Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was finally launched yesterday, but the excitement quickly turned into frustration for many players. The game, which is a successor to the 2020 version, currently has an ‘Overwhelmingly Negative’ rating on Steam. With over 2,600 reviews already posted, players are expressing frustration over technical issues, missing features, and a disappointing overall experience.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 receives negative reviews on Steam
One of the biggest complaints is the inability to even play the game. Many users with high-end gaming PCs reported that the game failed to load properly. A reviewer with a system boasting an Intel i9 13th Gen processor, 64 GB of RAM, an RTX 4070 Ti GPU, and an SSD claimed they couldn’t start a simple flight from PHX to Sedona. The player stated that they reinstalled the game four times, but they are still facing the same problem as before.
Plenty of other players have reported being stuck at 97% on the loading screen for over an hour with no progress. Many of them have been facing slow installation times, while others have also reported crashing and black screens. One player summed up their experience by saying, “Four years after the 2020 launch, Asobo/Microsoft didn’t learn a thing. Disastrous launch, disastrous game.”
Some players also claimed that there weren’t any meaningful benefits for those who pre-ordered MSFS 2024, and many of them were disappointed with the fact that they weren’t allowed to pre-load the files, which delayed their access to the game. As a result, the set of complaints has led to the game receiving an ‘Overwhelmingly Negative’ rating on Steam.
In any case, Microsoft and Asobo Studios should address these issues in upcoming patches, as the game’s reputation has already taken a significant hit. Players expected a smoother experience, but it seems like all they got was a broken game. If you’re currently facing any performance-related issues, check out our best settings guide for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, as it might be able to help improve the performance; having the best GPU for MSFS 24 will also help.
MSFS 24 developers respond – “we’re so sorry”
Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, Jorg Neumann was part of a launch day update uploaded to YouTube following the game’s release. Opening up by saying they are “really proud” of how the game turned out and what they’ve accomplished. However, he notes that they “completely underestimated how high” the excitement would be, explaining that the hype has overwhelmed their infrastructure.
Sebastian Wloch, Asobo CEO & Co-Founder, goes through the technical details – with Neumann finishing up that they’re “really sorry” for the frustration caused, apologizing for delays, but “the team is on it” and actively working to resolve any issues.
