Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 takes you flying to a new level

It’s Saturday evening, I have my Qantas pyjamas on, a glass of wine and some snacks, and I’m flying the world.

Screenshot from Microsoft Flight Simulator.

It’s Saturday evening, I have my Qantas pyjamas on, a glass of wine and some snacks. I check the flight map, look through the side window and we’re coasting over New York City. The message comes through, we’re clear for landing and that means I’ve got some work to do. This is what flying from home looks like thanks to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.

Thousands of Australians had international travel plans cancelled or disrupted in 2020. Most of us won’t fly this year at all and perhaps not till much later in 2021. Whether it’s for business or pleasure, there is something special about boarding an aircraft, venturing 30,000 feet above the ground and seeing the world shrink beneath you. For those of us having withdrawals, this is the “working from home” alternative to air travel.

The first Microsoft Flight Simulator was in 1982 and it has certainly come a long way over the years. The game lets you fly all forms of aircraft anywhere on planet Earth. Today, the game has up to 30 aircraft from single engine piston aircraft, Cessna Citation private jets to airliners such as the famous Boeing 747-8 and new Dreamliner 787.

The detail put into creating a real life example of these aircraft inside the cockpit and the external design are meticulous to the finest details.

Microsoft Flight Simulator review by Geoff Quattromani

Taking any of the aircraft off the runway and into the skies is not as simple as your favourite arcade experience at TimeZone. It requires patience, in-game training and perseverance. In my experience, the more you commit to doing the training exercises, the more enjoyment you will have and the closer you will get to seeing what Microsoft Flight Simulator has to offer.

Pilots can select their departure and arrival locations through a search box, however knowing your airport codes will ensure you select the correct destinations – there’s every airport known to mankind in this simulator. There’s a large difference between the main airport in Queenstown, New Zealand and the grass airstrip in Queenstown, New Zealand, and when you launch an Airbus A320, you’ll be hoping for the former.

There are amazing things to try. You can re-enact memorable flights you’ve taken or fly over locations where special moments were had. Flying with my wife beside me, we flew over Paris and pinpointed the spot in the park where I proposed many years ago. We flew over Malta and waved at the house my grandmother lives in.

With multiple camera angles to choose from outside of the cockpit, you’ll be taking screenshots and creating your own flight photo album. The level of detail in Microsoft Flight Simulator lets you recognise locations, buildings and landmarks from all over the world. You just need to fly there.

Microsoft Flight Simulator review by Geoff Quattromani

Microsoft Flight Simulator uses aircraft, airport location and earth mapping data and takes things one step further. If you’re flying out of Sydney Airport (YSSY), you’ll be presented with the current weather and time zone experience. If it is evening and raining in Sydney at the time, that’s what you’ll be flying in. While this can be manually changed to suit whatever time and conditions you like, it reflects the amount of data and effort this simulator uses to produce not just a realistic flight experience, but one that matches the current situation.

You can change the degree of difficulty in this simulator. You can remove computer assistance and you can enable or disable faults, damage and particular controls. Those who are keen to enhance the experience further can invest in a long list of accessories such as a Flight Yoke System, instrument panel, throttle quadrant, rudder pedals and more. You can fly using a keyboard and mouse, but these accessories let you truly apply smooth throttle and steering and change the experience.

With up to 30 aircraft available to fly, there is a good variety of options, more than on offer in previous versions of the simulator. I would have loved to see an Airbus A380 in the game as well as airline liveries. Those who are staunch Singapore Airlines or Qantas flyers for example, could fly with their external design. Perhaps this will come as a future feature pack.

Microsoft Flight Simulator review by Geoff Quattromani

With all that Microsoft Flight Simulator is capable of, you will need a powerful and capable computer to handle the incredible graphics and amounts of data. This game will not operate well on your corporate laptop.

I brought a Dell XPS desktop gaming computer into the living room to be the brains of our aircraft and this was a wise investment. With the latest Intel 10th Gen processor and Nvidia GeForce graphics, I had the power to exceed the game requirements. I could run graphics at the high setting and not miss the detail offered in the simulator. You’ll also need a spare 200GB to get started.

I’d also recommend a large monitor that can run at ultra high-definition resolution. I used a 65-inch 4K TV and noise cancelling headphones to hear air traffic commands.

With my night of flying over, all that is left is a small plate of snacks from the airport lounge aka the kitchen, some comfortable clothing and some destinations in mind. As a pandemic keeps us on the ground in Australia, Microsoft Flight Simulator reminds us of the beautiful world outside our window and takes us there.

Geoff Quattromani is a tech commentator across radio, print, online and television. Check out his podcast “Technology Uncorked” for new information each week.

Microsoft Flight Simulator review by Geoff Quattromani