- What Is The Best Flight Simulator For Mac Os
- What Is The Best Flight Simulator For Macbook Air
- Best Flight Simulator For Mac Free
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“What is the best VR flight simulator?” This is a question we get asked all of the time, but unfortunately it is a very difficult question to answer, because it depends on what kind of flight simulator functionality you prefer and what platform you prefer to run it on.
In this brief overview, we will try to give you a straight answer on what we feel is the best VR flight simulator environment overall, but we recognize that we can’t please everyone, and that the underlying engine technology is often the critical factor. So we will take a look at all of the top contenders, and try to evaluate them on their merits, without regard to technology or platform compatibility. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from trying any and all of the best VR flight simulators on our list. Just remember to check specs against your VR device and gaming PC, as applicable, before making your purchase.
Microsoft Flight Simulator FSX (PC/Mac)
Despite it’s last major update in 2006, Microsoft Flight Simulator is the great granddaddy of flight sims. It began back in 1977 as a game project from a small company called subLOGIC. This game was later sold to Microsoft, who released versions from 1982 through 2006. Microsoft subsequently licensed the IP to Dovetail Games to create a new release version of Flight Simulator 10 (FSX). That came out in December 2014 as the FSX: Steam Edition. It’s not a VR flight simulator, strictly speaking, with no native VR support. However, there are several mods and third-party projects that can render in in VR, including FlyInside, which we profile later in this guide. It remains the de facto standard in consumer grade flight simulators today.
There’s also hope on the horizon, with the recent E3 announcement from Microsoft of a new chapter in the Flight Simulator franchise. Specifically:
“Coming 2020, Microsoft Flight Simulator is the next generation of one of the most beloved simulation franchises. From light planes to wide-body jets, fly highly detailed and stunning aircraft in an incredibly realistic world. Create your flight plan and fly anywhere on the planet. Enjoy flying day or night and face realistic, challenging weather conditions.”
It is widely believed that, in addition to modern technology upgrades to the engine, that the next incarnation of Flight Simulator will enjoy full native VR support. This would, without a doubt, rank it as the head of the class in terms of best VR flight simulators around. For now, we wait, and hope, and satisfy ourselves with jury-rigged versions of FSX to run on popular tethered headsets.
Ace Combat 7 (PS4/PlayStation VR)
Ace Combat 7 is widely touted as a great example of VR flight simulation for the PlayStation 4 and PSVR implementation. But, in reality most of the actual game is delivered arcade style, with only a few elements delivered as a full VR experience. So you can sit and look around the cockpit in VR, though the detail is not that great. You can track incoming attack waves in a VR set-up, but all the actual game play is delivered in a console view. Effectively, there is no obvious advantage to playing it with a headset on. If anything, large screen and multi-screen setups provide a wider and more detailed view of what is happening, without the narrowing and foreshortening effects common to headset play.
Ace Combat 7 was originally promoted as a major VR advance, but its actual implementation on the PS4 shied away from all the extra development that would have been needed, and in fact restricted VR to a few small side missions within the game. As such, it’s a fun game, but probably not what most would call a full-fledged VR flight simulator or even a flight-simulator-like experience.
X-Plane 11 (PC/Mac, Steam)
The best VR flight simulator at the moment appears to be X-Plane 11 from Laminar Research. A quick glance at Reddit threads and owner forums will show you that many professional pilots praise the implementation or VR here as the “closest to the real experience” they’ve seen outside of professional, several hundred thousand dollar flight simulator/trainers. At its core, X-Plane 11 is effectively similar to FSX, but with re-engineering and upgrades that make it significantly more powerful. This includes a new system of drag and lift modelling, which (in the professional version, at least) allow for design iteration and other tasks that aren’t possible in the more recreationally-oriented FSX.
X-Plane 11 includes VR support through the SteamVR interface, meaning it will work with any SteamVR compatible headset (the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, for sure). Suffice it to say that Laminar has significantly raised the bar, both in terms of functionality and in terms of customizability. It will definitely be necessary for Microsoft to significantly raise their own game to retain or regain the top spot from X-Plane 11 when their new Flight Simulator title releases next year.
