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Digital Foundry: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 - PS5/PS5 Pro/Series X Tech Review - What Are the PS5 Pro Upgrades?

RedC

Gold Member

Now in its in more advanced 2024 release, Microsoft Flight Simulator lands on PS5 and PS5 Pro with almost every feature in tact from the Xbox version. The ability to download city and airport data packs to a local SSD is seemingly not available at launch on PlayStation - but that doesn't stop this from being a stellar experience overall. It remains a 30fps experience, even on PS5 Pro, and with scope to run at an unlocked frame-rate if you've a 120Hz VRR display connected. Tom runs through all the details today, including the nature of the game's PS5 Pro enhancements.

✈️ Microsoft Flight Simulator (PS5 / PS5 Pro / Series X) – Breakdown

🛫 Overview


Microsoft Flight Simulator has traditionally been PC-focused, later expanding to Xbox Series X|S, and now finally arriving on PS5 and PS5 Pro.

Key points examined:
  • Feature parity between PS5 and Series X
  • What PS5 Pro actually adds
  • 120Hz / unlocked framerate behavior



💾 Installation & Data Streaming

  • Base install on PS5: ~28GB
  • Most world data (terrain, buildings, airports) is streamed.
  • Bandwidth allocation can be adjusted in settings.
  • Streaming generally works well, but:
    • Pop-in varies depending on connection quality.
    • Draw distance comparisons can be inconsistent.

❌ PS5 Limitation

  • PS5 cannot download world data locally.
  • Xbox Series X|S can, with a full install reaching ~480GB.
  • Local installs significantly reduce pop-in and improve consistency.
  • This remains one of PS5's biggest drawbacks.



🌍 World Detail & Streaming Performance

  • Example: Auckland
    • Series X with local data shows slightly better terrain stability.
    • PS5 still looks good with a strong internet connection.
  • All platforms experience some level of pop-in.



🎨 Visual Quality & Rendering

Screen-Space Reflections (SSR)

  • Same SSR quality on PS5 and PS5 Pro.
  • Expected artifacts (reflection gaps, disocclusion).
  • No ray-traced reflections on console.
  • Even PC struggles without RT enabled.

Resolution & Image Quality

  • PS5 Pro: 1800p → reconstructed to 4K
  • PS5 / Series X: 1440p → reconstructed to 4K
  • PS5 Pro is slightly sharper.
  • Distant shimmer still present across all platforms.

Draw Distance

  • Improved on PS5 Pro vs base PS5.
  • Still dependent on streaming bandwidth.

Graphics Options

  • No visual toggles on PS5 Pro.
  • Extra GPU power mainly goes toward resolution.



🌫️ Lighting, Shadows & AO

  • SSAO identical across PS5 and PS5 Pro.
  • AO fades near screen edges.
  • Shadows:
    • Rasterized only.
    • Noticeable aliasing in cockpit.
    • No ray-traced shadows.
  • PC with RT still looks far superior here.



🎮 Performance & Frame Rate

Standard Performance

  • Target: 30fps at 60Hz
  • All consoles struggle to maintain it consistently.
  • Dense cities (Barcelona, Rio):
    • Drops into the low 20s.
    • Occasional screen tearing.
  • Less demanding areas perform better.

120Hz / VRR Mode

  • Available on PS5, PS5 Pro, and Series X.
  • Frame rate typically sits at 30–40fps.
  • Rarely approaches 60fps.
  • Best results seen in low-demand areas (e.g., Himalayas).



⚖️ Platform Comparison

PS5 Pro vs Series X

  • Performance is extremely close.
  • Series X often leads by ~1fps.
  • PS5 Pro occasionally leads (e.g., Rome).
  • Base PS5 trails by ~3–4fps in heavy scenes.
  • PS5 Pro gains mainly come from higher resolution, not performance.



