Flight Simulator X vs. Flight Simulator 2020 – Which One is Right for You?
Flight Simulator X was released in 2006 and looked pretty cool at the time. It’s certainly out of date now. Most people will be speechless when they see the graphics of Flight Simulator 2020. Of course, it’s an unfair comparison, but it illustrates the great leap forward in graphic technology from that time to now.
Players will be able to operate extremely accurate planes in an incredibly realistic world in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. The simulator will include day and night situations, as well as difficult weather circumstances, and will use real flight data to populate the airspace of planes.
Let’s compare these two Flight Simulators and see who the winner is.
Flight Simulator X:
With its original game engine (although I don’t know how many years old it is), Microsoft Flight Simulator X was certainly a well-made game. But it was so difficult to get to that point, and it wasn’t until a substantial update released in 2010 that it was on a level playing field with Microsoft’s latest release.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020
Laid on top of FruityWorks, the game is a vast improvement in every area. It’s not going to blow your mind with fancy graphics, but it will provide incredible detail in the clouds, lighting, skies and outside the plane.
Flight Simulator X Compared with Flight Simulator 2020:
Visuals:
Flight Simulator X and 2020 look very similar. Both will have a 3D terrain model as part of the graphics. In Flight Simulator X, this is done to make the terrain as realistic as possible. However, it still looks a bit chunky in comparison to 2020.
Graphics:
In the above comparison, it’s pretty obvious that 2020 takes a huge leap ahead of Flight Simulator X, with that excellent lighting and shadowing. 2020 also has a good overall image.
Sound:
On the sound side of things, it’s a pretty simple comparison. Both have simulated engines and noises. A cool thing to consider is the amount of sound each simulation uses. In the below comparison, the amount of simulation sounds in 2020 is easily double that of Flight Simulator X.
What are the advantages of Flight Simulator 2020?
Visual Conditioning: Windows 10 brings the power of 3D computer graphics to your PC with the new Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. Microsoft’s Metro Fluent Design System takes advantage of the unique capabilities of 3D graphics to create a much more visually-rich platform. All of your 3D graphics settings, from Foliage Blur to Resolution and Lighting, are fully adjustable and discoverable via the menu. So, the next time you sit down to fly a plane in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, your graphics settings will be easily accessible and fine-tuned. Improved Flight Performance: The new Prozone Flight Performance Engine will allow players to experience a more realistic flight experience.
What are the disadvantages of Flight Simulator 2020?
Flight Simulator 2020 will not run on computers without hardware and software enhancements. It will also require a variety of high-end graphics cards. To get the best experience, computers with either NVIDIA GeForce 7 series or AMD Radeon graphics cards are required. The current minimum requirements on the Microsoft website call for Nvidia GeForce 7500 or AMD Radeon 7850 series graphics card. For more information, visit the Microsoft website.
Microsoft also states that Flight Simulator will not run on Windows 8. Windows 8 should work fine with the demo.
Also, Microsoft warns that there is a known issue when the system detects the aircraft’s not within VR mode.
Models:
Flight Simulator X:
The planes have wings, as well as other external elements, and can perform basic aerobatics.
Flight Simulator 2020:
The planes have wings or internal elements and cannot perform basic aerobatics.
Each aircraft is somewhat different, but it does show how much less detail is used in this newer release.
What is the difference between Flight Simulator 2020 and Flight Simulator X?
Flight Simulator 2020 is a software product that is updated every two years. The latest release, version 2020, is currently in beta phase.
Microsoft Flight Simulator X was released in 2006 and is still running strong. The current release are two version which is Standard and Deluxe, and it is based on Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition.
From what we know, Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition is a revised version of the original “Linux version” and is cross-platform compatible. You can use it on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, and Android.
As far as our investigation is concerned, the original X version of Microsoft Flight Simulator is the very first release. It is a “Steam Edition”, as you may have heard. Microsoft Flight Simulator X is compatible with the Steam platform.
Platforms:
Microsoft Flight Simulator X has been around for a while. The only version of Microsoft Flight Simulator X that currently exists on Steam is the v1.00 Extended Technical Test. As for the original version of Microsoft Flight Simulator, that version has been discontinued by Microsoft. In 2014, all remaining copies were removed from the Microsoft online store. The old Microsoft Flight Simulator X have been available on the Steam platform in late 2014.
