Ask ten pilots which sim is better : Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) or X-Plane and you’ll get ten different answers. The truth? Both have real strengths depending on what you’re training for.

Scenery vs. Physics

MSFS delivers breathtaking visuals, making VFR flying and cross-country nav practice feel lifelike. One simmer put it best: “MSFS is much prettier, so I ‘like’ to fly that sim and will spend MANY more hours in it.”

X-Plane, on the other hand, shines in its flight model. Pilots often note its stalls, spins, and handling feel closer to the real thing. As another simmer explained: “X-Plane is marginally better than MSFS in flight dynamics, but flying is more than just molecules over an airfoil.”

In practice, many pilots use both MSFS for visuals and X-Plane for stick-and-rudder precision.

Training Value

MSFS comes with built-in tutorials, while X-Plane is often paired with add-ons and instructor tools. Both are used by real CFIs. As FlightSimCoach instructors note, they teach with “X-Plane and Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS)” interchangeably. AOPA-recognized schools also use desktop sims as a cost-saving way to drill fundamentals before flying the real thing.

Hardware Matters

No matter which sim you prefer, the right gear makes the biggest difference. Products like Desktop Pilot’s G1000 Suite and throttle quadrants work with both MSFS and X-Plane, giving you the tactile cockpit feel missing from keyboard setups.

Bottom Line

MSFS gives you immersion. X-Plane gives you precision. Together, they give you the best of both worlds. Equip your home cockpit with pro-level hardware, and either sim becomes a serious training tool, not just entertainment.
As one long-time simmer summed up: “You’re gonna get similar training in each… X-Plane I use just to ‘get the job done,’ MSFS I fly for the joy of it.”