The 7 Best Virtual Reality Flight Simulators | 2024

In this video, we're going to summarize some of the best VR flight simulators available right now. From the more relaxed Aerofly FS4 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 to the more intense combat flight simulators like DCS and VTOL VR. Of course, all these simulators can be played in VR. And remember, everyone, this is just the beginning of VR.
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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
0:17 Aerofly FS4
02:01 VTOL VR
03:48 DCS VR
05:05 IL-2 Sturmovik VR
06:03 War Thunder VR
06:48 Falcon BMS VR
07:51 MSFS 2020
PC SPECS:
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Gaming 12GB
intel Core i9-9900K
RAM: 64GB (2x32)
#vr #virtualreality #flightsimulator

[@MrSchuits]

Kudos for mentioning Falcon4 BMS. I've spent hundreds of hours in that game, even took part in the European Tiger Meet. Haven't tried VR yet as getting back into the game requires a lot of commitment.

[@payt01]

Ok I know Xplane isn't as popular anymore as it once was, before MSFS came to set the new standard, but I think it still deserves a mention if you're going to make a list of best VR flight sims.

[@jatufin]

As an IRL paraglider pilot I play regularly Glider Sim. There are Steam and standalone Quest versions.

[@brandonproctor3639]

I play DCS with Trackir and it’s pretty awesome. Can’t wait to be able to switch to VR. Totally different experience.

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

The community did not develop the dynamic campaign in Falcon BMS. It was part of the original Falcon 4 game. SO that makes is more infuriating that DCS doesn't have one.

[@Amir_movahed]

DCS as of now has: 1.DLSS and multicore support to give you better performance in VR. 2.Supports VR natively. 3.Supports Hand tracking natively without a 3rd party software. Nice video overall but there are some misinformation about DCS in the video.

[@SA80TAGE]

beat me to it XD Also there are dynamic campaigns in multiplayer servers, he said DCS lacks that.

[@laubox]

Thanks for the information! What I meant was that, unlike VTOL VR or Aerofly FS4, DCS was not built from the ground up with VR in mind. It certainly supports VR natively, and I only play DCS in VR. Fortunately for us, DCS has received some really nice performance upgrades for VR!

[@laubox]

@@SA80TAGE Calling the dynamic missions that run on the ECW server or referring to them as dynamic campaigns would be a slap in the face to the FALCON BMS development team! The dynamic campaign offered in Falcon BMS is nowhere near what DCS offers.

[@SA80TAGE]

@@laubox I mean, sure, but thats when comparing with other titles, looking at DCS on it's own, it still does have dynamic campaigns.... albeit multiplayer community made ones for sure (let's not completely shit on their hard work, they're not the devs and can only do so much with what they have, they deserve a shout out for stepping up, as do a lot of games online community pillars do). Most I think will allow for the free to play SU(25?) module... just think it's worth mentioning at least, as a stepping stone for those that want to give it a try for free.

[@julienpham]

For msfs 2020 I would recommend waiting for the new msfs 2024 coming this year. As for myself I fly helicopters in DCS, the Huey, in VR of course, with force feedback stick and seat, and it is amazing.

[@atlasfreeman1310]

What brand/model of FF stick do you use? Been looking at them lately. Hard to find honest reviews. And do you have a fairly powerful PC for that setup? And with what headset?

[@mallacai]

lockheed martins prepar3d p3d for short, very good sim for VR

[@hooperjp1701]

DCS does has hand tracking. Pain to setup but it is there

[@laubox]

It does, but compared to VTOL VR or Aerofly FS 4 it needs a long long long way to go

[@kelvindeen]

@laubox are there any good native quest 3 flight sim games? For the people that don't own a top tier gaming pc

[@blackhero911]

Combat air patrol 2, X-Plane 11 and 12

[@Legendz5150]

I wish more VR flight sims had the virtual hands. It'd really be fun to put my index controllers to full use.