DCS World (PC)
DCS (Digital Combat Simulator) World isn’t a true VR flight simulator. Rather, it’s a free-to-play/freemium digital battlefield sandbox game. It strives to provide “the most authentic and realistic simulation of military aircraft, tanks, ground vehicles and ships possible.” The base game comes with a fairly limited range of initial options, including the Su-25T, TF-51D Mustang, and similar vintage craft. This is enough to give you a taste of what’s possible in the game, however, and encourages you to branch out and purchase some of the additional craft and features available. Those can come at quite a cost, however, especially if you want the full VR versions, scenery packs, and other add-ons that they offer. It’s worth a go on the free-to-play base game, however, regardless of whether or not you intend to make any purchases later on.
Aerofly FS2 (PC/Mac/iOS/Android)
Aerofly FS2 is a relatively new entrant to the VR flight simulator scene, and does seem to lag behind the competition in various important ways. It has relatively few planes available and those that are there seem to be very simplified versions compared to other sims. This makes for a high frame rate which is good, but the simplicity of the model probably won’t suit experienced flyers. The sim does model moving crowds of people well, but water is a rather blurry mess which in no way builds the feeling of immersion in the game. So for beginners, this might not be a bad place to start because the planes are simple to learn and control, and it works on mobile devices. But for those with more experience in flight simulators, Aerofly is probably not yet a serious contender.
FlyInside (PC)
FlyInside offers both their own VR flight simulator, as well as add-ons to enable VR content with all three major flight sim platforms – Microsoft FSX, X-Plane 11, and Prepar3D. While all of the more modern flight simulator software titles include native VR support, some of the older titles don’t. FlyInside helps make these titles VR-compatible and interoperable with the popular tethered headsets on the market. In addition, their own VR flight simulator was clearly designed from the ground-up to include and support VR. They execute control, menus, and performance in a much better way than most of the other top VR flight simulator titles.
In VR, low frame-rate can leave the user feeling groggy and nauseous, so good FPS performance was always a primary goal for the ‘custom engine’ development team at FlyInside. Indeed, overall performance was always the primary focus for the team, and a brief test found performance on a mid-strength, mid-price PC with a hi-spec nVidia card to be more than adequate – with only a few VR glitches on the run through.
The FlyInside sim allows users to decide which input devices they will use, giving the option of using the VR controllers as virtual hands, or the traditional option of a hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS). Flicking a switch on the console, adjusting push-lever controls, and even controlling the joystick itself can now all be done by hand. FlyInside is a leading new contender in the flight sim market, but we will need to see how much interest it attracts from both users and developers. That will determine if it stays on the ground, or really takes off (sorry, we couldn’t help the obvious puns).
Prepar3D (PC)
Prepar3D is basically FSX taken to the next level, re-imagined and re-engineered by Lockheed Martin to be truly professional grade. Indeed, it’s designed to be used by professionals, though is perhaps the gold standard in flight simulators for enthusiasts today as well. Prepar3D v4 is the next step in flight simulation, while maintaining compatibility with the FSX platform. As more companies drop their old 32-bit sims, all those users who are already familiar with the basic FSX platform can easily move across to this Prepar3D version.
P3D doesn’t look very different to FSX in terms of interface, except that it comes with a bolder menu structure, but the move to 64-bit gives both players and developers a lot more space to play around in! The visual quality is frankly stunning, with near cinematic-quality models, backgrounds, and lighting that does an exceptional job for a sim. In the last few years, older platforms like FSX inevitably started to fall behind, as players like Aerofly attempted to break into the market with new ideas and a new look and feel. However it is the FSX-based Prepar3D and X-Plane 11 models which have remained dominant, largely because so many people were familiar with the old Microsoft platform, and it simply made sense for them to move to a familiar simulation environment.
So, If you’re looking to adopt a new flight simulator, because your old familiar one is way out of date, then it probably makes sense to look for one that keeps close to the original platform that defined this genre. In that case, Prepar3D may be the way to go. Just note that it comes with a hefty price compared to a consumer-grade software title, at $200 for a standard Professional License. But boy does it look slick, and fully supports VR, making it the top VR flight simulator available on the market today.
Providing you have a computer and an internet connection there’s not much you can’t do from the comfort of your own living room in the modern and increasingly futuristic age. That includes a flight or two around the world, albeit virtually, through the array of simulation packages just waiting to connect you to highly detailed and ultra-authentic destinations around the planet.
