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Flight Simulator will receive a MASSIVE performance boost on July 27th

KyoZz

Tag, you're it.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most demanding PC games to date. And from the looks of it, its next major update will significantly improve performance on all PC systems.

f3227001-e68a-40a5-b626-1f7e180ec8db.jpg


Today, Microsoft hosted a Q&A livestream with the developers of Microsoft Flight Simulator providing new information about the Xbox Series X|S version and the improvements to the PC version coming with it.

They explained that part of the architecture of the engine has been rewritten to improve performance. We get to see a video recorded from Wloch’s own PC, showcasing the difference in frame rate between the current Sim Update 4 and the new Sim Update 5.
With Update 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator was running with 32-40fps and had major stuttering issues. Moreover, all of the CPU cores of the i7 9700K were maxed out.
With Update 5, however, the exact same system was able to run the game with 53-60fps. Additionally, the CPU usage was lowered and all of the stuttering issues were fixed.

The upgrade is certainly massive and Wloch also mentioned that the team expects an improvement for VR as well, but they don’t know the extent yet.
Incidentally, all these improvements were done on PC without the implementation of DirectX 12, which is still in the works.





About Series X/S:
Framerate for the Xbox Series X|S version will be locked at 30 FPS on regular TVs, while monitors with variable frame rates will support that.
FPS are about the same on the two consoles and depends on where you’re flying and what you’re doing. Flying over Paris on the Airbus A320 Wloch sees about 35-40 FPS (which is the low-end), while when flying over Bordeaux the framerate can go as high as 60.

The Xbox Series X will render the simulator in 4K resolution, while the Xbox Series S will render it in 1080p.


Microsoft Flight Simulator Update 5 will release on July 27th!
More here
 
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Abriael_GN

RSI Employee of the Year
Interesting how this site literally copied my wording and used my video (which explicitly states where it's from), but did not bother to credit my article. Not unexpected, but interesting.

May want to link the actual source. Thanks :D


Incidentally, this one also includes lots of relevant info about the Xbox version which were omitted in that other article.
 
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Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most demanding PC games to date. And from the looks of it, its next major update will significantly improve performance on all PC systems.

f3227001-e68a-40a5-b626-1f7e180ec8db.jpg



This performance boost is not related to the DirectX 12 API (which will be soon added to the game). Instead, Asobo is currently overhauling the game’s engine, and has re-written a lot of the sim and architecture sections. Thus, these optimizations will reduce overall CPU usage and will increase overall framerates.

In order to show the massive performance improvements, Asobo’s CEO Sebastian Wloch showcased the game running with Update 4 and Update 5. Wloch used an Intel Core i7 9700K with an NVIDIA RTX2060 Super. The game was also running on Ultra settings and in 4K Renderscale.
With Update 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator was running with 32-40fps and had major stuttering issues. Moreover, all of the CPU cores of the i7 9700K were maxed out.
With Update 5, however, the exact same system was able to run the game with 53-60fps. Additionally, the CPU usage was lowered and all of the stuttering issues were fixed.





Wloch did not reveal any percentage numbers for the performance improvements that PC gamers can expect. However, we can clearly see much better the game runs with its latest update. And that is with the game running in DX11.
Microsoft Flight Simulator Update 5 will release on July 27th!
Source

I can't wait to see how this runs on the XSS. If it runs well I'm certain it will put all the silly Switch and PS4 comparisons to rest. People here are fair and reasonable.
 
PS4 and Switch comparisons? Where?

I've never seen that personally ...
Almost any thread where the XSS doesn't have raytracing or 1440p. People start saying it's holding the generation back and then the comparisons with the Switch and PS4 start. Those people probably don't realize what the specs on the XSS are especially since it costs the same as the Switch.
 
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LMJ

Member
Interesting how this site literally copied my wording and used my video (which explicitly states where it's from), but did not bother to credit my article. Not unexpected, but interesting.

