Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: PS5 Review

Developed by Asobo Studio
Published by XBox Studios
Platform: PS5

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on XBox was a stunning release.

A flight simulator which captured the thrill of being airward-bound and yet which also offered a calming approach to being in the skies. It was enjoyable, original and rightly captivated plenty of people's attention for a simulator on the next gen consoles. 

But a PlayStation release has eluded it - and much like the Forza Horizon series, this is now no longer something which holds it back. And given this latest release has bundled all of the content together and created something which has grown from the bugs that dogged it through the years, this PS5 version is perhaps the ultimate simulator.

Career mode is the level which will keep many engaged, and it's exactly as you'd expect. Learn to fly, go through a tutorial and then play on to earn a pilot's licence. It's fun indeed and while it takes a little to get used to for taking off and landing, the growth in your own skill level becomes more obvious with the more hours you sink into it.

From the sky, the views are incredible - a little closer to the ground and things get a bit more less-defined, but that's not really how you'd play the simulator. It's more about time in the sky, setting yourself up to get from one locale to the next, and generally, relaxing while you do so.

And while career mode will keep any would-be pilots busy, Free Flight Mode allows you to take in any point in your own world you want to view. It means that heading to familiar sights and spotting them from afar brings the kind of unusual thrill of familiarity. It's a weird thing to see your own backyard rendered well in a game, but Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 does all that and does it reasonably well.

If you want to be a virtual tourist, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the game for you. It's incredibly relaxing and while summer may not be the best time to launch it, come winter, this game will be essential for an indoor getaway.