Tips & Tricks For Beginners

With the new and improved Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 available to players, some might be new to the franchise, while others are just getting started on their journey. Whatever side you might be on, there are many tips and tricks you can utilize to get started with as few bumps in the road as possible.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is meant to be a relaxing and enjoyable game, but making sure you have the right settings to ensure you have a smooth takeoff will greatly improve the game. Here’s what you need to know before jumping in and starting your first flight.

Choose The Optimal Control Settings

One of the best things you can do before you get fully immersed in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is to ensure that you are using the best possible control settings on your chosen platform. This might take some time and tweaking as you get used to your own personal tastes and what feels most comfortable for you. Here are some steps you can follow:

• ​​​​Start by taking into account the type of controller you are using. Whether it is a keyboard and mouse, Xbox Controller, Flight Stick, or even a full flight setup, you will need to consider this, since each one has completely different controls.
• Then, go into Options, and choose Control Options. From here, you can start with the default profile and tweak it to your preferences.
• The most important setting you’ll want to tweak is the sensitivity. For Pitch/Roll, it is recommended to start with -50% sensitivity, 0% sensitivity for the Throttle, and -20% sensitivity for the Rudder/Rotation.
• Then, you can edit the key bindings in Control Options to whatever you prefer. You can change these as you get more used to the game.

After you’ve tweaked the settings to your liking, you can check them out in Free Flight Mode and make any additional changes if necessary.

Take a Dive Into Career Mode

Within Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, which can be played on Game Pass, players now have the chance to take part in a Career Mode. There are a few different careers that you can explore in the game, including:

• Commercial Pilot
• Bush Pilot
• Air Ambulance/Rescue Pilot
• Agricultural Pilot
• Cargo Pilot
• Charter/Private Pilot
• Helicopter Operations

All of these careers offer a multitude of different missions to properly take off in your chosen field. This includes managing schedules and passenger satisfaction, delivering supplies, providing help to those in medical emergencies and evacuating them, crop-dusting, and much more.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was lacking in the career department, and only offered Free Flight Mode, Discovery Flights, Landing Challenges, Bush Trips, Training Mode, Live Events, and Activities. This title still offers free flying, but now allows players to enter a more structured and linear playstyle with the Career Mode, as well as Aerial Work Missions, which let you participate in individual career missions without having to commit to the full career path.

Adjust The Graphics

The next tip you’ll want to take into account is adjusting the graphics during your play time. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was notorious for being an incredibly powerful game that demanded a lot from your chosen system. The same goes for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, so you’ll want to make sure to immediately tweak the graphics settings when booting the game.

As long as you have an up-to-date system, you can often start with medium settings without much of an issue. You can then change it from there, where you can increase it to high or even ultra to get the best visuals of your aircraft and surroundings. Modern computers will be able to handle high, but it might be difficult to run the game on ultra unless you have the most top-tier system out there. For the best performance, we recommend focusing on tweaking your FPS, or frame rate, to ensure the game runs as smoothly as possible with little hiccups.

Check Out The Multiplayer Options

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is all about the multiplayer options and the community. One of the best things you can do is make sure you are frequently checking out the available multiplayer events and discussions on social media. There are tons of multiplayer missions to explore, and Shared Skies will allow you to see other players through live air traffic as they fly past you.

It is highly recommended to check out the Live Events in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, which is located under the Event tab in the main menu. There are a few different types of events, including:

• Featured Events, which include air races, challenges, and community milestones.
• Community Events, which are created by users.
• Seasonal Events, which are often tied to holidays.

If you are unsure of where you can find future events, you can check the In-Game News Feed and Event Calendars, which can be found under the Activities section in the main menu.

Explore The World Outside of the Plane

In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, players are now able to completely leave their plane and explore the world around them just by taking a walk, through either airports or surrounding environments. This is something that beginners need to check out, as it’s a great way to experience all the new areas up close.

There are 27 detailed biomes that you can explore, including jungles and tundras, and you can choose World Photographer Mode to take pictures of the surrounding areas. Though some might not be aware of this feature and might pass it up, it’s something that greatly enhances the game from the 2020 title.