[@huntermassey5475]

Can you use vr controllers to control yoke is msfs like you can in Aerofly

[@riverfisher2123]

Aces high 3 is probably the the best to enjoy with a main arena. It has a very good vr mode. It is never mentioned probably because it cost 14 US dollars a month.

[@mikhailgregovszki7478]

I used to love X-Plane... was fun just to try a bunch of different aircraft. I remember struggling to figure out how to land the harrier. Also some cool fictional I think Japanese plane that had massive power and could go in space. Does it have virtual controls? I really don't like breaking immersion without having hands to manipulate controls in the plane. I do play a lot of VTOL VR and gotta say it is probably the smoothest experience for all VR flight sims, but I get bored with the graphics pretty quick. I really like scenery in my games.

[@JustCallMe3d]

Now I just need literally every piece of hardware in order to play any of those * crying inside *

[@ProfShibe]

You don’t. the controllers are fine unless you want it 1:1 as realistic as possible

[@RobinHartJones]

I have both DCS & IL2 and I prefer IL2 because DCS is more of a 'Display Pilot Simulator' and I want a WW2 simulator. As far as WW2 aircraft go, it just recreats a handful of aircraft currently seen in flying displays regardless of whether these aircraft ever saw combat against each other. If you buy Spitfire in DCS it will be a Spitfire IX and you will be flying it against a 1944 model Bf109-K and a 1944 FW190-D. If you want to fly Russian then those 1944 German fighters will be fighting an 1-16 from 1940 ;-) In IL2 you will be facing opponents that actually fought each other at each stage of the war. Also IL2 has a much better combat experience in term of size of maps, number of players and number of servers to choose from.

[@Dreadfuldeath1309]

Please make more awrofly fs4 videos, maybe with the 777?

[@NLarsen1989]

You made a video just one month ago showing the hand tracking in DCS so I'm a little confused why you say DCS doesn't have it?

[@laubox]

Yes, that's true. However, if you compare the hand tracking in DCS with VTOL VR or Aerofly FS4, you really can't say DCS has it mastered. Certainly, you can see your hands in DCS, but switching or rotating knobs is extremely clumsy, and in some modules, it doesn't even work. Compared to how VTOL VR or Aerofly FS4 manage it, DCS simply doesn't match up.

[@diegom8]

This would be a nice "procedures" trainer, but without the flight controls you don't get the proper transfer of training that would be needed to "control" the plane.

[@degeautdfanfirst]

Can you send link to A Pre Built PC..VR gaming Pc

[@CaptainTiropitenios]

Hi, can you say me how can the oculus 2 track my hands on dcs ? i

[@mr-glizzer3332]

go into vr settings in dcs

[@FUNRobster]

I am really curious how you manage to get MSFS2020 to look so nice. I've tried it, but it looks so incredibly bad....

[@terrylandess6072]

Oh. Falcon still lives? Geez I put a lot of hours in that long ago. The 3 ring binder flight manual (with fold out map) is still epic (about 2 1/2 - 3 inches thick) and is a reminder to me how developers keep getting cheaper and cheaper. Bought my Rift before they made hand controllers which was fine. Not interested in waving my arms around - a KB/M or flight stick is what I want to use. Too bad tings have changed were you NEED them instead of being a choice with multiple inputs for program access.

[@liensixx2812]

Try ACES HIGH III

[@Warboss777]

have you even tried war thunder simulator mode??

[@Aviator381]

Which ones are not on steam

[@grandusb5663]

What about xplane 12?

[@XRUNNERX]

He doesn't know what x plane is 🤦

[@elite_beast]

Do you need pc

[@I_Krypton_I]

When did War Thunder have time to become a simulation...?

[@joedirtthe3rd]

Only play Sim Mode for War Thunder.

[@user-zz3vg6bp5o]

Try dcs

[@thekirby53]

@@user-zz3vg6bp5o some people dont wanna pay money for each plane. WT is totally free thus easier to get into, also offers FAAARRRR more planes.

[@meatloafgaming3045]

What’s the first game called? I want to play.

