Microsoft Flight Simulator is back, almost 40 years after its debut. What are the system requirements to play the latest version of your dad’s favourite flight simulator?
Microsoft Flight Simulator launches on August 18, 2020. There are three versions you can buy at launch, which include different combinations of planes and airports depending on how much you spend.
But the question is, what can you run Microsoft Flight Simulator on?
The short answer is, just Windows PC, and just via the Windows Store. At least, for now. Microsoft is reportedly exploring more distribution options for its very serious plane game, with other storefronts like Steam on the cards for later.
It’s also thought that we might see Microsoft Flight Simulator on the Xbox Series X generation of consoles, but the Xbox One generation can’t quite handle the expansive, global flying experience. Which is weird, because when you look at the following system requirements for Microsoft Flight Simulator, it doesn’t look too dissimilar to the power behind the Xbox Series X.
But Microsoft is keen to make sure that games are as cross-platform and cross-generational as possible. The 6 TFLOPs Xbox Series X might be good enough to handle Microsoft Flight Simulator, for instance, but the OG Xbox One – which is rated around 1.3 TFLOPs – would struggle to handle it. And with Microsoft unwilling to split the generation, console players will have to wait for the Xbox Series X, which rocks 12 TFLOPs of GPU power.
Anyway. Back to the present, and the PC system requirements for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Microsoft Flight Simulator system requirements
- OS: Windows 10 (version 1909 or higher)
- CPU: Intel i5-4460, Ryzen 3 1200
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 770, Radeon RX 570 | 2 GB VRAM
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Storage: 150 GB
- DirectX: DirectX 11
And that’s it. There are minimum system requirements, but no recommended ones. But as is always the case with these things, the more horsepower you can throw at it, the better. If you want to get the absolute best out of Microsoft Flight Simulator, you’re going to want to be at the top-end of the GPU tree.