📉 Performance Summary

  • True 60fps is not achievable on any console.
  • 30fps remains the realistic target.
  • VRR helps but doesn't solve CPU bottlenecks.
  • Xbox benefits slightly from:
    • VRR + LFC support
    • Local world data installation



🎯 Final Verdict

  • PS5 and PS5 Pro deliver the full Flight Simulator experience.
  • PS5 Pro improvements are modest:
    • Higher resolution
    • Slightly better draw distance
  • No meaningful performance leap.
  • Missing local world data on PS5 remains the biggest downside.
  • Despite limitations, the experience remains impressive and immersive.
  • For newcomers, Flight Simulator 2024 on PlayStation is still very much worth playing.
 
gGbScZ02WycKcNYK.gif
 


✈️ Microsoft Flight Simulator (PS5 / PS5 Pro / Series X) – Breakdown

🛫 Overview


Microsoft Flight Simulator has traditionally been PC-focused, later expanding to Xbox Series X|S, and now finally arriving on PS5 and PS5 Pro.

Key points examined:
  • Feature parity between PS5 and Series X
  • What PS5 Pro actually adds
  • 120Hz / unlocked framerate behavior



💾 Installation & Data Streaming

  • Base install on PS5: ~28GB
  • Most world data (terrain, buildings, airports) is streamed.
  • Bandwidth allocation can be adjusted in settings.
  • Streaming generally works well, but:
    • Pop-in varies depending on connection quality.
    • Draw distance comparisons can be inconsistent.

❌ PS5 Limitation

  • PS5 cannot download world data locally.
  • Xbox Series X|S can, with a full install reaching ~480GB.
  • Local installs significantly reduce pop-in and improve consistency.
  • This remains one of PS5's biggest drawbacks.



🌍 World Detail & Streaming Performance

  • Example: Auckland
    • Series X with local data shows slightly better terrain stability.
    • PS5 still looks good with a strong internet connection.
  • All platforms experience some level of pop-in.



🎨 Visual Quality & Rendering

Screen-Space Reflections (SSR)

  • Same SSR quality on PS5 and PS5 Pro.
  • Expected artifacts (reflection gaps, disocclusion).
  • No ray-traced reflections on console.
  • Even PC struggles without RT enabled.

Resolution & Image Quality

  • PS5 Pro: 1800p → reconstructed to 4K
  • PS5 / Series X: 1440p → reconstructed to 4K
  • PS5 Pro is slightly sharper.
  • Distant shimmer still present across all platforms.

Draw Distance

  • Improved on PS5 Pro vs base PS5.
  • Still dependent on streaming bandwidth.

Graphics Options

  • No visual toggles on PS5 Pro.
  • Extra GPU power mainly goes toward resolution.



🌫️ Lighting, Shadows & AO

  • SSAO identical across PS5 and PS5 Pro.
  • AO fades near screen edges.
  • Shadows:
    • Rasterized only.
    • Noticeable aliasing in cockpit.
    • No ray-traced shadows.
  • PC with RT still looks far superior here.



🎮 Performance & Frame Rate

Standard Performance

  • Target: 30fps at 60Hz
  • All consoles struggle to maintain it consistently.
  • Dense cities (Barcelona, Rio):
    • Drops into the low 20s.
    • Occasional screen tearing.
  • Less demanding areas perform better.

120Hz / VRR Mode

  • Available on PS5, PS5 Pro, and Series X.
  • Frame rate typically sits at 30–40fps.
  • Rarely approaches 60fps.
  • Best results seen in low-demand areas (e.g., Himalayas).



⚖️ Platform Comparison

PS5 Pro vs Series X

  • Performance is extremely close.
  • Series X often leads by ~1fps.
  • PS5 Pro occasionally leads (e.g., Rome).
  • Base PS5 trails by ~3–4fps in heavy scenes.
  • PS5 Pro gains mainly come from higher resolution, not performance.



📉 Performance Summary

  • True 60fps is not achievable on any console.
  • 30fps remains the realistic target.
  • VRR helps but doesn't solve CPU bottlenecks.
  • Xbox benefits slightly from:
    • VRR + LFC support
    • Local world data installation



🎯 Final Verdict

  • PS5 and PS5 Pro deliver the full Flight Simulator experience.
  • PS5 Pro improvements are modest:
    • Higher resolution
    • Slightly better draw distance
  • No meaningful performance leap.
  • Missing local world data on PS5 remains the biggest downside.
  • Despite limitations, the experience remains impressive and immersive.
  • For newcomers, Flight Simulator 2024 on PlayStation is still very much worth playing.