May want to link the actual source. Thanks :D



Yeah going to repost this as that is unethical as hell

give Abriael_GN Abriael_GN their due here
 

Dr Bass

Member
Almost any thread where the XSS doesn't have raytracing or 1440p. People start saying it's holding the generation back and then the comparisons with the Switch and PS4 start. Those people probably don't realize what the specs on the XSS are especially since it costs the same as the Switch.
I know some devs have complained a bit about the XSS on Twitter, but yeah, doesn't make that much sense with the equivalent CPUs and all. Graphics are scalable TF on PS4/Pro aren't equal to TF on XSS etc, etc.

Why stress over people who don't know what they are talking about?
 

Kilau

Gold Member
Interesting how this site literally copied my wording and used my video (which explicitly states where it's from), but did not bother to credit my article. Not unexpected, but interesting.

May want to link the actual source. Thanks :D

Awesome thanks. I’m excited to see how this update impacts my performance.
 

Abriael_GN

RSI Employee of the Year
Almost any thread where the XSS doesn't have raytracing or 1440p. People start saying it's holding the generation back and then the comparisons with the Switch and PS4 start. Those people probably don't realize what the specs on the XSS are especially since it costs the same as the Switch.

For the record (as the actual source of the info here includes, but the plagiarist site), the Xbox Series X will run it at 4k, the Series S will run it at 1080p. Frame rates will be similar between the two.

KyoZz KyoZz thanks for changing it.
 
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KyoZz

Tag, you're it.
Interesting how this site literally copied my wording and used my video (which explicitly states where it's from), but did not bother to credit my article. Not unexpected, but interesting.

May want to link the actual source. Thanks :D


Incidentally, this one also includes lots of relevant info about the Xbox version which were omitted in that other article.
Edited, thx for letting me know.
 

Abriael_GN

RSI Employee of the Year
Yeah going to repost this as that is unethical as hell

give Abriael_GN Abriael_GN their due here

Thanks for the support. Unfortunately, this is par for the course nowadays. If I had a dime every time a website uses my videos that literally have the site's name everywhere, a link to the article listed explicitly in the video description, and my literal face in the icon, without actually crediting the articles they took them from, I'd probably be able to pay myself at least a fancy dinner 😂
 
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Abriael_GN

RSI Employee of the Year
Could this translate to some sort of 1800p/60 mode for the Series X?

quoting from the article because I'm too lazy to rewrite it lol.

Framerate for the Xbox Series X|S version will be locked at 30 FPS on regular TVs, while monitors with variable frame rates will support that.

Framerate is about the same on the two consoles and depends on where you’re flying and what you’re doing. Flying over Paris on the Airbus A320 Wloch sees about 35-40 FPS (which is the low-end), while when flying over Bordeaux the framerate can go as high as 60.

The Xbox Series X will render the simulator in 4K resolution, while the Xbox Series S will render it in 1080p.
Series X renders at 4K.

As someone who flies on MSFS with a somewhat beefy PC, I can guarantee that locked 60 FPS is basically impossible even at 1080p. The variance of things displayed is too massive.
 
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More like going from Garfield 2 and Disney movie tie in games and Disneyland Adventures to Plague Tale and MSFS lol
I looked at their backlog and that's insane Kinect Rush, Crew, ReCore, Zoo Tycoon, Plague Tale, MFS. Insane.

Reminds me of Double Helix. From Silent Hill to Battleship to Killer Instinct. Incredible versatility. Sad they died in Amazon.

As someone who flies on MSFS with a somewhat beefy PC, I can guarantee that locked 60 FPS is basically impossible even at 1080p. The variance of things displayed is too massive.
Well, I guess just in the video - some optimizations will happen. I mean they achieved almost 60. I wonder what DX12 enhancements will be added.
 
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Abriael_GN

RSI Employee of the Year
Well, I guess just in the video - some optimizations will happen. I mean they achieved almost 60. I wonder what DX12 enhancements will be added.

