loki

This is a very likely option for Microsoft, who has changed their business model in some significant ways over the past decade. And especially after Mr. Nadella took over as CEO. Take a look at Windows 10, for example. Windows has long been the top product at Microsoft and everything else they did was about getting as many people and computers to run it as possible, and pay for it. However, with Windows 10 they upgraded millions of people for free, and haven't charged them a cent since. Even after multiple feature updates that combined would have equaled at least one, if not two, major versions previously (like Windows Vista to 7). They certainly aren't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts and are still making money. However, it's just coming from other sources. Enterprise licences for one, licences on new machines from Dell, HP etc. for another, and just having people stay on Windows and subscribe to Office 365 (or Microsoft 365 as it was recently renamed) and Xbox Game Pass. Things are a lot more complicated at Microsoft these days.

Now we're getting somewhere. PC multiplayer has long been free and looks to remain that way for some time yet. I do fully expect the Xbox version of the sim to require Xbox Live Gold as all Xbox console titles do for multiplayer. To be clear, I do agree there is a cost to the streaming. I just don't think a mandatory subscription for everyone is the only option to pay for it, and so far Microsoft has indicated this isn't what they are going to do. Sure, they might, but there are other options. For example, they may be counting on enough people going through Game Pass as well as add-on sales through the built-in Marketplace. Many PC games these days run on a free to play model where the base game is free to download and play. From there you can buy better weapons/equipment/vehicles to progress to higher levels faster, as an example. Something like this would fit well in the flight sim world where we have been using add-ons (aka DLC) for a couple decades now. And on top of this, there is the benefit of using the sim as a tech demo for some of the new technologies they have been developing, such as the Azure AI and streaming abilities, that could be licensed out elsewhere to help cover development costs.

So you admit that you don't know what you're talking about or have evidence to back it up. Many, many PC games are free to play online multiplayer, and have been for years (so no, it hasn't changed recently). And it isn't just some obscure games either, Microsoft's Halo and Gears of War for the PC do not require a subscription. Games from Blizzard, EA, Ubisoft, and many others are all free to play online multiplayer. In fact, outside of the MMO genre, most PC games are free to play online. There are also games that provide the base game for free, and then charge for additional content, if one desires. Which would be a very good fit for MSFS. If you're going to claim that most, if not all, games requite a subscription, you need to actually provide evidence. So far you haven't. And as for paying for the streaming data for MSFS, you still refuse to acknowledge that there are many other options than requiring all players to pay a subscription. After all, this is 2020 and the software world has changed.

See, this is why people have a hard time with your reasoning. It is patently false that all PC games require a subscription to play online. In fact Microsoft says right on their Xbox Game Pass site that no subscription is required for PC games to play multiplayer. https://www.xbox.com/en-CA/xbox-game-pass/pc-games As for not paying a subscription, you completely ignored all other points I brought up. There are plenty of options that don't require paying a subscription.

To be clear, the two options for purchasing the game, one time and Xbox Game Pass for PC, have been confirmed. What hasn't been confirmed anywhere, and has little to no evidence, is his claim that access to the streaming data will require a subscription for the one time purchase option.

No, the sim is still installed and run much the same as current sims like X-Plane and FSX. The difference is that they have added the ability to stream scenery data from Azure servers. There are 3 modes, an offline mode for those with slow or no internet connection, a mode where you can download and cache the data, and the full online streaming where the scenery data is downloaded on the fly. In all cases your PC is doing the work of running the sim and rendering the data for display on your screen.

At the moment Microsoft/Asobo have said there won't a need for any subscription at all, even to make use of the online streaming data.

And yet Microsoft have said that no further subscription will be required. This isn't that different than what they have been doing with their crown jewel, Windows itself. Windows 10 came out in 2015 and has not required a single penny since, despite a number of large feature updates, and many never had to pay in the first place as the upgrade was free (and still is, actually). It's going on 5 years now when previous versions were typically released every two or three years, with no change in sight. Of course Microsoft is a business and is still going to find a way to make money, but there are many ways to do that these days. Perhaps they're counting on enough people signing up for Game Pass as well as buying add-ons through the sim's Marketplace? Don't think anyone is expecting to get add-ons (aka DLC) for free. Then there is the possibility that they are looking to use this as sort of a tech demo of what Azure AI is capable of and will be using or licensing the technology elsewhere. The likes of Epic and iD have long profited off licensing their game engines to third parties, for example. So, no, it isn't clear that the sim will require any subscription at all.

