Apple Silicon

[twofivexray]

I have been running MSFS2020 on my old 2019 MacBook Pro with Bootcamp and Windows 10. Now, I am contemplating upgrading to a new MacBook, but they all use the Apple Silicon series of chips.

 

Does anyone know for sure if MSFS will run if I use Parallels to install a windows 11 Virtual Machine on the new MacBook? I've been told that MSFS will simply not work with the Silicon Chips and the only way I would be able to use it would be through Xbox. Is this true?

 

thanks

Twofivexray

[loki]

I don't know for certain how well it would work using Parallels, but I wouldn't expect it to run well, if it runs at all, especially if you have a MacBook with 8GB of RAM. Parallels and the Windows guest would need a good chunk of RAM, and then the Windows guest needs to emulate the sim (the Windows guest would be the ARM version of Windows). The Apple Silicon CPUs also share the RAM with the GPU, so even with more RAM you could run into memory issues. An Xbox would likely run better.

[twofivexray]

I'd probably get either 48 or 64 Gigs of what they call unified memory. I don't think it would be memory problem. I've been told that MSFS is just not compatible with the Mac Silicon chips.

Running in what they call Xbox Game Pass it does not look like I'll be able to use my existing Microsoft Force Feedback joystick, or my rudder pedals and throttle quadrant.

This might be my goodbye to MSFS after 40 years.

[loki]

With either 48 or 64 GBs of memory, that part shouldn't be an issue, no.

 

MSFS is written for x86 CPUS, not ARM ones like Apple Silicon or the Snapdragon processors in the upcoming Windows laptops, which is what people will be thinking of. Windows 11 for ARM CPUs, however, does have an emulation layer to run Windows x86 applications, which may work to run the sim under Parallels or VMware Fusion (free for personal use). This emulation layer does seem to work well for other applications. I'm just not sure how well it would run with the multiple layers between the hardware and sim.

[JSkorna]

Your FF joystick, your rudder pedals, and throttle quadrant will all work with MSFS 2020.

[loki]

22 minutes ago, JSkorna said:

Your FF joystick, your rudder pedals, and throttle quadrant will all work with MSFS 2020.

They don't work through the Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming service though, if that's what twofivexray is referring to.

[twofivexray]

Loki is correct. I've been using these controls in MSFS for years, but there does not seem to be a way to use them in XBOX.

 

I"ll probably be ordering the new Mac soon and I'll let you all know what happens. 

 

Two Five Xray

[JSkorna]

Skip the X Box Cloud and use a modern Windows PC, lol!

[loki]

7 hours ago, twofivexray said:

I've been using these controls in MSFS for years, but there does not seem to be a way to use them in XBOX.

For future reference, you should include the Cloud Streaming part, or other Xbox service, to more specific. In Microsoft's infinite wisdom, they have been throwing the Xbox brand into everything gaming related, so just saying Xbox doesn't really mean much on its own any more. Once upon a time it just meant the physical console, now it covers their entire gaming division, gaming subscriptions, cloud streaming and the consoles.

[ftldave]

18 hours ago, JSkorna said:

Skip the X Box Cloud and use a modern Windows PC, lol!

People who love Apple, who have no qualms with paying the "Apple Tax" higher prices, will never, ever want to use a Windows PC for anything, don't you know. Apple Silicon and starting-to-arrive Windows on ARM compatibility via emulation with X86\X64 binaries will be interesting to see, what works, what doesn't.

[tiger1962]

1 hour ago, ftldave said:

People who love Apple, who have no qualms with paying the "Apple Tax" higher prices, will never, ever want to use a Windows PC for anything, don't you know.

 

If you're going to use Windows anyway, I don't see what difference it makes - I used Apple computers at work for over 10 years, but would never have one at home.