Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 System Requirements

When you hear the words “flight simulator” in 2020 your first reaction might be thinking of older computer games before PC gaming was more ubiquitous, or perhaps a niche genre that’s only for enthusiasts. But with the release of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, it seems like the idea is fresh and open for a wide audience. And it helps that early review scores have been super high, helping this game get noticed. With that kind of interest boost come lots of inquiries about system requirements, as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is no joke.

What are the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 System Requirements?

The weird thing about Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000, is that despite its bodacious visual fidelity and massive install size, it isn’t entirely relying on your PC hardware to run. Microsoft is actually leveraging its growing cloud service infrastructure with the game, so many of the assets are streamed in rather than rendered. So in addition to your computer’s specs, you’re going to need a consistent internet connection to get the most out of the game.

Related: Microsoft Flight Simulator VR Could Be On the Way Thanks to Overwhelmingly Positive Player Feedback

Microsoft has released three official system requirements configurations, which are labeled as Minimum, Recommended, and Ideal. Without further ado, here’s what you’re going to need for each configuration.

Minimum Requirements:

• AMD Ryzen 3 1200
• Intel i5-4460

• Radeon RX 570
• Nvidia GTX 700

• 2GB VRAM
• 8GB RAM
• 150 GB Storage

• Windows 10 Nov 2019 update (1909)

Recommended Requirements:

• Ryzen 5 1500X
• Intel i5-8400

• Radeon RX 590
• Nvidia GTX 970

• 4GB VRAM
• 16GB RAM
• 150 GB Storage

• Windows 10 Nov 2019 update (1909)

Ideal Requirements:

• AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 2700X
• Intel i7-9800X

• Radeon VII
• Nvidia RTX 2080

• 8GB VRAM
• 32GB RAM
• 150 GB Storage SSD

• Windows 10 Nov 2019 update (1909)

There are also three sets of internet requirements, using the same categories. These are the streaming needs for the game, ranging from the Minimum to the Ideal requirements.

• Minimum: 5 Mbps
• Recommended: 20 Mbps
• Ideal: 50 Mbps

It’s worth noting that while it isn’t VR-compatible at launch, Microsoft Flight Simulator will be updated later on with VR capability. This will likely alter the specifications required, so keep an eye out for that when details are released. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 will also be coming to Xbox One at a later date, if your PC rig isn’t quite up to snuff at the moment. It’s also included in Xbox Game Pass, so if you aren’t sure if you can run it or not, that’s an easy way to try without spending extra cash.

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Are you looking into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 for PC, or waiting for the console release? Are you going to be a newcomer to flight simulator games, or are you a seasoned veteran? Let us know what you think over at the Prima Games Facebook and Twitter channels!