If you’ve been torn between staying with the tried-and-true Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) 2020 and jumping to MSFS 2024, you’re not alone. Many simmers (me included) held off early on: launch-week bugs, add-on incompatibilities, and the awkward feeling that the “new thing” wasn’t yet ready to become our daily driver. But with subsequent updates—and in particular a major turning point with Sim Update 3—the tables have started to turn.
In this article, we’ll walk calmly through what actually changed, where 2024 now excels, where 2020 still wins, and how to decide (step-by-step) what’s right for your style of flying. We’ll talk GA and bush strips, long-hauls and heavy iron, add-on ecosystems, performance, weather, flight models, and even a practical migration plan if you want to run both side by side. No hype, no guilt—just a clear, friendly path to the best outcome for your hangar.
As we go, I’ll pause before each set of bullets and steps so we can catch our breath and make sure we’re on the same page. So far so good? Great—let’s roll down the runway.
Quick Definitions and Official Resources
Before we compare, let’s anchor a couple of names and links so you can look things up later:
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) home: https://www.flightsimulator.com
- Microsoft Store (PC/Xbox) and Steam: search for Microsoft Flight Simulator in your regional store.
- Parallel 42 – ChasePlane (camera utility for legacy sims and MSFS 2020; check vendor docs for 2024 support status): https://parallel42.com
Note: This article references features as described in the provided brief (e.g., Sim Update 3 enabling local content downloads in MSFS 2024). If your build differs, always defer to the latest official release notes in the simulator’s patch hub.
The Big Picture: Why 2024 Is Back in the Conversation
When MSFS 2024 launched (November 2024), it brought sweeping rendering upgrades, more detailed ground simulation, expanded photogrammetry, and an overhauled weather/atmospherics pipeline—but it also arrived with enough bugs and compatibility quirks to make many pilots treat it as a side project rather than a home base. Over time—and especially since Sim Update 3—a few foundational gaps closed:
- Local content downloads: You’re no longer forced to stream baseline assets that third-party devs need to reference. That’s huge for modding, study-level tweaks to default aircraft, and “just work when offline” reliability.
- Threading and performance: 2024’s engine better uses multiple cores. Stutters are reduced on modern CPUs, and big, busy airports feel less CPU-bound.
- World fidelity: More photogrammetry cities (hundreds—often quoted as 500+), improved ray-traced shadows, and dramatically finer ground detail.
- Weather & flight model: Higher-level cloud structures, more nuanced turbulence and stall behavior, plus wake turbulence and broader CFD improvements across the default fleet.
Let’s slow down for a second. Those are bold claims. The real question is how they feel—in your seat, with your hardware, flying your normal routes. So let’s break the experience down the way we actually fly.
Visuals and World Data: Eye Candy vs. Situational Awareness
Yes, visuals matter—but not for Instagram shots alone. A crisper world lets you read terrain at a glance, align better, spot obstacles, and “feel” an approach. In 2024, the jump is most obvious for GA and bush flying.
What’s better in 2024:
- Ground surface simulation: Mud, snow, ruts—2024’s ground feels “alive.” Rolling over rocks at a backcountry strip now has tactile gravitas. If you’ve played off-road sims like SnowRunner, you’ll recognize the vibe: your wheels leave a story behind.
- Photogrammetry coverage: With more cities scanned in detail, VFR landmarks are easier to read at circuit altitudes.
- Lighting and shadows: Ray-traced shadows improve depth perception when taxiing around complex geometry, hangars, and gates.
Why it matters: If your heart lives in super-cub strips, canyon runs, glacier landings, or even low-and-slow sightseeing around your hometown, the immersion bump can make 2024 a no-brainer.
Where 2020 still holds its own: At FL350, with a smooth magenta line and a quiet cabin, the ground-level magic matters less. 2020’s mature rendering path is still gorgeous, and you’ll rarely “miss” 2024’s mud physics at cruise.
Flight Models, Turbulence, and “The Feel”
Let’s talk control feedback and stability—where sims either sing or fall flat.