Whether you’re a grizzled veteran with multiple online flying hours to your handle or a newcomer who is one click away from entering the virtual hangar for the first time, there is a plethora of options and packages available. And, as technology continues to improve at a seemingly accelerated pace, so do the intricacies of the world’s waiting to be explored from the skies of the superhighway.
So, click away the wheel chocks and start up your digital engines as we look at some of the best flight simulation packages out there. And we will start with one of the most popular.
This article is quite lengthy so you can jump to individual simulators using the jump links below;
Steam Edition Breathes New Life Into Microsoft Flight Simulator X!
The Microsoft Flight Simulation series has its roots in the SubLOGIC flight simulators of the late 1970s. After releases of simulators on such systems as Apple, Atari, Amiga, and Macintosh, the Microsoft company developed the first flight simulator compatible for home PCs and IBM in 1982. It has released several installments since, culminating in the Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) in 2006, widely regarded to be one of the finest flight simulator packages available.
Air Transat A310 in flight in Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition.
In December 2014 the package was released by Dovetail Games on Steam – “the” streaming site for gamers – meaning that it was widely available to a real-time audience and instant updates and add-ons were also available. As much as the Microsoft flight packages had been invaluable in training young pilots, they were often labeled as “boring” by critics who would site the combat simulations as being more interesting. However, with the Steam edition come many more options that look to make for an overall exciting, varied, and realistic experience.
The graphics and absolute attention to details – including the textures of the surroundings – are hugely realistic. Perhaps the main gripe you might have, however, is the, at times, repetitive nature of the surroundings. This overall attention to detail, though, is replicated in the cockpit giving you, the pilot, control over every action as much as you would if you were sat in your plane for real. Furthermore, the choice of planes is ample, with details for each individual aircraft authentic, accurate, and unique.
Should you feel the need to make a tweak here or there, however, the huge editing suite allows you to just that, even allowing you to create and build your own aircraft. And once you’ve done that, you can choose from one of the 24,000 airports from which to fly from.
Accommodating but Unforgiving!
There are also 50 unique missions to carry out, with each mission taking you on an equally unique adventure regardless of how many times you choose it. And of course, as it is streaming in real-time, you can find other users and compete against them, which in itself opens up a whole other realm of possible scenarios you and your virtual pilots might find yourselves in.
The Steam Edition’s overall ease of use makes it appealing for longtime fans and newcomers alike, right down to the simple “Download-Install-Run” of obtaining the program from Steam in the first place.
Emirates A380 in FSX.
As accommodating as it is to use it is just as equally unforgiving when it comes to pushing the user in terms of the actual flying and maneuvers required to complete the various missions, which just further adds another helping of reality that makes this package all the more appealing.
The overall strength of the Microsoft Steam package is in the actual flight simulation and the unique experience it presents to the user with each different aircraft. If you choose to fly a small one-engine plane, then the cockpit will look and act in sympathy with your choice. Likewise, for a huge commercial plane or a small helicopter and so on. If it is realistic flight conditions that test your skills as a pilot you are looking for then the sometimes lack intricately detailed landscapes outside of the cockpit will likely be of little concern to you.
Microsoft Flight Simulator runs on all versions of Windows - from Windows XP to Windows 10. Also, you can get it running on a Mac too with a little tweaking which you can read about here.
What Is The Best Flight Simulator For Mac Os
![Simulator Simulator](/uploads/1/1/7/7/117749591/671093447.jpg)
Runs on: Windows (all versions) and Mac (with Bootcamp).
You can download a demo version of the Microsoft Flight Simulator X here. We also have over 23,000 freeware add-ons and mods for FSX which you can view in the file library here. The short video below features a demonstration of the Steam version with an Airbus add-on pack.
X-Plane 11 Is Professionally Slick
If it is realistic “out-of-the-cockpit” scenery you are looking for then the X-Plane 11 package certainly offers some of the most realistic simulations of well-known parts of the planet. As you fly to new destinations, that scenery changes accordingly. And if 24,000 airports just don’t quite cut it with you, X-Plane 11 offers in excess of 33,000 destinations or starting points. Or, should you feel the need, you can even start your flight mission from the middle of the ocean onboard an aircraft carrier.
The movement of the waves and their effect on the ship has all been taken into account. You can even opt for a more “out of this world” experience with the space mode, allowing you to depart from the mother-ship in Space Ship One on a re-entry mission to Earth.
