Top Flight Simulator Comparison - Real World vs MSFS 2020 vs X-Plane 11 and 12

This video includes 4K footage of the Bellevue Arrival into Boeing Field (KBFI) over Lumen Field and T-Mobile stadiums.
The same flight was flown using X-Plane 11, X-Plane 12, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS 2020).
The segments are sequenced in the video to provide comparison and analysis.
Note: Both X-Plane 11 and 12 were flown using Orbx True Earth Washington scenery.

[@johnthomas3264]

Wow, that was the best comparison video I have seen to date. Great job sir!

[@sogpilot3137]

Thank you. Not as comprehensive as I would have liked. There are many other things in each simulator that require further analysis and review. This one was primarily to demonstrate the graphics capabilities. To be fair, both Xplane 11 and 12 were run using ORBX true earth scenery.

[@johnthomas3264]

For me it's good you utilized addons. I really think the majority of users have addons and if not . . . will.

[@mfelicio1]

Is really necessary this music?

[@flosim5087]

More than your comment for sure

[@jeluna]

Great job but a simulator ain't about the way it looks please dear friends! Even full D level professional simulators aren't good looking or eye candy. How about the feel when flying? The physics, the inertia, ground physics etc? Fhe flightsim community now don't even talk about these anymore, everything is about fun, casual, stunning views! I remember the old days of flight simulation when it was all about physics, flight model, system depth etc!

[@mikem.2078]

You literally said my thoughts perfectly, no joke. If I wanted to train on sim to prepare for real flying, I hope it would be x plane.

[@davidkellymitchell4747]

Then you should fly VFR blindfolded and just make sure your seat goes up and down and spins around. In real life below 15,000 feet gets people killed if they are disorientated with no visibility in foul weather. Not sure if a blind person can even get a flying license on the same note.

[@Stringbean421]

Your camera view was giving the distortion in MSFS.

[@icykenny92]

Please quit that music, so annoying.

[@ajfurnari2448]

Xplane 12 lighting isn't a contrast issue, it's an "exposure" issue. Our eyes can adjust, the sim can't. Regardless, getting a Thumbs Up for running the voiceover through a plugin, for that GA intercom effect

[@sogpilot3137]

Thank you for the info. Well, I certainly hope the laminar research folks get that fixed. I simply cannot fly it, which is very disappointing. Regarding the microphone, I’m actually using the Transcom intercom box from my real airplane along with an aviation headset.

[@davidkellymitchell4747]

I'm watching on a 4k 60" monitor and none even come close to real world 4k. Maybe someday. Keep working developers!

[@Guillermo3346]

Excelent review! But please next time turn off or put lower the volume of music, I wanted to listening you. Thank you for your excelent work

[@brazeagle]

I notice that when you compare MSFS, the distortion comes from ZOOMING. You should show the 3 comparisons in the same manner. Not a fair comparison. Thanks for the video.

[@sogpilot3137]

You’re right. Part of it was my unfamiliarity with Microsoft flight simulator. After having used it now for many hours, I understand that the lens distortion can be resolved with a setting. I do plan on doing another comparison video with a more fair approach. Clearly, flight simulator is far superior with respect to Graphics outside the airplane. I have become quite fond of it and have been flying exclusively flight simulator lately. There are some Systems related issues with respect to Aircraft that I wish they would improve upon. Nonetheless, I have become quite fond of flight simulator.

[@ericveschi4904]

Hello there's a bias, because those from X-plane we don't see the plane, so it means you have the view inside the plane without the plane no great angle lens. And for MSFS2020 we see the plane so distortions are due to the lens. You can do a zoom to reduce the great angle effect. But the most important regarding physics model.

[@mikem.2078]

For the real world, did you hold a camera out the window with some stick attachment? Otherwise can’t figure out how you did it.

[@seplexore]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYSTdHqoja-HpJo

[@ilynx2008]

Hi...on my monitor,the image never get stretched out or distorted on FS2020! it must be a configuration issue somewhere! Im an atp rated pilot and like to either anticipate or simulate past real flights and sometimes,in some areas,its even confusing vesus real flights! FS2020 has an incomplete WX engine (no Cirrus,no TCU´s) but the haze and fog are nice! I would never buy XP12,way too weird!And believe me,some flights on Longitude or TBM are very,very amazing and also serves as an excellent IFR trainning tool dor its precision and representations! thank you...and crossing my fingers to see a much improved WX engine on FS2024,hopefuly

[@sogpilot3137]

I think I know why the images are becoming distorted during flight. I am using a wide screen curved monitor, and apparently Microsoft flight simulator causes the view to become distorted as it moves across the curved screen. This affect was not present using XPLANE 11 and 12.

[@ilynx2008]

@@sogpilot3137 Oh,ok! at least you´ve figured it out! Have a nice day,sir!

[@activex7327]

Xplane 11 looks pretty much like Xplane 12. You should mention that you are using addons for Xplane, so not a fair comparison. You are spot on the lighting.

[@pwilliamssa]

Completly agree. At Flight Sim Expo Laminar said they are working on a fix for the lighting in XP-12. Said it's an "exposure" issue. Just courious, was that the default imagery, Ortho4XP or some other addon?

[@sogpilot3137]

Hello. I ran it with Orbx True Earth on both 11 and 12

[@peter-mv5gk]

and from the feel of flight?

[@sogpilot3137]

Hello. Sorry, but I wasn’t making that comparison in this video. The reason is, because I had to fly Microsoft flight simulator from an external view to produce the video. I believe this is one of the weaknesses in MSFS. The ability to run a replay after a flight from external view, instead of having to fly it, live from external view.

[@migueldenovi5873]

X-Plane 12 light/contrast makes it unusable.