Verdict № 10 · Simulation
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 review
The whole planet, streamed in detail, with a new career mode. Wonderful to fly, expensive to kit out, and on Game Pass from day one.
A light aircraft banking past a tornado under a stormy sky. Official image: Xbox Game Studios.
Flight Simulator 2024 streams the entire Earth from Microsoft's servers and lets you fly anything from a hot-air balloon to an airliner over it, now with a career mode built around real jobs: aerial firefighting, medical flights, search and rescue, cargo and airline work. Its launch in November 2024 was marred by overloaded servers, and user reviews on Steam are still Mixed; critics settled at 78 on Metacritic.
It is here because flight simulators are sold in layers. Four editions run from £69.99 to £199.99, the in-sim Marketplace sells aircraft and scenery one by one, and on PS5, which gained the game in December 2025, Marketplace purchases do not carry over from PC or Xbox. The standard edition is included in Game Pass.
A breathtaking hobby with an honest entry price, and no floor to what you can spend after that.The verdict in one line
The review, milestone by milestone
- mark 6.5
Hours 1 to 5
Training, then a home airport
Flight training eases you in, and the new career mode has you choose a home airport and earn certifications.
Because the world is streamed, your first sessions depend heavily on your broadband: a fast, stable connection is required, even for the disc version on PS5.
- mark 8.0
The middle stretch
Careers and free flight
Career specialisations, from firefighting to airline transport, give flying a structure that earlier simulators lacked, and free flight with live weather and real air traffic remains the draw for many.
This is where the simulator is at its best.
- mark 8.5
The long tail
The hobby around the game
There is no end. Players move on to highly detailed third-party aircraft, Marketplace scenery, virtual reality (PS VR2 support arrived free in April 2026), yokes and pedals, and group flights.
Regular free Sim Updates keep improving it; the add-on ecosystem is also where the real cost builds up.
- mark 7.3
Craft and access
Stunning, but dependent on servers
At its best it is the most beautiful view of the planet in any game. It relies on Microsoft's servers and your connection, and the launch-week queues and loading failures are still reflected in user reviews.
Assists and an AI co-pilot make it approachable. PS5 has no cross-play or cross-save with PC and Xbox.
The bill: what it really costs in the UK
The editions differ by the number of hand-built aircraft and airports they include. What you spend after that is up to you.
The bill · Flight Simulator 2024
Game Pass members get the standard edition included and 20% off the higher editions on the Microsoft Store.
Where to buy it and how you can pay
PC players can buy on Steam or the Microsoft Store; Xbox owners on the Microsoft Store; PS5 owners on the PlayStation Store, which is currently the cheapest place for the standard edition.
Xbox and Microsoft Store
Included in Game Pass; higher editions 20% off for members.
- Card
- Mobile billing
- Xbox gift cards
PlayStation Store
Sale price until 7 October; list price £69.99.
- Card
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- paysafecard
- Mobile billing
- PS gift cards
Before you pay: if you are curious rather than committed, a month of PC Game Pass or Game Pass Premium at £10.99 lets you fly the standard edition before spending £69.99 or more. On PS5, anything you buy in the Marketplace stays on PlayStation.
How the scores add up
| How it plays | Weight | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| First hours | 15% | 6.5 |
| The middle stretch | 30% | 8.0 |
| The long tail | 20% | 8.5 |
| Craft | 20% | 7.0 |
| Access | 15% | 7.5 |
| What it costs | Weight | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Price against play | 35% | 6.5 |
| Honest pricing | 25% | 5.0 |
| Ways to pay | 20% | 8.5 |
| Protection | 20% | 6.5 |
What we rate
- The whole planet in remarkable detail
- A career mode with real structure
- The standard edition is included in Game Pass
- Free Sim Updates, including VR on PS5
What costs it
- Needs a fast, stable internet connection
- Editions up to £199.99 and a costly add-on ecosystem
- No cross-save between PS5 and PC or Xbox
- Mixed user reviews after a rough launch
Buy it if
you are curious about flying and already pay for Game Pass, or you are a committed sim pilot moving up from the 2020 edition.
Think twice if
your broadband is slow or unreliable, or you are looking for a game with an ending.
Final verdict
Flight Simulator 2024 is a hobby rather than a game, and our scores treat it as one. The standard edition is fairly priced and on Game Pass, but the ladder of editions, the separate PS5 Marketplace and the dependence on servers pull its Value down.
Start on Game Pass. If you fall for it, buy the standard edition and add aircraft one at a time rather than paying up front for the Aviator edition.
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Sources
This review is an editorial analysis of published evidence; see how we judge. Prices checked 25 September 2026.