X-Plane is powerful and comprehensive, with extensive features and realistic flight modeling. Because it was not originally designed as a game but as an engineering tool to examine flight dynamics, it has very realistic flight handling characteristics.
Cessna 172 in X-Plane 11.
Cessna 172 in X-Plane 11.
There are even random weather conditions that will challenge your skills on your flights. These use genuine weather data and are as accurate and realistic as the graphical features mentioned above. As are the “system failures” that might strike you at any moment prompting you to utilize all your wits to take charge of the emergency situation.
That’s not to say the flight simulation itself isn’t up to scratch. Graphically, their 3D cockpit offers a decidedly authentic feel, while their use of the blade element theory in calculating the simulation features of each individual aircraft makes it one of the most realistic in the market. This feature, incidentally, is employed when users design their own aircraft. Furthermore, many major aircraft companies actually utilize Laminar Research’s X-Plane technology in their design process. Indeed, such links to the aviation industry seep into the overall professional feel and layout of the package.
X-Plane is based on blade-element theory, which determines aircraft behavior by analyzing the forces on individual components. One of the side benefits of this approach is that complex designs can be modeled for a bewildering array of aircraft including:
- Zeppelin Hindenburg. Based on length and size, the Hindenburg’s were the biggest aircraft ever to take flight.
- V-22 Osprey VTOL. This vertical take-off and landing tilt-rotor aircraft were born from the ashes of the failed 1980 hostage rescue mission in Iran.
- Harrier Jump Jet. Another VTOL craft, the Jump Jet can take-off from very tight areas like the roof of a car park or a small open area in a forest.
- SpaceShipOne. This is a space plane that achieved the first manned spaceflight by a private entity in 2004. It also won the famed X-Prize for $10 million.
X-Plane has everything that blasts off from the ground or flies in the air: rockets and gliders to helicopters and jets. It uses predictive modeling, which anticipates how the aircraft will act in flight, giving the most realistic flying experience on the market.
More X-Plane 11 Add-Ons And Extras Still To Come
Perhaps one of the best things about the X-Plane 11 package is it is, relatively speaking, still new having only been released in 2017. Conventional wisdom should say then that an already slick, professional package can only get better with the inevitable updates and add-ons that will follow. And a package that is already detailed in the extreme is likely to become even more so.
Cessna 172 cockpit and panel in XP11.
The Development Kit will likely head in much the same direction, allowing users to build their own aircraft to ever more precise specifications, with ever more realistically reflective performance measures.
In short, a package that has consistently received high ratings and only looks to improve would be of great interest to flight simulator pilots of all experiences. It is the overall attention to detail – inside and outside of the cockpit – that makes this package stand out.
Runs on: Windows (all versions), Linux and MacOS (all versions).
You can download a demo of X-Plane 11 here. We are also expanding our add-on and mods section to cover X-Plane 11 in greater detail - you can view the freeware X-Plane 11 add-on section here. The video below features a demonstration of what is on offer.
Lockheed Martin’s “Prepar3D” Is Definite Realism
Perhaps another simulation package with distinct links to the professional aviators would be Lockheed Martin’s Prepar3D (which is pronounced “Prepared”). And what’s more, as Lockheed Martin worked out a deal with Microsoft to develop the program, all Microsoft Flight Simulator users can use their add-ons in the Prepar3D program, automatically giving it a huge potential audience. So, if you are one of those users, this simulator package might be of interest to you - but be warned, P3Dv4 switches to total 64-bit which makes some of the older freeware add-ons incompatible (mainly gauges).
Maybe what is also an enticing feature of Prepar3D is the fact it also offers a range of land and sea vehicles as well as several aircraft, including the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, the Lockheed Constellation, and the Beechcraft King Air 350. The package even goes a stage further, offering users the chance to ride deep under the oceans of the planet in a Neptune Submarine.
Screenshot showing aircraft in P3Dv4. Credit: DocScott from the official P3D forums.
Although this package is ideal for individual users (who might wish to obtain the “Developer Network” version of Prepar3D), just to demonstrate the professionalism of the program it might be worth bearing in mind that universities and aviation schools use “Academic” versions of this program, while corporations, including military departments, use the “Professional” version to assist in the training of professional pilots. Regardless of which license you opt for, the experience will be as close to “the real thing” as possible.
There is also great support and additional downloads with extra aircraft and scenery choices, as well as an active forum with over 8000 members. Other products are available with Prepar3D such as Model Placer, for example, which allows users to place buildings and scenery into the program. Realism is most definitely at the center of Prepar3D.