And for those waiting for an invite, check the Xbox Insider Hub to see if the sim is available for you. It looks like a number of people got in, but haven’t received the email yet.

The May 14th development update has been posted, along with some more screenshots. https://www.flightsimulator.com/may-14th-2020-development-update/

Welcome! Hope you decide to stick around a while. :)

Not sure about specific monitors in that price range, but for photo work, you generally want a monitor that uses an IPS or VA screens rather than the more common TN panel technology. These types have better viewing angles and more accurate colour reproduction. Dell has some 24" models that may fit into your price range when on sale (see their U2412M model for an example). Those in the 27" and larger sizes will likely be a bit above your price range, though you may find one of those on a good sale too. Also check out Samsung, BenQ and LG. For reviews, check out TFT Central. They also have some good resources on the different panel types and other resources. https://www.tftcentral.co.uk

Haven’t tried it myself, but Orbx have a couple products that cover England, including their TrueEarth Great Britain South.

At the moment they've talked about modelling the atmosphere up to 65,000', though I wouldn't be surprised if this gets raised at some point.

Throwback Thursday from the MSFS official Instagram account. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_5UYAZgriV/

For the specific types of RAM to buy, look for the approved list from the motherboard manufacturer. As for installing, yes, you should be able to just swap the RAM out, or even add the additional RAM to the system. For overclocking, generally having only two sticks of RAM installed works best. One option you may want to do is enable the XMP profile in the BIOS, if supported by the RAM. https://www.howtogeek.com/257766/how-to-enable-intel-xmp-to-make-your-ram-run-at-its-advertised-speeds/

This is a case where downloading and caching regions might be useful.

Of course you would need the ideal system to run at 4K with all the bells and whistles turned on or up. However, I do think the recommended specs will still provide a pretty good experience out of the box.

Your internet connection is certainly well above what they give as the ideal case! What I meant by bottleneck is that RAM bandwidth is measured in GB/s (gigabytes per second), while your internet connection is in Mb/s (megabits per second). I suspect that being able to hold more data in RAM will be more useful than being able to transfer data in and out out of RAM faster.

No, you won't need the top end idea specs to "even touch this baby". The OP's system looks quite decent and should handle the sim pretty well. One point the specs did leave out is the resolution each level will be running the sim at. A 1080p or 1440p resolution will be far less demanding than a 4k monitor (I'm assuming the ideal specs are aimed at 4k resolutions). As for the RAM speeds, we will need to wait for the sim to be released in order to figure that out. Though having more RAM might be better than faster as your internet connection will likely be the bottleneck. Outside of benchmarks, RAM speeds often don't make much difference.

It really depends on your connection. Many people do have connections of 50 Mbps or faster and no data caps. I would still expect a pretty decent experience with something like a 20 Mbps connection too (assuming no data cap).

The sim can run in three different modes. First is the one that streams the scenery, including the photogrammetry shown in many of the images they have released, data directly from the Azure servers as you fly. The second option is where you will be able to pre-download the scenery for an area and cache it locally so you don't need to re-download it again. And the final option is a pure offline mode without the online streaming and photogrammetry, basically an improved version of what more traditional sims do. To get the best experience you will need something like what is listed in the idea specs section they listed. However, you can dial the settings back and still have a decent time with the recommended specs. The sim will also adjust the settings to adapt to your internet connection. Those with data caps on their internet connections will need to keep an eye on how much data is being used, and likely won't be able to use the full live streaming all the time. If you haven't watched it yet, I recommend checking out Feature Discovery Episode 1 (turn on captions if you have trouble understanding him).

There's likely a fair bit of leeway built into the bandwidth requirements to allow for things like other people in the house watching Netflix as well as poor connections. When it comes to online gaming, ping and latency are often more important than pure bandwidth. Current satellite internet connections may have decent bandwidth but poor latency (due to the extra distance the data has to travel) and aren't suitable for fast paced gaming. On the other hand, a solid 15 Mbps DSL connection with low latency could be great. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Internet_access#Signal_latency For the new sim, faster will certainly be better. A new modem may help, if your old one was the bottleneck, however, there is a good chance any speed issues are elsewhere on your ISP's network too.

Microsoft has released the minimum, recommended and ideal system and internet specs for the sim. https://www.flightsimulator.com/save-the-date-04-21-20/

Have you checked your ping times? Also tried lowering the settings in the game?