Is this ChatGPT or did you type it out yourself? I assume by the [h] headers you didn't?
 
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Oof. I'm mainly interested in this for the (promised, yet not delivered) PSVR2 support. And truth be told, not that interested, but that's one scenario that I might like to try. While there is all sorts of tricks that could make it plausible - DRS, foveated rendering, what have you - the fact that this is essentially a 30fps game on current consoles is not exactly promising. GT7 is like the killer app for PSVR2. The only app, if we're being cheeky. But it still maintains a solid 60fps on a base PS5.
 
You know it makes you dumber and destroys your critical thinking skills in a rather short amount of time. Don't be a GPTard
This might be the dumbest thing I've heard on here in 2025. And it's been a year.

Using chatGPT, Gemini, NotebookLM, etc to summarize long form video content is one of the better uses of the technology.
 
Oof. I'm mainly interested in this for the (promised, yet not delivered) PSVR2 support. And truth be told, not that interested, but that's one scenario that I might like to try. While there is all sorts of tricks that could make it plausible - DRS, foveated rendering, what have you - the fact that this is essentially a 30fps game on current consoles is not exactly promising. GT7 is like the killer app for PSVR2. The only app, if we're being cheeky. But it still maintains a solid 60fps on a base PS5.
Yeah I'm only interested in this for the supposed PSVR2 mode too.

I don't expect great things tbh.
 
The most genuinely impressive and comprehensive demonstration of technology brought to a video game to simulate reality... And it does it incredibly well, even though it's not perfect.

And for those who say (or used to say) "it's not a game"... This MFS 2024 is packed with modes, challenges, experiences, and a story mode that many racing games would envy.

PS. The ChatGPT resumen....😬
 
???
There are RT reflections on PC since day one.

the only RT setting I saw when I gave it a quick spin on PC was RT Shadows.

I think you're mixing up what they call "raymarched reflections" which is just a fancy way to label SSR. the form of SSR used in modern games is essentially a super primitive form of raytracing. hence the naming here being fancier than what you actually get.
 
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there are no RT reflections on PC...
Even fully maxed out on PC, proper ray-traced reflections are still missing, though ray-traced shadows are available and represent the upper visual limit. These provide cleaner, more stable shadows — particularly in the cockpit — but are taxing to run. Unfortunately, ray tracing does not make the cut on PS5 Pro.
 
Even fully maxed out on PC, proper ray-traced reflections are still missing, though ray-traced shadows are available and represent the upper visual limit. These provide cleaner, more stable shadows — particularly in the cockpit — but are taxing to run. Unfortunately, ray tracing does not make the cut on PS5 Pro.

the fuck? are those 2 en-dashes?
can you only talk in ChatGPT?
 
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You have to be seriously dedicated to flying to download and keep 490GB on your Series X internal drive.
I'll stick with Crimson Skies.
 
You have to be seriously dedicated to flying to download and keep 490GB on your Series X internal drive.
I'll stick with Crimson Skies.
There may be a few people who use a Series X as primarily a MS Flight Simulator machine.
 
I think you're mixing up what they call "raymarched reflections" which is just a fancy way to label SSR. the form of SSR used in modern games is essentially a super primitive form of raytracing. hence the naming here being fancier than what you actually get.
That's as inaccurate as calling it raytracing. It has nothing to do wit SSR. And that's a good thing because it provides off-screen reflections.
 
Wow 480 gb. This has to be one of biggest game.

that's not even the full game btw.

that's just more of the most important data.
you can not fully install the game. as the entire data used for the globe is 2 petabytes in size. at least it was when 2020 released... it might be bigger now that they added more detail.
 
Are they going to do VR at 30fps? I would image the game is CPU limited otherwise there would already be a 60fps mode.
 