[@maroc-sniper]

flight simulator 2020

[@Devil-mn3dc]

DCS was absolutely made for VR and that’s how a lot of us fly it. Just takes some work getting things right because there are so many HMDs out there. Meta is no a good one because it’s not native to working with PC games, so naturally you will jump through more hoops. Pimax is the absolute best for any flight sim.

[@laubox]

Thanks for your comment buddy! Absolutely agree with the Pimax!What I meant was that, unlike VTOL VR or Aerofly FS4, DCS was not built from the ground up with VR in mind. It certainly supports VR natively, and I only play DCS in VR. Fortunately for us, DCS has received some really nice performance upgrades for VR!

[@billcedarheath387]

A recent survey of the DCS community has only 30% using VR and the majority using some form of head tracking, like TrackIR, in the 55% range. 15% fly without any form of tracking or VR at all. By those numbers “A lot” (70%) do not use VR.

[@samuelhayes5198]

Dcs is absolutely not designed for VR, you can hardly read the switch labels without a £3k headset. There's no proper hand/controller interaction that isn't just a workaround of flat screen mode. Lastly it's impossible to see a plane more than a couple hundred metres away without this weird binoculars thing. Much prefer VTOL VR. Most stuff ported to vr just isn't good unfortunately. Don't even get me started on the f-14, why did they think a texture with 99% switches illegible/unlabelled was a good idea?

[@samuelhayes5198]

Also the controls is a problem, in VR you need simplified controls as you can't rely on feeling for the right switch in the cockpit while trying to watch an opponent. I get it's a core part of the game but even flat screen is unplayable without atleast £300 in controls

[@dane4472]

@@lauboxhow do I get your guide for dcs vr buttons don’t work for me only throttle and steering I can’t click anything

[@billwright7054]

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will be a stand alone new sim.

[@andrealioce4341]

VtolVR and War Thunder aren't exactly flight simulators: the first has simulator mechanics but does not depict any real aircraft so it's not properly a simulator IMHO, the latter depicts real aircraft but has quite arcade mechanics. X-plane is a simulator and has VR. Condor 2 also is a simulator and has VR.

[@banana-fc7uy]

game name please

[@ShikaiXu]

x plane

[@BellatrixLugosi]

xplane 12 crying at back corner

[@terrystokes7893]

PC is necessary 😂

[@ismailhossin7540]

0:24 0:27

[@Lardnapkin]

I came here for the accent

[@crooker2]

Msfs is simply the best simulator. But it's vr implementation is awful unless you have a control stick or yoke. I think the best experience I've had personally flying in VR is VTOL VR.

[@matthewharris2463]

I agree

[@SA80TAGE]

DCS:World _does_ have dynamic campaigns, ran on multiplayer servers. Enigmas Cold War Server, Contention Server for example

[@patrickcrowley5258]

Multiplayer campaigns don’t quite count. If it were single player it would be closer to the Falcon BMS one.

[@laubox]

Calling the dynamic missions that run on the ECW server or referring to them as dynamic campaigns would be a slap in the face to the FALCON BMS development team! The dynamic campaign offered in Falcon BMS is nowhere near what DCS offers.

[@AdrianTaylorUK]

No, dcs does not have dynamic campaigns. Long promised by ED, but not there. Falcon’s dynamic campaign is widely held as being the platinum standard, esp when you consider it was implemented for a pentium 2. DCS has scripted campaigns. The closest thing to bms’ campaigns is liberation but that’s turn based and dcs can barely cope with the number of units required.

[@Twisted_Throttle77]

DCS sucks compared to IL-2 multiplayer. Not even close. Runs flawless online with VR and the servers are really fun

[@DuppyBoii187]

Il2 runs better but it's kind of missing everything post ww2. If they throw a mig 23 in a cold war game I'll play it over dcs.

[@jpht1964]

Don’t bother vr in MSFS, it’s completely unplayable.

[@ruban7875]

Is it? Mine runs clear and smooth with good graphics.

[@andrealioce4341]

Mine too.