They did mention a couple of weeks ago that DX12 won't really add much in terms of performance. It will on the other hand enable things like better reflections, the possibility to add ray tracing, and other DX12-only goodies that DX11 doesn't support.

So I would expect that this is the big upgrade in terms of performance, and I'd advise not to expect much on that front for when they enable DX12.
 
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HAL-01

Member
quoting from the article because I'm too lazy to rewrite it lol.



As someone who flies on MSFS with a somewhat beefy PC, I can guarantee that locked 60 FPS is basically impossible even at 1080p. The variance of things displayed is too massive.
Nice, VRR support is better than nothing but I’d love to see some resolution options
 
They did mention a couple of weeks ago that DX12 won't really add much in terms of performance. It will on the other hand enable things like better reflections, the possibility to add ray tracing, and other DX12-only goodies that DX11 doesn't support.

So I would expect that this is the big upgrade in terms of performance, and I'd advise not to expect much on that front for when they enable DX12.
Flight Simulator with Ray Tracing will make PCs boil:messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
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Abriael_GN

RSI Employee of the Year
Nice, VRR support is better than nothing but I’d love to see some resolution options

It was a bit garbled, but today they said that resolution is "hardcoded" (that's the word Wloch used, but English is not his first language). So XSX only renders at 4K and downscales if your TV/monitor doesn't support it, while XSX only renders at 1080p and upscales depending on TV monitor. So I'm guessing options aren't on the table for now.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
My LG Oled purchase looking better and better.

I’m dying to experience this on my Series X.

I have had a lot of fun in this game and hope to see addons like the helicopter has on PC.

I know some people don't call this a "game" but I have had a blast landing my Heli on like the Eiffel Tower to me its a game.

Dammit, why didn't they add a performance mode on the XSX for 1080p/60fps?!?!

Couldnt agree more
 
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Abriael_GN

RSI Employee of the Year
Dammit, why didn't they add a performance mode on the XSX for 1080p/60fps?!?!

Likely because this is an extremely complex piece of software and they want to avoid additional complexity. The history of the PC version shows that they had to already do miracles to get everything (mostly) stable. On top of that, locking the sim at 60 FPS everywhere is likely impossible even at 1080p. The variance in environmental density is too big and different aircraft (with different cockpit and system complexity) can easily perform very differently, even with a 10-15 (or more) FPS difference.

This is very much a CPU-bound game, so there are diminishing returns to dropping resolution.

Also, 60 FPS in a slow-paced simulator like this is pretty literally useless. It's not a high-paced game no matter which aircraft you fly.
 
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CamHostage

Member
...Also, 60 FPS in a slow-paced simulator like this is pretty literally useless. It's not a high-paced game no matter which aircraft you fly.

True all that you said above, except that the Top Gun DLC might throw a wrinkle into the desire for 60FPS. You'll still be flying well above the ground, and I'm not sure what mechanics they'll be adding yet I figure it'll still be just about the thrill of controlling a jet without dogfights or anything that would need twitch-response (it's not a MCFS add-on), but additional frames are always nice...



(Also, the full trailer shows off kind of Red Bull Air Race stuntplanes, there are acrobatic planes in FS2020 right?)
 
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01011001

Banned
So if your console detects VRR it unlocks the framerate? That's pretty interesting, hopefully more games will do this and they should add it to FPS Boost games with X1X versions.

yeah that is seemingly a new feature introduced recently with the new dev tools. developers can now target specific framerates on VRR screens, not only 30, 60 or 120fps. a 48fps lock for example is now possible or a 90fps lock etc. (my guess is that Flight Sim targets around 48fps)

fingers crossed that freaking Remedy sees this and patches the RT mode of Control to run unlocked on VRR screens! that 30fps lock makes the RT mode almost unplayable. the blur that results due to the denoiser is just disgusting at framerates that low... and we know it can easily reach that 48fps threshold on SX most of the time, and even if it doesn't, set your system to 120hz output the lower bounds of VRR that goes down to 24fps due to the SX doubling each frame... so when the game runs at 24fps the system outputs 48hz
 
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bender

What time is it?
True all that you said above, except that the Top Gun DLC might throw a wrinkle into the desire for 60FPS. You'll still be flying well above the ground, and I'm not sure what mechanics they'll be adding yet I figure it'll still be just about the thrill of controlling a jet without dogfights or anything that would need twitch-response (it's not a MCFS add-on), but additional frames are always nice...