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Are they going to do VR at 30fps? I would image the game is CPU limited otherwise there would already be a 60fps mode.
According to my companion, MR GPT, who likes to chat: "MS Flight Simulator 2024 on PSVR2 will only work thanks to eye-tracked foveated rendering + reprojection, not raw hardware power. Asobo already uses foveation on PC VR, and PSVR2 is built around it, so expect internal frame rates in the 45–60fps range, reprojected to 120Hz for smooth head tracking. Dynamic resolution will be aggressive, especially in dense areas, and VR-specific cuts (lower LODs, reduced object density, simplified shadows, lighter cockpit updates) are basically guaranteed since CPU limits are already an issue even in flat mode. This is why PSVR2 support is coming later — it needs serious optimization work, not a simple toggle. Don't expect native 90fps or full visual parity with flat-screen modes, but if done right, it should still deliver one of the most immersive VR flight experiences available."
 
That's as inaccurate as calling it raytracing. It has nothing to do wit SSR. And that's a good thing because it provides off-screen reflections.

it does not tho? it's literally just SSR from everything I have seen. I flew around a bit, and shit got occluded like it normally does with SSR.

and iirc the game only has 2 reflection settings. cubemap quality and "raymarching" quality, meaning what we saw on console on that video here are the "raymarching" reflections in action.
 
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According to my companion, MR GPT, who likes to chat: "MS Flight Simulator 2024 on PSVR2 will only work thanks to eye-tracked foveated rendering + reprojection, not raw hardware power. Asobo already uses foveation on PC VR, and PSVR2 is built around it, so expect internal frame rates in the 45–60fps range, reprojected to 120Hz for smooth head tracking. Dynamic resolution will be aggressive, especially in dense areas, and VR-specific cuts (lower LODs, reduced object density, simplified shadows, lighter cockpit updates) are basically guaranteed since CPU limits are already an issue even in flat mode. This is why PSVR2 support is coming later — it needs serious optimization work, not a simple toggle. Don't expect native 90fps or full visual parity with flat-screen modes, but if done right, it should still deliver one of the most immersive VR flight experiences available."
omg GPTard is actually a thing
 
Kinda odd that the devs would avoid local streaming on the device with a fast SSD that's made for data streaming 👀

But then again that's a lot of data to be recompiling to work with a different system
 


✈️ Microsoft Flight Simulator (PS5 / PS5 Pro / Series X) – Breakdown

🛫 Overview


Microsoft Flight Simulator has traditionally been PC-focused, later expanding to Xbox Series X|S, and now finally arriving on PS5 and PS5 Pro.

Key points examined:
  • Feature parity between PS5 and Series X
  • What PS5 Pro actually adds
  • 120Hz / unlocked framerate behavior



💾 Installation & Data Streaming

  • Base install on PS5: ~28GB
  • Most world data (terrain, buildings, airports) is streamed.
  • Bandwidth allocation can be adjusted in settings.
  • Streaming generally works well, but:
    • Pop-in varies depending on connection quality.
    • Draw distance comparisons can be inconsistent.

❌ PS5 Limitation

  • PS5 cannot download world data locally.
  • Xbox Series X|S can, with a full install reaching ~480GB.
  • Local installs significantly reduce pop-in and improve consistency.
  • This remains one of PS5's biggest drawbacks.



🌍 World Detail & Streaming Performance

  • Example: Auckland
    • Series X with local data shows slightly better terrain stability.
    • PS5 still looks good with a strong internet connection.
  • All platforms experience some level of pop-in.



🎨 Visual Quality & Rendering

Screen-Space Reflections (SSR)

  • Same SSR quality on PS5 and PS5 Pro.
  • Expected artifacts (reflection gaps, disocclusion).
  • No ray-traced reflections on console.
  • Even PC struggles without RT enabled.

Resolution & Image Quality

  • PS5 Pro: 1800p → reconstructed to 4K
  • PS5 / Series X: 1440p → reconstructed to 4K
  • PS5 Pro is slightly sharper.
  • Distant shimmer still present across all platforms.

Draw Distance

  • Improved on PS5 Pro vs base PS5.
  • Still dependent on streaming bandwidth.

Graphics Options

  • No visual toggles on PS5 Pro.
  • Extra GPU power mainly goes toward resolution.