Runs on: Windows (7, 8, 10) and Mac (with Bootcamp).
There is currently no demo for Prepar3D, however, you can buy it directly from the Lockheed Martin website here. Most FSX add-ons work in Prepar3D so it's a matter of trial and error when testing them.
You can view a demonstration of the latest version 4 program on the short video below.
AeroFly FS 2 Is An Exciting “Fun” Simulator
Perhaps what is most exciting about AeroFly FS, and in particular the FS 2 package, is it is very much still a work in progress. In truth, the company behind the flight simulator package, German company IKARUS originally developed the software to train remote controlled flights. As the program developed it eventually included a flight component, which then morphed into the AeroFly Flight Simulation program in 2012.
More recently, the second version, AeroFly FS 2 was released, and to largely good ratings. While there are limits in such things as sound effects and most notably a lack of background scenery, what AeroFly really does is focus in on the fun aspect of flight simulation. For example, once you have your settings configured to you, you can start a flight, from an aerial destination and go straight from there. In fact, it seems what most people like about this simulator seems to be the refreshing distance it puts between itself and other more “straight-laced” approaches to flight simulation.
KLM Boeing 747 in Aerofly FS 2.
There is also a fairly large amount of aircraft to choose from, ranging from your normal one-engine Cessna planes to commercial jet airliners and military fighter jets. The control panels of each cockpit are ample in detail and unique to each aircraft also. The multiple camera angles further give the various aircraft an extremely unique feel to each one as well as a most definite sense of realism.
Incidentally, should you wish to give AeroFly FS 2 a try, it is worth mentioning that it is only available on Steam. As such you would need to sign up for a Steam account.
Runs on: Windows (7, 8, 10) and Mac (with Bootcamp).
Also, there are not many freeware mods for Aerofly FS2 yet - you will have to watch this space as we expect modders to create them in due course. You can view a demonstration flight over New York City in the video below.
FlightGear – Ideal For Beginners
If you are a newcomer to the world of flight simulation, or indeed just someone whose interest is more passing than intense, then FlightGear might be a flight simulation package you want to check out, not least because it is free. In fact, it is regarded as arguably the best free, open-source flight simulator available, and as such is highly recommended for anyone who wants to try their hand for the first time. Although don’t be put off thinking FlightGear is a poor version of flight simulation. The program is also used in universities, simulation exhibits, and conventions, and even in aerospace engineering firms.
FlightGear is exciting because any aviation fan that wants to can contribute to its development. It is an open-source project (licensed under the GNU General Public License) that allows any user to create add-ons and enhancements. It was created due to frustrations from a cadre of flight simulation fans who wanted to be able to make changes to the core software in commercial simulation packages.
One of its strengths is an extremely accurate time of day modeling which correctly places the sun, moon, and stars for the designated time and date. The software tracks the computer’s clock time to put constellations and planets in their proper orbit. The system also allows for seasonal changes such as 24-hour days north of the Arctic Circle in the summertime. It also locks in the exact moon phase, tied accurately to the current day and time.
Screenshot showing military aircraft in FlightGear v2.10.
What Is The Best Flight Simulator For Macbook Air
While the scenery and background graphics are superbly improved from their original release version, they are arguably the program's weak spot by comparison to other paid-for packages. They still feature various weather conditions and night lighting for night flying, though, as well as 3D clouds and good atmosphere graphics, which all contribute to an authentic experience for the user. It should be noted, however, thanks to the growing FlightGear community, several airports, and the land scenery is available, and are highly accurate and detailed to boot. These include the city of Paris, several airports including Gatwick in London, as well as several island destinations.
Where FlightGear perhaps excels is in the absolute plethora of aircraft available to choose from. And these range from early aircraft, light aircraft and helicopters, to military jets and bombers, and commercial airliners. If you are a user of Microsoft Flight Simulator, you can also import your MFS aircraft using the FlightGear 3D converter program.
Runs on: Windows (7, 8, 10), macOS, and Linux.
You can download FlightGear here for Windows and Mac, and you can also visit their website here.
Best Flight Simulator For Mac Free
We hope you enjoyed the article and of course, we always love to hear your thoughts, opinions, and suggestions. What do you fly, what are your favorites? Please post them in the comments section below!