(Also, the full trailer shows off kind of Red Bull Air Race stuntplanes, there are acrobatic planes in FS2020 right?)


I had no idea we were getting this as DLC. I LOVE YOU PHIL SPENCER. HAVE MY BABIES.
 

sircaw

Banned
I have had a lot of fun in this game and hope to see addons like the helicopter has on PC.

I know some people don't call this a "game" but I have had a blast landing my Heli on like the Eiffel Tower to me its a game.



Couldnt agree more
Two questions.

One, is it possible to see that beachfront property of yours?

Two, can you fly a bomber plane in the game? "lollipop_disappointed:
 
I know some devs have complained a bit about the XSS on Twitter, but yeah, doesn't make that much sense with the equivalent CPUs and all. Graphics are scalable TF on PS4/Pro aren't equal to TF on XSS etc, etc.

Why stress over people who don't know what they are talking about?
Who is stressing? I just assumed they have no idea what they are talking about and tried to provide some basic information. I doubt anyone would intentionally mislead on the systems' capabilities. Some people are just uninformed.
 
True all that you said above, except that the Top Gun DLC might throw a wrinkle into the desire for 60FPS. You'll still be flying well above the ground, and I'm not sure what mechanics they'll be adding yet I figure it'll still be just about the thrill of controlling a jet without dogfights or anything that would need twitch-response (it's not a MCFS add-on), but additional frames are always nice...



(Also, the full trailer shows off kind of Red Bull Air Race stuntplanes, there are acrobatic planes in FS2020 right?)

I wonder how it's gonna be played though. Flying in FS is not exactly fast thing in comparison to Ace Combat.
 

Gp1

Member
I wonder how it's gonna be played though. Flying in FS is not exactly fast thing in comparison to Ace Combat.

Even DCS is more akin to FS than Ace Combat. And that's why i believe that, without considering VR or TrackIR, 30 fps will do just fine.

The main problem now is that FS has a speed cap of about mach 1 (probably capped because of map data streaming). They will have to increase this to do some cool things with the Top Gun Jets.
 

CamHostage

Member
I wonder how it's gonna be played though. Flying in FS is not exactly fast thing in comparison to Ace Combat.
I don't think it's going to be Ace Combat; I think it'll be Flight Sim, but with a jet.

So like, you take off from an aircraft carrier, you follow Mav as they guide you through some maneuvers, you execute a Nap-of-the-Earth course, you spot and chase Viper playing bogie until you've got tones, you buzz the tower on your way back to Naval HQ... I'm not so familiar with the mission structure of FS2020, but I assume this will be a no-guns DLC, probably? That it is really "Top Gun" the academy that FS is interested in, not so much the enemy encounters and international conflict these pilots eventually fly to fight with these warbirds.
 
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The main problem now is that FS has a speed cap of about mach 1 (probably capped because of map data streaming). They will have to increase this to do some cool things with the Top Gun Jets.
Even then I doubt it is gonna feel that fast.

I don't think it's going to be Ace Combat; I think it'll be Flight Sim, but with a jet.

So like, you take off from an aircraft carrier, you follow Mav as they guide you through some maneuvers, you execute a Nap-of-the-Earth course, you spot and chase Viper playing bogie until you've got tones, you buzz the tower on your way back to Naval HQ... I'm not so familiar with the mission structure of FS2020, but I assume this will be a no-guns DLC, probably? That it is really "Top Gun" the academy that FS is interested in, not so much the enemy encounters these pilots eventually fly against with these warbirds.
Probably. Some Top Gun theme park.

Though I wish MS started to use MFS as a platform for other types of games.
 
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