2024’s edge:
- Default aircraft behaviors feel more refined: stalls break more believably, turbulence feels layered rather than “random shake,” and wake turbulence adds a just-right “I flew through something” moment behind heavies.
- Ground handling for heavies: taxi inertia and weight transfer feel more convincing; pushing a 7-figure-pound jet around on rubber now resists you the way your gut expects.
Caveat: As always, third-party developers tune flight models to their own standards. If you fly study-level payware, quality swings are possible in both sims. The key here is that 2024’s baseline gives those developers richer physics to plug into.
2020’s comfort zone: For certain aircraft you’ve fine-tuned and grown to love, the muscle memory you built in 2020 just works. It’s okay to honor that—especially if your type rating in the sim is specific and unforgiving.
Weather and Atmospherics
If you’ve spent hours chasing live weather that “feels like today,” 2024’s changes are easy to appreciate.
- Higher-level clouds (beyond the usual ceiling) add that “above me there’s more sky” reality, which matters in both IFR planning and the emotional feel of a climb.
- Cloud structures: Volumetrics are more coherent; layers look like systems rather than cotton.
- Performance: A nice twist—more realism with better stability on many rigs.
Bottom line: 2024’s weather impacts your situational awareness and your frame time—two very practical wins.
Performance and Stability
Here’s the trade-off in a sentence: 2020 is still more mature, while 2024 is more modern.
- 2020’s maturity: Years of polish, exhaustive add-on testing, and a well-known performance profile. If you do long-hauls and want to “set and forget,” it still feels like home.
- 2024’s engine: Better multi-threading means smoother big scenes and less main-thread pain at busy hubs—provided your add-ons are compatible and your settings are dialed properly.
If you own mid-range hardware, 2024’s threading can be a lifesaver; if you run a highly curated 2020 install that never crashes and never stutters, you’ve got a jewel. Don’t toss it lightly.
Add-On Ecosystem: The Elephant in the Hangar
Let’s move carefully here, because add-ons are the soul of flight simming for many of us.
- 2020 has the larger, more mature add-on library today. Camera tools, shader companions, replay utilities, meticulously crafted airports—your essentials may all be here.
- ChasePlane (by Parallel 42), for example, transformed cameras for many pilots in 2020 with physics, presets, and a friendly UI. Always check the developer’s official stance on feature parity and support for 2024 before making assumptions.
- 2024, since Sim Update 3, opened the door wider for third-parties by enabling local content downloads. That one change alone invites default-aircraft enhancements and deeper tinkering—things that were tricky if core assets were only streamed.
Practical advice: Make a list of your true “must haves” and check the developer’s latest update notes. If even one mission-critical tool is 2020-only right now, it’s okay to keep 2020 as your primary sim—and test 2024 on the side.
A Step-by-Step Decision Framework
We’ve covered a lot of ground. Let’s turn the comparison into a concrete decision you can make without second-guessing yourself later.
Before we bullet anything, quick pep talk: there’s no “wrong” answer. You can run both. You can switch back. The only mistake is letting indecision cost you the joy of flying.
Step 1: Name Your Primary Flying Style
- GA/Bush/VFR below 10,000 ft most of the time → Strong case for 2024.
- Airliner/Long-haul with heavy reliance on study-level add-ons → Lean 2020 unless your stack is fully 2024-ready.
- Mixed (short-hauls, regionals, turboprops, occasional bush) → Consider dual install for a while.
Step 2: List Your Five Non-Negotiable Add-Ons
- Write them down (aircraft, camera, weather, utility, key airports).
- Check official pages for 2024 compatibility and update roadmaps.
- If 80%+ are ready, you’re in good shape to test 2024 as primary.
Step 3: Evaluate Your Hardware
- Modern multi-core CPU + decent GPU → You’ll feel 2024’s threading.
- Older quad-core or borderline RAM/GPU → 2020’s predictability may still win.
Step 4: Sanity-Check Your Internet & Storage
- 2024 lets you download content locally, but map out disk space.
