Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is cleared for takeoff, prepared to present plane fanciers and digital globetrotters one other jaunt throughout its stunning world. However in a flip of occasions virtually precisely mirroring the launch day woes seen by its 2020 predecessor, Flight Simulator 2024 is struggling to gt off the bottom, with gamers complaining of prolonged post-install obtain instances, set up freezes, and extra as Microsoft’s servers buckle beneath the demand.
Already, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has been tarred with the Overwhelmingly Damaging brush on Steam, with gamers reporting a variety of points – all of that are eerily acquainted to these seen again in 2020. Largely, the finger is as soon as once more being pointed towards developer Asobo’s insistence that gamers obtain the majority of the sport – equalling roughly 50GB – by means of the in-game interface, utilising Microsoft’s servers as a substitute of Steam’s. That is historically been a languid pursuit at the perfect of instances, however on launch day – when everyone seems to be struggling to get in without delay – it is proving much more glacial.
Some customers are seeing their downloads stall at 97 p.c, whereas others, having efficiently cleared that first hurdle, then report being caught in prolonged log-in queues. Moreover, Flight Simulator’s reliance on streaming means loads of individuals are having a depressing expertise even when they do get in, with reported points together with sluggish world loading and even invisible planes. “I can solely marvel on the depth of the simulation,” wrote one Steam reviewer, “because it now appears like Boeing was truly concerned in constructing the servers.”
“I loved the quick film a couple of man and a aircraft,” added one other annoyed person. “Nevertheless, it appeared fairly costly for its size – round one minute. I might wait till the loading display is on sale earlier than buy as a result of it does get fairly samey after the seventieth loop.” As for the Microsoft’s Flight Simulator subreddit, it is at the moment awash in some high class memes.
Over on Flight Simulator’s assist web page, Microsoft has acknowledged the problems gamers are experiencing. “We’re conscious of person stories of lengthy preliminary loading instances into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024,” it wrote. “With so many customers initialising the sim concurrently, we’ve a lot of server requests. We’re working to assist resolve the problems as quickly as attainable.”
“For customers whose preliminary load is previous 90 p.c and now not progressing, we advocate a reboot,” it added, instantly eliciting a collective scream from everybody with out a high-speed web connection. “In any other case we advise ready to permit the loading to proceed as regular.” The Xbox assist web page, in the meantime, acknowledged “sluggish obtain and set up instances”, suggesting gamers control its stay standing web page whereas it investigates.
Some Steam clients have additionally expressed concern that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s prolonged in-game set up answer means downloads are consuming into the platform’s two-hour refund window. Again in 2020, Valve moved to guarantee clients solely precise play time could be counted, nevertheless it’s not but confirmed the identical applies in 2024.
Developer Asobo has, after all, been speaking a giant recreation for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 forward of launch, promising a frankly staggering checklist of actions, together with aerial firefighting, search and rescue, helicopter cargo transport, crop dusting, skydive aviation, scorching air balloon excursions, and extra. It is also teased “actually trillions of timber”, even the power to get out your aircraft and stroll a path – all of which sounds prefer it’ll be marvellous, so long as Flight Simulator navigates its launch day turbulence on PC, Xbox Sequence X/S, and Sport Move, and sticks the touchdown.
