PCGame

Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition

Realistic open-world flight simulator spanning aircraft and the entire planet

Asobo Studio · Published by Xbox Game Studios · Released Aug 25, 2026

Simulation

Third-party account required

Reviews
Mostly Positive
76% of 75K
Recent reviews
Very Positive
82% of 323 in 30 days
Players
2,749
daily peak, Nov 7, 2026
Steam Deck
Playable
Last update on Steam
6 months ago
May 5, 2026
Minimum PC
GTX 770
8 GB RAM · 150 GB disk
Full requirements

Metacritic: 91/100 (critic reviews)

What is Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition?

A realistic open-world flight simulator set across a modeled version of Earth. Pilot light planes, commercial jets, gliders, and helicopters while managing cockpit instruments, checklists, weather, and day-night conditions in single-player or multiplayer.

For you if...

  • +you want realistic aircraft systems and hands-on piloting
  • +you enjoy exploring a planet-scale open world by air
  • +you want both solo flights and online multiplayer

Not for you if...

  • −you prefer fast action over methodical flight procedures
  • −you want a story-driven campaign

What players say

76% of 74,595 reviews are positive · 82% of 323 in the last 30 days

Players praise the realistic flying, aircraft variety, VR, and freedom to explore locations around the world. The dominant complaint is the in-game installer: players report very large downloads, resets, crashes, and long waits before they can fly. Others report Xbox account and login barriers, plus persistent autopilot and air traffic control bugs.

Players over time

▲ +13% vs a month ago

Players online on Steam, one sample a day.

Highest since Sep 2026: 3,224 players on Sep 21, 2026.

Show the data
DayPlayers
Nov 7, 20262,749
Nov 6, 20261,985
Nov 5, 20261,937
Nov 4, 20262,044
Nov 3, 20261,903
Nov 2, 20262,110
Nov 1, 20263,098
Oct 31, 20262,897
Oct 30, 20262,199
Oct 29, 20262,073
Oct 28, 20262,096
Oct 26, 20261,542
Oct 25, 20262,257
Oct 24, 20262,203
Oct 23, 20261,853
Oct 22, 20261,753
Oct 21, 20261,823
Oct 20, 20261,833
Oct 18, 20262,450
Oct 17, 20262,271
Oct 16, 20261,846
Oct 15, 20261,812
Oct 14, 20261,728
Oct 13, 20261,786
Oct 11, 20262,242
Oct 10, 20262,146
Oct 9, 20261,944
Oct 8, 20261,892
Oct 7, 20261,969
Oct 6, 20261,980
Oct 4, 20262,490
Oct 3, 20262,372
Oct 2, 20261,837
Oct 1, 20261,684
Sep 30, 20261,689
Sep 29, 20261,637
Sep 27, 20262,202
Sep 26, 20262,123
Sep 25, 20261,737
Sep 24, 20261,646
Sep 23, 20261,994
Sep 23, 20261,809
Sep 22, 20261,996
Sep 21, 20263,224

Screenshots and trailer

Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition screenshot 1

Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition system requirements

Minimum: GTX 770, 8 GB RAM, 150 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition?

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Minimum

OS
Windows 10
Processor
Intel i5-4460 | AMD Ryzen 3 1200
Graphics
NVIDIA GTX 770 | AMD Radeon RX 570
Memory
8 GB RAM
Storage
150 GB available space
DirectX
Version 11

Recommended

OS
Windows 10
Processor
Intel i5-8400 | AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
Graphics
NVIDIA GTX 970 | AMD Radeon RX 590
Memory
16 GB RAM
Storage
150 GB available space
DirectX
Version 11

Does Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition have co-op or multiplayer?

Yes: multiplayer (mode not specified). It also has a single-player mode.

Does Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition run on Steam Deck?

Playable Playable: it runs on Steam Deck with some adjustments.

  • Default controller config not fully functional
  • Sometimes shows mouse, keyboard or non-Deck controller icons
  • Some text entry requires manually opening the on-screen keyboard
  • Some in-game text is small and may be hard to read
  • Default configuration is not performant
  • All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
  • First time setup requires active internet connection

PC version details

DRM
None declared on Steam
Third-party account
Xbox Live
Controller
Full controller support
Platforms
Windows
Achievements
43
Steam features
Family Sharing, In-app purchases, VR, HDR
Languages
Full audio: English, French, German, Portuguese - Brazil. Text only: Italian, Spanish - Spain, Polish, Russian, Dutch, Finnish, Japanese, Norwegian, Swedish.

Does Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Nov 6, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam

Tags

Recent updates

3 DLC available.

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