Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is cleared for takeoff, ready to give aircraft fanciers and digital globetrotters another jaunt across its beautiful world. But in a turn of events almost exactly mirroring the launch day woes seen by its 2020 predecessor, Flight Simulator 2024 is struggling to gt off the ground, with players complaining of lengthy post-install download times, installation freezes, and more as Microsoft’s servers buckle under the demand.
Already, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has been tarred with the Overwhelmingly Negative brush on Steam, with players reporting a range of issues – all of which are eerily familiar to those seen back in 2020. Mostly, the finger is once again being pointed toward developer Asobo’s insistence that players download the bulk of the game – equalling approximately 50GB – through the in-game interface, utilising Microsoft’s servers instead of Steam’s. That’s traditionally been a languid pursuit at the best of times, but on launch day – when everyone is struggling to get in at once – it’s proving even more glacial.
Some users are seeing their downloads stall at 97 percent, while others, having successfully cleared that first hurdle, then report being stuck in lengthy log-in queues. Additionally, Flight Simulator’s reliance on streaming means plenty of people are having a miserable experience even if they do get in, with reported issues including sluggish world loading and even invisible planes. “I can only marvel at the depth of the simulation,” wrote one Steam reviewer, “as it now feels like Boeing was actually involved in building the servers.”
“I enjoyed the short movie about a man and a plane,” added another frustrated user. “However, it seemed quite expensive for its length – around one minute. I would wait until the loading screen is on sale before purchase because it does get quite samey after the 70th loop.” As for the Microsoft’s Flight Simulator subreddit, it’s currently awash in some top class memes.