Flight Simulator 2012

Mike here again,
OK, so here’s the deal. When looking for flight simulators in 2012 you basically have 2 options. First, you can go with a video game. Something that allows you to fly a plane, is pretty life like, but doesn’t have the massive content of a more high end simulator. The other option is more like a MMORPG, where the game has massive amount of content, massive amount of people playing it, and constantly updates itself with new planes, new airports, new terrains, new scenarios to play, etc.

So, let’s do 2 quick reviews. First we’ll do the video game aspect. If you want to go to the better, MMO option, scroll down a bit, but I would suggest buying both to be totally honest.

The Video Game Option:

If you are looking for the best video game flight simulator for the calendar year 2012, I would easily choose Microsoft Flight Simulator X. It’s inexpensive, it has a ton of content, and a lot of people play. It’s nowhere near as good as PFS (review below), but for a $20ish product, you can’t beat this. It has weather changes, day/night cycles, and tons of planes to play with. The problem? It’s a bit old. I believe the software originally came out in 2009, with 2 patches (included in this version). It’s not exactly outdated, but it’s not as if Microsoft is spending all it’s time working on this software.
Should you buy it? Yes. It’s dirt cheap, it’s a great game for kids or adults, it’s dirt cheap, it should run on almost any PC hardware you have, and did I mention it’s dirt cheap? I’ve done my research on where the best deal is right now for it, and no surprise, it’s on Amazon. Use the link to the left for the absolute lowest price on the net.

The More Realistic Option:

Ok, so you’ve looked at the Video Game option, but you’ve decided it’s not for you, or it’s a good start off point, and you want something a little better. Well, this flight simulator isn’t a little better. It’s worlds better. Keep in mind though, this is just my unbiased opinion on the Pro Flight Simulator system. If you’re looking for their actual website and want to just skip the review, click here.

Ok, so first and foremost, this program isn’t anything like the Microsoft Flight Simulator listed above. It’s like comparing a Kia with a Ferrari (though I guess not with price, this program is only about twice what the Microsoft Flight Simulator goes for). Pro Flight Simulator comes with over 120 different aircrafts, it has helicopters, it has local airports, it has…well, it has pretty much everything you can ask for in a flight simulator. Want integration with yokes? It’s got it. Want the feel of an MMORPG with over 20,000 different airports? Yep, that’s there too. It’s what professional pilots use during their down time to keep their skills up to date. Yes, I’m not B’Sing you there, that’s 100% true. This product is so realistic it’s actually been used on Television shows for airplane scenes. It’s good… real good.

But, with any unbiased review, you have to talk about the downside. Biggest downside? It’s a little expensive. Depending on which version you go with, it can range anywhere from about $49 to about $97. Not exactly going to make you broke, but it’s more expensive than the video game listed above. And it should be. To be totally honest, you get what you pay for. The Pro Flight Simulator isn’t just a boxed game, they have updates to their software all the time. They have a full time dedicated team of pilots and programmers constantly adding to the program, getting it ever more realistic. Is it worth the money? I wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to spend your money for you. Only you can assess your finances and make that conclusion, but 50 bucks for basically a real life airplane? It’s worth it to me. Click here if you want more information.

The Peripherals:

So if you’ve come this far, odds are you have picked up 1 of the 2 flight simulators listed above. But, you don’t want to play it with a mouse and keyboard. Trust me on that. If you plan on that, I would suggest just to save your money and not even buy the simulators because it’s just not the same thing. You need a good joystick with thrust controls. You can find several on Amazon for over 400 bucks, that’s how intricate they can get, but my suggestion is to go for the one I have listed on the left. Pretty much it’s the best combination of price, feedback, control, precision, and features you can get in a joystick/thruster combo. There are a few pedal packages you can get as well, not sure I would invest in them unless you are really serious about flying, and, like I said, there are some super high end systems out there, several that are on amazon for over $5,000. At that point though, why not just buy a plane with a bunch of friends and split the flying time? Anyways. Grab the one I have listed on the left if you don’t have one already. If you do have one, try it out with the system you purchased. Odds are it will be totally fine and there’s no reason for you to spend any more money. If you don’t have one, I would highly recommend the thrustmaster. Without a doubt the best bang for your buck you can get.

OK, enough from me, happy flying! If you have any questions at all, check out the contact page on the right hand side of the website and shoot me an email!

-Mike