MSFS on XBOX....thoughts?

[mavman]

Hi all, long time no post!
I see MSFS is now available on XBOX series S and X. Wondering if anyone has used the simulation on this platform and if so, what are your thoughts? Can downloads such as scenery, repaints etc be added or are these only available on PC?
At the moment due real world commitments I'm precluded from setting up a high spec gaming rig so for now I'm really interested in seeing if the console path cuts the mustard!

[Radar88]

Microsoft Flight Simulator on the XBox Series X & S || Getting Started Guide

[toprob]

A good question, hopefully someone somewhere here is able to give us a report. I've been thinking about whether I'd get any use out of an Xbox, but I'm just not sure enough. When my kids were younger and I was a solo/weekend dad the Xbox was a great thing to have, I loved Halo and Gears of War, plus a few of the racing games. I really got into a weird thing called Jet Set Radio Future.... But after a decade of beta blockers, I'm not sure that I'd get the same out of a modern console. So the question is, would it be enough just to have one for MSFS? I guess that for me money would need to be less of an issue, but if I sell 5,000 copies of airports for MSFS then I'd happily fork over the price. At the moment the Xbox S is roughly NZ$500 and the X is $800 but unobtainable. In some ways it would be silly to get the S, as the X performs so much better, but the cost of an X plus the T.Flight Hotas One would give no change from a grand. Since I already have a $3,000 PC which can run the sim, then that's not an option at the moment.

Still, watching the video Radar linked to cast to the big screen TV (just 40 inch, but makes all the difference over my 28inch monitor) made me think that maybe that would be the way to go. The S is limited to 1080p(?), but so is my TV, and the gameplay from that video certainly looked stunning.

So, if I do manage to sell a few airports for the Xbox, then having the actual console would be a business expense...

[ZK-DWF]

I just bought an XBOX Series S in the weekend, specifically to run Flight Simulator 2020.

As the Series X is not currently available, and looks to be not available to mid 2022 or even 2023 (due to parts shortages), I did a bit of research and decided to take the plunge.

I am very impressed with FS running on the XBOX. The frame rates are good, and the scenery is jaw-dropping.
On my PC monitor, some of the scenery can be a bit blurry, but on my 40in TV the clarity is impressive.
Being the Series S, the distant graphics are curtailed, but that does not bother me.

Downside, is that my Logitech Extreme 3D Pro joystick does not work. I need a $133 XBOX Adaptive Controller to make that work.
I have tried the XBOX Controller, and although it is intuitive, it's still not like the joystick.
I have yet to nail a good landing with it.
I'm still deciding whether to go and buy a XBOX-compatible joystick, or go for the Adaptive Controller. Probably, gulp, the latter.

The download of the software took about 3.5 hours over fibre. I think everyone else was downloading MSFS at the same time. But, that's a one-off, so not worried.

The Marketplace in MSFS has a good range of add-ons, and it's good to see ORBX Mesh for NZ in there for $10.
Most of the paid offerings seem to be a reasonable price.
I have downloaded all the freebies (which downloaded quicker) and have had a good look around.

Why did I go for XBOX? Well, I was looking at $2500 to $4000 to buy a decent PC to run MSFS, if I'm lucky.
If someone is going to invent a nice console with impressive graphic cards, and sell it for $549 (for Series S) or $799 (for Series X), that's capable of running MSFS, then I'll take it.
Startup time (due to the SSD drive) is okay (a bit faster than all the old MSFS I have run over the years), and the download of the scenery in real-time is impressive. I don't know how they are doing it, but I really don't care.

All in all, very happy with my new acquisition.
Would love to have bought a Series X, but maybe, I'll do that when stock is available again. In the meantime, the Series S will do me fine.
I know it has a smaller disk drive, but all it is going to do is run MSFS, and maybe FIFA and F1. That will still leave me with plenty of space.

[mavman]

Thanks all for your responses, much appreciated!

[ZK-DWF]

Just an update on MSFS on XBOX.

I went ahead and got the XBOX Adaptive Controller (XAC). It came from Australia, via Microsoft NZ, in five days, so delivery was quick. But, it turns out, for my use, it's a waste of money.

I plugged my Logitech Extreme 3D Pro joystick in and found that not all of the buttons work. Turns out the controller only maps the first eight buttons. The other buttons cannot be mapped.

And, the buttons map to their respective XBOX Controller buttons e.g. X, Y, A, B, etc. So, it needs a bit of configuring on the XAC.
In MSFS, the joystick just appears as another XBOX Controller (a bit annoying). It doesn't even show the Profile Name I gave the joystick on the XAC.

The only thing I seem to be able to do on my Logitech joystick is control pitch and roll. Nothing else. The hat switch doesn't work, and of the six buttons on the base, only buttons 7 and 8 are available. Buttons 9, 10, 11, 12 and the throttle are not available. Also, the use of the rudder (twist joystick) is missing. But, I did connect up the two oversize buttons on the XAC as left/right rudders, put it on the floor, and used that as the rudder. Weird feeling, but it works.

Flying is a mixture of using the joystick and the XBOX Controller. Not entirely satisfactory, but it works.

So, going forward, I'm going to wait and see what joysticks become available for XBOX at a reasonable price. At the moment, the current ones appears a bit pricey.
And the XAC will go up for sale on Trade Me. Certainly a great device for people with physical disabilities, but not entirely useful for connecting a legacy joystick up to the XBOX subsystem (as I was led to believe).

So, in the meantime, I'm getting quite proficient with the XBOX controller. I have got landings down pat now, and am really enjoying flying on the XBOX.

[cowpatz]

I wonder how the Xbox will handle the more complex add ons as they become (if they become) available for it? I’m thinking PMDG or FSLabs type complexity.

[Radar88]

Microsoft Flight Simulator | Xbox or PC | Side by Side Comparison | Which one is right for you?