It’s been a pretty incredible four years of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Several weeks ago, I wrote about some of my fond memories of the sim talking about how the sim has evolved over the years, some of the experiences that I had, and reflecting on what the last few years has been like. Now I want to write a little about a feeling that I have right at the moment as things wind down for 2020 and we prepare for 2024.
The twilight era
I’m beyond excited for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. The new sim promises to be everything that 2020 has been and then some. At the base level, I am expecting to have the same experience that I currently have but then with all of the added features bringing things above and beyond. Something that Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, said during a live stream earlier in the year was along the lines of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 being like 2020 except more awesome. And that’s how I’m seeing it right now.
Any time something like that reaches hype levels like that, I have learned to be naturally cautious. So part of me is ready for that experience but then part of me is also prepared to experience some issues on launch day. There may even be things that are new about 2024 that I’m not going to like. I really don’t know how that will pan out but I am prepared either way to experience the new sim when it arrives on November 19.
While we count down to the launch of the new sim, I have this feeling of entering into a “twilight era” for the current sim. What do I mean by that? Well there’s a couple of things.
The add-on conundrum
Microsoft and Asobo have been relatively consistent since the announcement of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 that everything that works in 2020 should work in 2024 without issue. They hedge their bets a little bit by saying that nearly everything should work – I’m paraphrasing here of course.
That has been somewhat reinforced by the SDK Developer Stream that Microsoft hosted last week where it was said that the new sim has a 2020 mode where you should be able to drop something in from 2020 and it should work. Even without developer assistance. Of course upgrading projects to support 2024 will take some work and there are new features, like the walk-around system where you check the aircraft prior to flight, that will take some time to develop.
Despite all of that messaging, I’ve still felt reticent from purchasing anything new for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 over the last several weeks. Up until that time, I was buying scenery and aircraft and lining up lots of review materials. Now, I feel like the waiting game is on.
I’ve got at least one or two more aircraft reviews that are going to hit before 2024 comes out and so I’m kind of assuming that everything will just continue to work but at the same time I’m waiting to see how things go and then I’ll be diving head first back into new stuff. There’s anticipation but there’s also waiting.
Doing things for the last time
Despite 2024 looking like it’s going to be everything that 2020 is “but more awesome” I still have this feeling of something being lost. The new sim will almost certainly be as big of a success as 2020 was but I think I will always have a soft spot for it and the journey that it and we, as flight sim fans, have been on since its launch in 2020.
I don’t think I need to remind everyone how rough of year that was. The release of MSFS 2020 was a bright spot and so maybe its just the nostalgia talking but I think that the sim has been a huge boon for my flight simming and hopefully yours too. X-Plane was already doing the job of expanding my virtual sim horizons quite a bit but MSFS really sold the experience to me. Many of my long term readers have been along for the ride too with all of the journals and reviews that I’ve done with the sim. It’s been so much fun! It wasn’t without its bumps, something I covered in my retrospective article, but the positive experiences and the pure joy of it all largely overwrites any issues. In the grand scheme of things… I had fun. And that’s the goal.
So here I am now at the end of 2020 and ready to jump onboard with the new sim… but not without considering that I’m slowly winding down and doing things for the last time in more than a few cases.
How about you?
Sitting several weeks away from Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s launch, how are you reacting to the news? Have you continued to purchase content or are you waiting it out? Are you jumping onboard right away or waiting some time before getting into 2024? Is there something that you must do before ending your time with 2020 and moving on? Let me know in the comments!
Stormbirds 
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