Microsoft Flight Simulator PC Performance Review and Optimisation Guide

Graphical Settings Comparisons – Near Land/Take-Off

Even when using Flight Simulator’s low-end settings, the game can look great, showcasing realistic interpretations of the world that are a lot more accurate than older Flight Simulators. 

With Low-End settings, pop-in will be very noticeable when flying close to the ground, and the detail of many locations will not stand up to close scrutiny, but that is often the case with the low presets within modern PC games. Cranking things up to Medium grants players a much more satisfying experience, extending draw distances further while increasing overall simulation detail.    

 

(Low-End VS Medium)
  

At High-End settings, draw distances are extended further towards the horizon, reducing noticeable pop-in further while increasing the level of detail on the ground, adding more trees and minor details to the buildings and roads below. 

Cityscapes like New York and London look great at High-End settings but know that these settings will hammer your processor, regardless of if you use AMD Ryzen or Intel products. We will explain this further later in this report. 

(Medium VS High-End)
  

 
At Ultra settings, draw distances are extended even further, drawing out almost as far as can be seen with any clarity. No game has ever offered such a detailed presentation of the world, as such detail can be seen in practically any city on earth. 

There is something magical about being able to travel to any town and see a recognisable representation of it in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Practically every gamer on earth will be able to experience an “I can see my house from here” moment within Microsoft Flight Sim. 

(High-End VS Ultra)