The ‘complete list of everything that was released’ in Microsoft Flight Simulator X is:
⦁ Microsoft Flight Simulator X: v1.07
⦁ Microsoft Flight Simulator X: v1.08
⦁ Microsoft Flight Simulator X: v1.08b
⦁ Microsoft Flight Simulator X: v1.
Conclusion:
So there you have it! For the PC audience, I’ve given you the best choices of Flight Simulator currently on the market, so go get one and play it. To me, the best Flight Simulators are the ones you use to learn the ins and outs of flying, so choose wisely.
Traveling to new worlds is almost always exciting, and one of the most enjoyable parts of travel is the chance to learn new things about new cultures, their history, and their way of life. And with computers, it’s never been easier to understand people from all over the world, right from your living room.
Have you ever flown? What’s your favourite simulator? And what do you think about Microsoft Flight Simulator and Flight Simulator X? Feel free to share your thoughts with me in the comments below. 🙂
This article would be great for people who are into aviation. My brother has always told me that he would love to be a pilot. He is constantly reading books and doing research on this topic so I will be sure to share this article with him. He will definately appreciate it.
Thanks for the comment and please share the article with him.
Being able to take a look at two different types of flight simulators I noticed the flight x was not as realistic as the 2020 edition. I agree I would prefer the one that shows the ins and outs of the plane, especially if it have a cockpit view. Otherwise its a not so exciting version of GTA San Andreas. I know the newer model has a higher price tag to it but it also requires a significant quantity of upgrade to your computer and if I do not have the money for that I might get the earlier version to save on the costs of upgrades. I would love to fly but I bet it would be totally cool to be the pilot. This is one way to find out.
I think that I since I am getting a pretty zoomy gaming computer, that I will be purchasing the Flight Simulator 2020. I always figure anyway, that a newer version is generally more enhanced and takes care of any bugs in the previous version. Looks like it provides a much more realistic flying experience too. I’m excited!
Yes Flight Simulator 2020 is more realistic than Flight Simulator X.
I once tried Flight Simulator X about fifteen years ago. And the experience discouraged me. I found it too complicated. I did not know that they had done an update in 2010 to make it easier for everybody. But now that I hear everybody talk about the simulator released in 2020, I was wondering how difficult it was. And I am excited to learn they took out all the difficulty that the 2006 version had.
For people who use flight simulator for the first time, it may be difficult. You should try MSFS 2020 and see if it works for you.
Hi MElamin,
Thanks for your detailed comparison post! It is a bit disappointing and surprising to know that the planes have no wing or internal elements and cannot perform basic aerobatics in the 2020 version. Wondering why. Maybe they need to prioritise the terrain and platform designs? The rest seems fine.
Thanks again
Grace
Thanks for the feedback. I corrected the post. I think prioritising the terrain and platform design comes first.
this website would be perfect for someone wanting to learn about flying and wanting to become a pilot very informational about what the simulator the post stayed on topic with your niche and gave alot of information about the platforms as well well done over all 10 out of 10!
Thanks for the great feedback and you can visit my website anytime. Yes Flight Simulator can help you become a pilot, but to get licence you need to go to university or school of aviation.
Hello. I don’t know much about aviation except for the fact that I had travel by plane many times However according to your post I definitely prefer the flight simulator 2020 vs flight simulator x because in case of an emergency the pilot has control of the plane. The similar case works with Microsoft and a computer and internet can sometime be down. And if the system goes down it doesn’t work. Thank you for your informational articles and I have no ideal about the technology of the planes.
Thanks for the feedback. Feel free to navigate my website to learn more about flight simulator. Flight Simulator 2020 is more realistic than Flight Simulator X. I have flight simulator x but I did not try flight simulator 2020. In both Old and new simulator version there is training section for how pilot handles aircraft in emergency situation.
I enjoy traveling visiting around the world. If I would pick which Flight Simulator, I would pick Flight Simulator 2020 because it will not run on computers without hardware and software enhancements. It will be expensive for a larger audience who may not be able to afford it. But, if I got the chance to have a Flight Simulator 2020 for free. I would enjoy the graphics the program shares to experience a realistic experience.
Yes Flight Simulator 2020 requires expensive PC because of large graphics and more detailed aircraft and world. You can find PC for under $1000 US dollars but you will not be able to run the game in high settings.
Traveling to new worlds has always been exciting to me. And I feel in love with X when I first used it. But now that I tried Flight Simulator 2020, I was even more excited! In my own book, X is good, but 2020 is awesome. Thank you very much for this comparison review.
Thanks for the feedback and I am glad you are enjoying Flight Simulator 2020.