What version of MSFS to buy?

[PHo17]

What version of MSFS to buy? That's the question.

Options are MS Store, Steam or on 10 DVDs from a computer store.

What are Pros and Cons of each of those?

My Internet connection gets up to 70 Mbps (in practice).

[jankees]

I bought the basic version from the MS store.
Basic because the extra aircraft and airfields did not interest me,
MS Store because I don't like steam, and did not want to bother with all these DVD's.
Never realized all the other stuff you had to sign up for, like xbox etc, so installing it took me a while...

[Daube]

Forget the DVDs forever.
These are old, slow, and they will install an outdated version of the sim that will require to download several tens of gigabytes of updates anyways.
So better download the latest version from scratch, really

I bought the sim on Steam. Gave me some freedom to define the location of the community (addons) folder as well as the destination drive to install the sim.
Steam by itself downloaded only 400 Megabytes for the core program install.
When launching that, the program internally downloads the rest of the simulator (several Gigabytes).

Once the sim is installed, you might also have to go into the settings/profile to reach something called the "content manager", that will let you download additional things, like the "world updates" for Japan and USA, or the premium planes in case you didn't choose the standard version (cheapest one).

I'd recommend you to buy the standard version.
The planes in standard version are not encrypted, so they can benefit from better mods made by the community. The A320 mod by a team called FBW is probably the best example.
The planes in the premium/deluxe version are encrypted (to prevent they appear as free downloads anywhere....), so they cannot be easilly modded by anybody.
I'd also recommend you to buy through Steam. I was already using Steam for other games anyways.

[Tom Clayton]

Location can be customized with the Store version too, but I left mine default. One known issue with some of the previous updates is that if you installed to a custom location, updates would only download the TBM and C152. Users then had to go back into the Content Manager and retrieve everything else. Whether that will happen with future updates is anyone's guess.

Oh, and the disk version still uses the DRM wrapper that requires a disk to be inserted to unlock it.

[DaveWG]

The only reason to buy the dvd version is if you're a collector who wants physical copies of all the flight sim series.
I bought the premium deluxe version from the MS store, although in hindsight I'd probably have gone for just the standard version. Installed to a custom location on my D drive, with the rolling cache on my E drive. No problems with any updates so far.

[Kowalski65]

IMHO the only reason top get the enhanced versions is if you really want a plane or airport offered,otherwise the standard version is fine,& get a payware plane or two. For military types,there are the MB339 & G91 and the F15

[RobM]

Does anyone know where the lists of planes/airports for each version are located? I remember seeing them last summer, but I can't
find them anymore on the MSFS website.

Myself, I still fly 4.5 while waiting for more/better planes in MSFS, but perhaps it's time to move. Thanks

-RobM

[gribouil]

Does anyone know where the lists of planes/airports for each version are located? I remember seeing them last summer, but I can't
find them anymore on the MSFS website.

Myself, I still fly 4.5 while waiting for more/better planes in MSFS, but perhaps it's time to move. Thanks

-RobM

Hello RobM,
You should definitely have a look at the in depth review by flightsim481 available on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RJfpiCzoyI&t
Lots of useful informations especially regarding the content (aircraft and airports) of each version.
Cheers,

Stéph.

[fsafranek]

I bought the basic package for financial reasons before release. Wish now I had gotten one of the other versions to have more round gauges.
Practically every aircraft in the basic package have glass cockpits -- at least the ones that interest me. I had hoped you could buy the additional
aircraft and airports later for the cost difference to add but they seem to only be available as complete packages.

[Thog10]

I bought the Deluxe Edition (the "middle one"), and I am glad that I did. The five aircraft in it are among my most used.

As it has been said, the upgrade package seems to be more expensive after the fact.

[DennyA]

On the installation folder, you can definitely define your own folder without issue nowadays. (And I never did have an issues -- that install bug only hit some people.) It's way easier to find your community folder if it's in, say, F:\FlightSim\Community ;-) I think we're way past the time of cautioning people to keep the default folder assignment.

I went for the MS Store as the automatic updates and no need to run Steam were attractive, but both options work equally well.

Here's the content differences:

Deluxe Edition Content

Deluxe Edition includes all base-game content.
Airports

• Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Netherlands)
• Cairo International Airport (Egypt)
• Cape Town International Airport (South Africa)
• O’Hare International Airport (USA)
• Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (Spain)

Airplanes

• Diamond Aircraft DA40-TDI
• Diamond Aircraft DV20
• Textron Aviation Inc. Beechcraft Baron G58
• Textron Aviation Inc. Cessna 152 Aerobat
• Textron Aviation Inc. Cessna 172 Skyhawk

---

Premium Deluxe Content

Premium Deluxe Edition contains the base-game and deluxe edition content.
Airports

• Denver International Airport (USA)
• Dubai International Airport (UAE)
• Frankfurt Airport (Germany)
• Heathrow Airport (UK)
• San Francisco International Airport (USA)

Airplanes

• The Boeing Company 787-10 Dreamliner
• Cirrus Aircraft SR22
• Pipistrel Virus SW 121
• Textron Aviation Inc. Cessna Citation Longitude
• Zlin Aviation Shock Ultra

[RobM]

Thanks DennyA for the info, and thanks also Frank for the note about lack of upgrades between versions. Hmm.. . it's too bad
you can't port aircraft between FSX and MSFS as easily as you can to P3D. Maybe I'll have to learn how to use MCX.

Thanks again - RobM

[Brytskiva]

... and then make a folder for it , outside Windows , on a SSD/M.2 disk just for MSFS , and use Cable not WiFi and you are good to go ( you could even have it on a extern with USB 3.1 / 3.2 connection )

H.B.

[dcc]

I'd recommend the Deluxe unless you really want one or two of the plans and/or custom airports, then it's probably worth the extra upgrade. I think the classic C172 is one of the best planes in the whole sim.

I went with the Premium Deluxe, mostly for KSFO, KDEN and the B787. In hindsight, I probably don't get the extra moneys worth yet, but perhaps over time, especially after they fix the B787.

I chose to buy from MS Store, not wanting to deal with Steam.

One of the most perplexing things about the MS installation is the obscure location it defaults to as well the crazy folder name and folder structure. Simplicity was not on their minds when they sorted that out.

- dcc

[Tom Clayton]

Does anyone know where the lists of planes/airports for each version are located? I remember seeing them last summer, but I can't
find them anymore on the MSFS website.

Myself, I still fly 4.5 while waiting for more/better planes in MSFS, but perhaps it's time to move. Thanks

-RobM

Check here:
https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/13/2...t-18th-pricing

[PHo17]

Thank you quys for clearing up many of my thoughts.

XBox or such consoles are no option for me. I only play PC flight simulators.

One question more. If I choose the MS Store version, in what phase of installation I can choose the installation drive and folder?

[LouP]

Thank you quys for clearing up many of my thoughts.

XBox or such consoles are no option for me. I only play PC flight simulators.

One question more. If I choose the MS Store version, in what phase of installation I can choose the installation drive and folder?

Right away!! Don't do what I did. I thought I'd be first downloading an install file as always so I directed it to a storage drive. Only "safe" way to get it where I wanted after that was to un-install it and re-install it on my SSD.

LouP

[PHo17]

Thanks. Many years ago when I first installed FSX I was not awake enough. That installation went on the default folder which turned out to be not so good choice. I had to reinstall it later.