# Are there any good flight smulators \*besides\* MS Flight Simulator? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 30, 2026, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-flight-smulators-besides-ms-flight-simulator/1034271 "2026-10-30T20:23:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2026, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-flight-smulators-besides-ms-flight-simulator/1034271/1 "2026-10-30T20:23:08Z")
Short intro: I got a new desktop this summer. I have winter weekends coming up. I hate subscriptions, I’m not a fan of MicroSoft, and I understand MSFS went subscription. Gawd, that’s like the shortest intro I’ve ever done! Are there any other flight simulators worth checking out? Tripler I gotta break up my BattleTech time with something else. . . ---
**Author:** ![ThisOneGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@ThisOneGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisOneGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-flight-smulators-besides-ms-flight-simulator/1034271/2 "2026-10-30T20:36:05Z")
I like [X-plane](https://www.x-plane.com/). Graphics aren’t as good as MSFS, but aerodynamics is as good. Also it lets you build your own planes, so I can put my actual airplane in it as well as my fantasy napkin sketch designs. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2026, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-flight-smulators-besides-ms-flight-simulator/1034271/3 "2026-10-30T22:12:36Z")
Also, if you don’t mind combat: > **[DCS World Steam Edition on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/223750/DCS_World_Steam_Edition/)** > > Feel the excitement of flying the Su-25T "Frogfoot" attack jet and the TF-51D "Mustang" in the free-to-play Digital Combat Simulator World! > **[War Thunder on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/236390/War_Thunder/)** > > War Thunder is the most comprehensive free-to-play, cross-platform, MMO military game dedicated to aviation, armoured vehicles, and naval craft, from the early 20th century to the most advanced modern combat units. Join now and take part in major... You might be able to find some of the old Microprose / Jane’s games on abandonware sites too. And there are a ton of space combat sims. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2026, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-flight-smulators-besides-ms-flight-simulator/1034271/4 "2026-10-30T22:16:07Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > I understand MSFS went subscription Also, I don’t think this is true. You can play it on Gamepass, true, but you can also buy the standalone copy on Steam or elsewhere. And the older editions are still around too and have a ton of add-ons. I do think 2024 is harder to play offline because it streams terrain from the internet. Maybe that’s what you heard? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2026, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-flight-smulators-besides-ms-flight-simulator/1034271/5 "2026-10-30T22:25:08Z")
If you’re open to completely different genres, [RoadCraft on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2104890/RoadCraft/) gives you a ton of heavy machinery to twirl your stick at. Dozers, cranes, dump trucks, logging trucks, and more. A lot of fun to control them with an analog stick. And there are several stick-compatible Mechwarrior games now, if you wanna continue the Battletech from a first/third-person angle. ---
**Author:** ![Thrasymachus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Thrasymachus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thrasymachus)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2026, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-good-flight-smulators-besides-ms-flight-simulator/1034271/6 "2026-10-30T22:51:54Z")
Another vote for X-Plane, I prefer it to MSFS although to be fair, I haven’t used MS’s product since circa Y2k. Use it with the rudders and yoke for better authenticity…