at a stage where they are looking for such finer details, it might be something worth bearing in mind.
Example of a Boeing cockpit at night. While these types of aspects of virtual flight perhaps appear trivial to some, especially newcomers to the world of flight simulation, it is such small details that separate a good flight platform from a great one. It would appear to be much easier to move from FSX to X-Plane 11 and appreciate the improvement in such details than to use X-Plane 11 and then revert back to FSX, which would suddenly make the overall experience far less realistic. However, another user fell on the other side of the argument.
But if you are looking for overall aviation detail — such things as the difference in weather, the difference in terrain, even difference in seasons and when such seasons occur when at various points around the planet, then FSX, albeit achieved through add-ons, is by far a better option. Prepar3D very much contains some of the best graphics available, of that there is little doubt. However, many of them remain locked behind additional purchases. This means that you might end up spending a considerable amount of money to achieve the realism you want, whereas that realism could have been reached for a lot less with our other two programs featured here, in particular, FSX.
As stated at the beginning of this section, though, this really does come down to personal preference, and to no lesser degree, personal budget. Martin - a less sterile world? Of course, how the program works and runs on our respective systems is also of paramount importance.
And it is here once again where X-Plane 11 would appear to pip FSX, with the latter seeming to have a reputation among users if the forum comments and complaints are to be believed of crashing on more than one occasion. This would appear to be due to the program loading all of the memory onto the CPU, bypassing the GPU and, on occasion, simply overloading the processor and so crashing the program.
Indeed, it is an issue that FSX will need to address in the immediate future and possibly address with a fix or a free add-on. Cessna 3D virtual cockpit. On the other hand, X-Plane 11 distributes this memory usage between CPU and GPU, which in turn allows for a much smoother flight and running of the program. While there are still instances of this newer program crashing, it would seem it is much more fluid and easier to run across most platforms than the FSX version.
Although there might be a need to repurchase some addons again, in terms of how well Prepar3D runs this should not be a concern to anyone looking to purchase the software as a new pilot or make the switch from their current one. You may be interested in reading our article about boosting FSX performance here. As we mentioned at the beginning, for the most part, it is only fair, and sensible, to compare the programs on their basic, out of the box, settings.
And, the fact that the user gets more aircraft to fly courtesy of FSX than they would with the other platform aside, it would seem that X-Plane 11 is the better purchase. However, another area where this older platform dominates over X-Plane 11 is the number of add-ons that are available for it.
And while some of these of paid-for extras, many are completely free and truly do go towards making the experience of flying with the Microsoft developed platform both genuine and authentic, as well as offering an absolute plethora of options in everything from aircraft, airports, scenery, and textures. LATAM add-on - one of the mods you can download for free. Indeed, perhaps as big a plus as the running of the program was for X-Plane, the same can be said for the number of add-ons for Flight Simulator X.
As we will look at shortly, many virtual flying veterans prefer FSX over the newer flight sim packages. Essentially, if you have a lot of time and a considerable money pot, it is indeed possible to transform the older platform to be a much better model than XP11, or indeed any other flight simulators.
The fact that there is such an array of extras available does perhaps give the dated FSX more flexibility and longevity in terms of regular use. Aside from the obvious extra aircraft, the extra scenery, airports, and even missions, at least as things stand in , dwarf what is available for X-Plane, as improved as it is.
As we have mentioned throughout our article, the add-ons for P3D, while being great in terms of detail and realism, are some of the priciest on the virtual market. In short, if you are likely to require lots of add-ons to achieve the overall feel you desire — and most virtual pilots do - then a sizeable wallet — digital or otherwise — will be a necessity. It would appear that for FSX, their vast depth in terms of extra features, some of which are remarkably detail orientated, is the great equalizer against the seemingly stronger newer platforms such as XP We have over 24, files in our library - you can view our FSX mod library here and our X-Plane 11 mod library here.
Perhaps the most important aspect of flight sim is just how realistic the flights are, particularly from the cockpit. On a basic level, many of the cockpit graphics are much more detail orientated in X-Plane However, when add-ons are taken into account, it is relatively easy to increase this detail. The P3D cockpits also boast some of the most realistic on offer.
Everything from the feel of the cockpits, to the flight navigations equipment and the overall authenticity, is realistic to the max. And this replication is the same during night and day and in all weather conditions. However, in terms of overall authenticity and realism of flight, the P3D cockpit software is some of the most authentic available and certainly holds its own against XP11 and FSX. Piper Malibu cockpit. OK, so before we summarize the two programs, we should perhaps look at where the two flight simulation software companies are right now.
While X-Plane, and certainly version 11, are newer to the market, Flight Simulator X has been around for some time, and consequently, already have a steady audience of veteran virtual pilots as well as more amateur flyers and those with a passing interest. Microsoft Flight Simulator X logo. However, given the lack of active development, it would appear that X-Plane 11 certainly has a bright future ahead of it.
And while it would perhaps be a little early to say that it is ready to push FSX aside and take over as the premier simmin' software, it would certainly appear destined to force other platforms to share the market more evenly. Perhaps what is often overlooked when considering such programs is not only how popular, how much technical support, and what add-ons may or may not be available, is the respective communities that develop around such software.
For example, whether it is in chat rooms, closed social media groups, or specialized Internet forums for FSX or X-Plane users , when you purchase and begin developing and exploring your software, you are also, should you choose, opening a door to world full of other like-minded individuals, looking, in this case, to take to the skies from the comfort of their own PC chairs.