🌫️ Lighting, Shadows & AO

  • SSAO identical across PS5 and PS5 Pro.
  • AO fades near screen edges.
  • Shadows:
    • Rasterized only.
    • Noticeable aliasing in cockpit.
    • No ray-traced shadows.
  • PC with RT still looks far superior here.



🎮 Performance & Frame Rate

Standard Performance

  • Target: 30fps at 60Hz
  • All consoles struggle to maintain it consistently.
  • Dense cities (Barcelona, Rio):
    • Drops into the low 20s.
    • Occasional screen tearing.
  • Less demanding areas perform better.

120Hz / VRR Mode

  • Available on PS5, PS5 Pro, and Series X.
  • Frame rate typically sits at 30–40fps.
  • Rarely approaches 60fps.
  • Best results seen in low-demand areas (e.g., Himalayas).



⚖️ Platform Comparison

PS5 Pro vs Series X

  • Performance is extremely close.
  • Series X often leads by ~1fps.
  • PS5 Pro occasionally leads (e.g., Rome).
  • Base PS5 trails by ~3–4fps in heavy scenes.
  • PS5 Pro gains mainly come from higher resolution, not performance.



📉 Performance Summary

  • True 60fps is not achievable on any console.
  • 30fps remains the realistic target.
  • VRR helps but doesn't solve CPU bottlenecks.
  • Xbox benefits slightly from:
    • VRR + LFC support
    • Local world data installation



🎯 Final Verdict

  • PS5 and PS5 Pro deliver the full Flight Simulator experience.
  • PS5 Pro improvements are modest:
    • Higher resolution
    • Slightly better draw distance
  • No meaningful performance leap.
  • Missing local world data on PS5 remains the biggest downside.
  • Despite limitations, the experience remains impressive and immersive.
  • For newcomers, Flight Simulator 2024 on PlayStation is still very much worth playing.


weed smoking GIF

Ok, Copilot take the controls for a while.
 
it does not tho? it's literally just SSR from everything I have seen. I flew around a bit, and shit got occluded like it normally does with SSR.

and iirc the game only has 2 reflection settings. cubemap quality and "raymarching" quality, meaning what we saw on console on that video here are the "raymarching" reflections in action.

We're both definitely butchering the technical side of this, lol.. But it's understandable, barely anyone talks about SSR the right way in this context anyway.

Yes, it's all SSR at the end of the day, but the terms are usually simplified to separate and describe what's actually happening. Raymarching is just the "engine" doing the math. If you feed that engine a 2D depth buffer, = no off-screen reflections. If you feed it 3D voxel data= off-screen reflections.. Same math, different data source.

According to MS they use Raymarching with SSR as fallback. But we know what that means; they just fall back on the 3D data structure to the depth buffer.

Implementation is also contributing to possible confusion, because reflections, what can that be, it can be water reflections, but what parts of the scenery does it reflect, granularity is a parameter here, it can also be cockpit reflections. That's why it quickly become somewhat complicated to keep track of what precisely is talked about..
 
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Decent little resolution boost for the Pro. I wonder what stops them from allowing the map download on PS as long as the space is available?
 
Because Microsoft wants to butcher every release on PS5, to make their own consoles look better
I doubt if the devs give a damn about making Xbox look better at this point 😂

It's probably just a challenge that they didn't feel was worth the effort or Sony might not allow 480GB to be used of it's storage for one game.
 
I doubt if the devs give a damn about making Xbox look better at this point 😂

It's probably just a challenge that they didn't feel was worth the effort or Sony might not allow 480GB to be used of it's storage for one game.
Nah, just for a PS3 Skyrim save.

Steve Harvey Wow GIF by NBC
 
We're both definitely butchering the technical side of this, lol.. But it's understandable, barely anyone talks about SSR the right way in this context anyway.

Yes, it's all SSR at the end of the day, but the terms are usually simplified to separate and describe what's actually happening. Raymarching is just the "engine" doing the math. If you feed that engine a 2D depth buffer, = no off-screen reflections. If you feed it 3D voxel data= off-screen reflections.. Same math, different data source.