- If you fly offline or travel with a laptop, local content is a real perk in 2024.
Step 5: Decide Your Path
- Go all-in on 2024 if: GA/bush focus, compatible add-ons, modern CPU, you want the new ground/atmospherics and better threading.
- Stay with 2020 if: long-haul heavy-iron with a must-have add-on stack that isn’t ready, you value maximum maturity over new rendering tricks.
- Run both if: you don’t want to give up either experience (and honestly, many simmers will be happiest here right now).
Running Both Sims Side-by-Side (Without Headaches)
Let’s move to the practical “how.” A clean dual-sim strategy gives you freedom to experiment without wrecking your “daily driver.”
We’ve reached the hands-on checklist. Take it one step at a time; so far we’ve done a good job keeping this orderly.
- Separate Libraries
Create distinct folders for 2020 and 2024 community content. Avoid symlinks between them to prevent version drift and mysterious CTDs. - Profile Your Controllers
Export or screenshot your control bindings in 2020. Rebuild in 2024 with the same naming; minor differences exist and fresh profiles avoid inherited quirks. - Graphics Presets per Sim
2024 often tolerates higher terrain detail thanks to threading; 2020 might like more conservative LOD to keep main-thread times low. Save named presets. - Stagger Add-Ons
In 2024, start with zero mods. Add one aircraft or utility at a time, testing between. It’s slow, but it’s the only way to isolate culprits. - Live Weather Cross-Checks
If you fly online networks, verify METAR interpretation in each sim; subtle differences can affect minima and ATC expectations. - Pick Purpose
Use 2024 for VFR joyrides, bush ops, scenic approaches, and 2020 for long-hauls until your airliner + utilities suite is “green” in 2024.
Migrating to 2024 as Primary: A Gentle Plan
If you’re ready to make 2024 your main sim, let’s do it deliberately.
Before we list steps, quick note: don’t rush the last 10%. The final polish (cameras, views, toolbar layout) is what makes a sim “feel like home.”
- Baseline Flights (No Mods)
- 3 short GA circuits at different terrains (paved, grass, rough strip).
- 1 regional leg in moderate weather.
- 1 heavy departure/arrival at a complex hub.
Take notes on stutter, VRAM, CPU package temps, and any UI friction.
- Core Utilities
Add only your “must-have” utility #1 (e.g., camera or logbook companion). Fly two circuits. If stable, proceed to utility #2. If not, pause, check for updates. - Aircraft, One at a Time
Start with the aircraft you fly most. Verify: LNAV/VNAV integrity (if applicable), AP modes, taxi/flare feel, engine logic. Only then add aircraft #2. - Airports and Scenery
Install the busiest airport you own. Observe gate spawn, jetways, AI traffic impact, and pushback logic. If all good, add the next 2–3 favorites. - Weather & Live Services
Validate live weather consistency vs. your favorite real-world sources. Adjust turbulence options to taste. - Long-Haul Trial
Run a single 6–10 hour flight with your full stack. Don’t alt-tab for hours with 50 browser tabs; test how you actually fly long-hauls.
Where MSFS 2020 Still Shines
To be fair to a true classic, 2020 is still phenomenal—and for many, it remains the best “get in and go” platform:
- Stability & maturity: You know its quirks, and it knows your hardware.
- Add-on breadth: The niche tool you can’t live without? It likely matured on 2020 first.
- Long-haul routine: If you run overnight flights or day-long sectors, predictability is king.
That doesn’t mean the visuals or new physics of 2024 won’t tempt you; it just means 2020 keeps earning its hangar space.
Where MSFS 2024 Pulls Ahead
Summarizing 2024’s current advantages:
- World fidelity & ground physics (especially for GA/bush).
- Improved threading and frame pacing on multi-core CPUs.
- Weather realism and cloud structures at multiple levels.
- Local content downloads enabling better offline resilience and deeper third-party work on defaults.
For many pilots, these push 2024 from “wait and see” to “why not today?”
Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)
Let’s move to some gotchas. We’ll keep it practical and brief—just enough to save you a weekend.
- Assuming add-on parity: Always verify 2024 support; don’t guess.
- Copy-pasting Community folders: Different core files can create silent conflicts. Install cleanly.
- Over-tuning LOD: 2024’s threading helps, but you can still out-LOD your VRAM/CPU. Increase in small increments.
- Ignoring storage: Local content downloads are great, but plan your disk. Keep 30–50 GB headroom for updates.
- Skipping baseline tests: If you add five mods and then crash, you’ll have five suspects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is MSFS 2024 “better” than 2020?
A: It’s different, and it’s evolving. For GA/bush and visual immersion, 2024 often feels superior. For long-haul stability and mature add-on stacks, 2020 remains outstanding.
Q: Do I have to stream everything in 2024?
A: No. With Sim Update 3, you can download content locally so you’re not stuck if your connection wobbles—and third-party devs can work more freely with default assets.
Q: Will my favorite add-ons work in 2024?
A: Many will, some won’t yet. Check each vendor’s page. Utilities like ChasePlane should be verified against official compatibility notes before you commit.
Q: Is performance really better in 2024?
A: On modern multi-core CPUs, 2024’s threading usually helps. But mis-matched settings or incompatible add-ons can negate that advantage.
Q: I mostly fly airliners. Should I switch now?
A: If your airframe(s) and required utilities are stable in 2024, the new weather/CFD and performance can be worth it. If not, keep 2020 as your primary and test 2024 in parallel.
Q: Can I install both 2020 and 2024 on the same PC?
A: Yes—just keep content libraries cleanly separated, and don’t mix community content between the two.
Q: What about VR?
A: Both sims support VR. 2024’s performance improvements can help, but VR success still hinges on reprojection strategy, headset resolution, and GPU headroom.
Q: Is 2024 done “cooking”?
A: It’s much further along now, and updates continue. Treat it like a modern platform: growing faster than 2020, but occasionally shifting under your feet.
A Balanced Recommendation (Today)
- If your joy is low and slow, backcountry strips, and weather-dancing with thermals—MSFS 2024 deserves serious stick time right now.
- If your life is long-haul with a carefully curated suite of utilities—MSFS 2020 likely stays your anchor a while longer.
- If you do a bit of everything, the sweet spot for the next few months may simply be both: 2024 for the visceral stuff, 2020 for the routine heavies.
And if you felt stuck before reading this, hopefully the decision framework above has already cleared a path.
Practical Next Steps (Pick One and Go Fly)
We’ve covered the theory; let’s end with action you can take today. So far we’ve laid a solid foundation—now let’s move to the final checklist so your next session is smooth.
- Choose a test mission aligned with your style (e.g., Idaho backcountry, Innsbruck visuals, KEWR rush hour, Pacific long-haul).
- Baseline 2024 (no mods) on that mission. Note frame pacing, turbulence feel, ground behavior.
- Add one utility and repeat.
- Add your main aircraft and repeat.
- Decide: promote 2024, stick with 2020, or run both for a month while the ecosystem around you finishes moving.
Whatever you choose, the goal is the same: more flying, less fiddling.
Disclaimers
- System Requirements & Performance: Performance varies with hardware, drivers, graphics settings, background apps, and add-ons. Test incrementally and keep backups of your control profiles.
- Third-Party Add-Ons: Always consult official documentation for compatibility, licensing, and support status. Mention of any add-on here is informational, not an endorsement.
- Trademarks: Microsoft Flight Simulator and related marks are property of Microsoft. Other brand and product names are the property of their respective owners.
- Network & Storage: If you rely on local content (2024), ensure adequate disk space and a healthy storage device; if you rely on streaming, ensure a stable connection or switch to offline assets.
Tags
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Hashtags
#MSFS2024 #MSFS2020 #FlightSimulator #SimUpdate3 #Photogrammetry #BushFlying #Airliner #Addons #Performance #Weather #CFD #AviationGaming #PCSim #VATSIM #IVAO
