The next version of Microsoft Flight Simulator, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, is due for release very soon— and ahead of that November 19 landing, Microsoft has shared an extensive list of enhancements to Flight Simulator in a blog post as well as disclosed the new Flight Simulator system requirements, which have become much lighter in one way (storage) and much heavier in others. This is particularly true when you look at the "Ideal Spec" Microsoft advises since Flight Simulator is such a technically ambitious game that it needs Minimum, Recommended, and Ideal System Requirements.
The original specification listed in a June 2023 post is 50 GB, but Microsoft claims a 30 GB requirement in its most recent September 20 blog post—more on this below and why 50 GB may still be required.
First, good news: Microsoft has successfully reduced the install size from the 2020 release of Microsoft Flight Simulator by a significant margin. Prior, Flight Simulator's base version alone required 130 GB, and content added afterward pushed the install size closer to 400 GB—now, though, the base game is only 30 GB while maintaining all the same features. How is this possible?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 System Requirements and Recommended Specifications
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Minimum System Requirements | Recommended System Specifications | Ideal System Specifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System Version | Windows 10 with latest update | Windows 10 with latest update | Windows 10 with latest update |
| DirectX Version | DirectX 12 | DirectX 12 | DirectX 12 |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-6800K or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X | Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X | Intel Core i7-14700K or AMD Ryzen 9 7900X |
| GPU | Nvidia GTX 970 or AMD RX 5700 | Nvidia RTX 2080 or AMD RX 5700 XT | Nvidia RTX 4080 or AMD RX 7900 XT |
| GPU VRAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | 64 GB |
| Storage Space | 30 GB | 30 GB | 30 GB |
As Microsoft explains, "By tapping into the latest cloud streaming technology, installation size has been trimmed down to about 30 GB to get you in your seat and flying as quickly as possible, streaming in the higher detailed areas that are only necessary for your flight path; Why install all the data for the United States when you're intended to just fly over Europe for the evening?"
This could mean that 30 GB is the required install size before you can select a flight path and stream the rest of the data as needed to your drive, with an estimated ~20 GB buffer required on top of the base game for a flight path. But whatever the case may be, it's undoubtedly a massive improvement over the insane install size of Flight Simulator (2020).
At the cutting edge of consumer flight simulators, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is looking to shape up fairly well— and its reliance on cloud streaming is probably also why those Ideal RAM requirements are so astronomically high, at 64 GB. As unreasonable as it sounds and may even be (at least for your wallet), it does make sense when you consider Flight Simulator's ability to simulate nearly the entire planet with incredibly realistic graphics.
If you're into that, there's a more chilled-out hot air balloon mode now.