And while Prepar3D most certainly has its own loyal fan base, it would appear from those same Internet forums that it lacks that of the other two, at least in terms of numbers. While the community is indeed just as loyal for P3D, it is decisively smaller.
And it might be one better suited to experienced pilots who have made the conscious decision to try a different software as opposed to newcomers to the world of flight simulation although there is certainly no reason for such rookies to opt for P3D. Laminar Research's X-Plane 11 logo. We should note, that both products have strong communities, meaning whichever package you opt for, whether it is official assistance or advice from other users, there will be an abundance of people to offer support, hints, and tips on how to get the most out of virtual flying software.
With all that in mind, then, you might think that the obvious choice would be to snap up the latest and greatest platform like XP If you a newcomer to the world of the virtual flying, then that very well might be the best option for you.
And, in time, it would appear that many other virtual pilots will be joining you. While FSX has more add-ons and choice, it would appear to be only a matter of time before that choice of extras is equaled by X-Plane and other programs. With all that being said, though, FSX still have a huge audience and share of the virtual flying market, many of whom are loyal customers on the one hand, and also flyers who have spent, in some cases, thousands of dollars or pounds in extras in order to create a unique virtual flying experience tailored just for them.
Prepar3D is perhaps in an even more difficult position. And while it is likely that the audience it has is a very loyal one, those virtual pilots who have earned their stripes on the other simulators will likely be hard-pressed to convert to P3D.
So, the decision is ultimately yours, and each program has its own pros and cons. There are, though, some other factors to keep in mind for both rookie and experienced virtual pilots. Particularly when we consider the future of flight simulation.
Lufthansa A add-on. There is certainly plenty on offer for loyal users of the older Microsoft platform. And, as we mentioned above, in terms of a well-rounded overall authentic flight, FSX certainly delivers. Indeed, many who have used both programs state their preference for the older model. And if it is quantity you are looking for then this more-established program is for you. However, if you are looking for the finer details of virtual flight, whether it is authentic conditions from the cockpit as you struggle against the elements and other factors designed to make for a more realistic flight, X-Plane 11 might be something you wish to opt for.
Especially when we consider in another decade or so, in all likeliness, X-Plane 11 will have overtaken FSX in terms of market share, available and actively developed add-ons, and accessibility. With that in mind, particularly for newer virtual flyers, it might be best to get on board now. Before you continue reading, perhaps you'd like to compare the official trailer videos of each sim.
Perhaps one word of warning, however, while this will likely change in time with new developments and add-ons, one discreet drawback with the X-Plane 11 simulation is that most of the detail is loaded into the United States, unlike FSX where airports and locations all over the planet are available. And thanks to the numerous add-ons, which we have already mentioned, these various locations are often highly detailed. Similarly, if P3D prices were to come down over the next few years, then it might, in turn, attract much larger numbers to it than it currently does and it is already one of the most popular flight sim software available.
Each of the programs has its drawbacks and strengths, and in an ideal world, an amalgamation of the two software packages would fill in their respective gaps in each program.
Unfortunately, and again this is a testament to the overall strength of each package, as well as the quality of the flight simulation market in general, it is not a case of picking a clearly better program over another. Like anything else in life, it depends on what you, the pilot, are looking to get out of your virtual flying missions, as to what program is ultimately the better option. However, in time, X-Plane looks set to challenge to be just that.
Indeed, like many of us, many pilots of the virtual skies use multiple virtual software programs. And there is certainly nothing to stop any of you doing the same. Except perhaps budget, that is. Of course, we have reviewed all three flight sim platforms in detail; you can read our review of FSX: Steam Edition here , Prepar3D review here , and of course our X-Plane 11 review here.
Please, please post your comments in the comments section below. We need to hear your thoughts. What simulator platform do you prefer? What did you start with? Have you switched simulators - if so, why? Don't forget Files include aircraft, scenery, and utilities All are free-to-download and use - you don't even need to register. Browse on down to the file library here. Ian Stephens is a flight simulation industry expert with over 20 years of experience and also has a keen interest in aviation and technology.
Ian spends a lot of his time experimenting with various simulator packages but has a love for Microsoft Flight Simulator X because of the huge selection of add-ons available. Ian has been writing for Fly Away Simulation for over 9 years. Should you wish, you can contact Ian via email at ian. The content of the comments below are entirely the opinions of the individual posting the comment and do not always reflect the views of Fly Away Simulation. We moderate all comments manually before they are approved.
Why compare X-plane with an outdated 10 years old simulator with a fast decreasing number of users. FSX itself has been succeeded already many years ago by Prepar3D, has a fast-growing number of users and all critics and reviews elaborate on the endless improvements in Prepar3D related to FSX. Many comparisons are also available on Youtube. Besides that, there are regularly improvement-updates for Prepar3D, the most current one is Prepar3D V4.
I have flight simulator x gold edition I am 75 and not too clever but I need a total commander for the downloads. I'm a loyal customer, I've spent a much more dollars for add-ons, I'm too lazy to start from the start again.
And some FSX aircraft flight dynamics and texture, especially the latest add-ons, is better than XP For the record, I do not own XP. Thanks, Dennis. There is no doubt that the X plane has better flight dynamics and generally is more accurate. However, it is very complicated to set up.
Trying to for example set up aircraft using Saitek control systems rudder x52 proflight yoke is very complicated.
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