According to MS they use Raymarching with SSR as fallback. But we know what that means; they just fall back on the 3D data structure to the depth buffer.

Implementation is also contributing to possible confusion, because reflections, what can that be, it can be water reflections, but what parts of the scenery does it reflect, granularity is a parameter here, it can also be cockpit reflections. That's why it quickly become somewhat complicated to keep track of what precisely is talked about..

to me what it looks like (again I only played around in it for 30min when it came out) is that they call them raymarching reflections because the lower settings actually remove details from the reflections, and it only traces against the ground terrain, while omitting trees, buildings, wind turbines etc.
and as you increase the setting it gradually adds more detail to them.

but, also from what I have seen, absolutely no off-screen elements are reflecting. but I honestly got curios to look at it again, and am currently downloading it lol.

I generally feel like there are tons of screen space based reflection methods, and they are all thrown into one pot, while they are all slightly different.
like I am pretty sure the first Fable had a very primitive form of SSR, where it really is just applying a mirrored image of what is rendered to some water elements, with no tracing and perspective correction at all.
 
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Because Microsoft wants to butcher every release on PS5, to make their own consoles look better

dude, Sony only VERY RECENTLY allowed Roblox on their console. they still heavily limit modding in Bethesda games to only code based modding and no custom assets.
they have very weird restrictions in place still.
and one of them is probably a maximum game size or a maximum size of what a game is allowed to download while running.
 
We're both definitely butchering the technical side of this, lol.. But it's understandable, barely anyone talks about SSR the right way in this context anyway.

Yes, it's all SSR at the end of the day, but the terms are usually simplified to separate and describe what's actually happening. Raymarching is just the "engine" doing the math. If you feed that engine a 2D depth buffer, = no off-screen reflections. If you feed it 3D voxel data= off-screen reflections.. Same math, different data source.

According to MS they use Raymarching with SSR as fallback. But we know what that means; they just fall back on the 3D data structure to the depth buffer.

Implementation is also contributing to possible confusion, because reflections, what can that be, it can be water reflections, but what parts of the scenery does it reflect, granularity is a parameter here, it can also be cockpit reflections. That's why it quickly become somewhat complicated to keep track of what precisely is talked about..

to me what it looks like (again I only played around in it for 30min when it came out) is that they call them raymarching reflections because the lower settings actually remove details from the reflections, and it only traces against the ground terrain, while omitting trees, buildings, wind turbines etc.
and as you increase the setting it gradually adds more detail to them.

but, also from what I have seen, absolutely no off-screen elements are reflecting. but I honestly got curios to look at it again, and am currently downloading it lol.

I generally feel like there are tons of screen space based reflection methods, and they are all thrown into one pot, while they are all slightly different.
like I am pretty sure the first Fable had a very primitive form of SSR, where it really is just applying a mirrored image of what is rendered to some water elements, with no tracing and perspective correction at all.

so, downloaded it, tested it...
it's literally just SSR.

the reason they call it raymarching is because the lower you set the setting, the lower the range they trace against it seems. so it's just screen-space based tracing, with a distance toggle.

they look FUCKING AAAAAWFUL however, and turning them off reveals that the game has a really decent realtime cubemap fallback. only having the cubemaps enabled makes reflections look more stable, less grainy, and just way more plasing due to no disocclusion artifacts happening.

so, as I would basically always suggest with SSR... turn that shit off :pie_grinning_sweat:

here's a video of my playing around with it. just a raw recording, no editing. (gets more interesting towards the end, when I go through the settings and test inside the cockpit as well)



they should maybe add additional quality settings for the cubemaps. maybe a toggle that changes the elements rendered within them. like adding trees or buildings to them etc. and of course the drawdistance, which is sadly a bit limited (as seen at around 3:00 where the distant mountain is not rendered in the cubemap, seems like they only turn on relatively low to the ground or something? not sure).
the "raymarching" reflections are complete ass and not even worth perusing imo.
they only exist so they can make good looking screenshots in perfect conditions and they have no real visual value. absolutely disgusting looking in motion. constant grain, constant artifacts, just disgusting.
 
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