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They both work, but one is more polished.
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Setting up the joystick is fairly straight forward, but you have to navigate to the joystick calibration screen on the main window.Īs far as the user interface goes, think of FSX like an Apple iPhone, while XP 10 is more akin to an Android phone. There are 4 main fields to change (aircraft, location, weather, and time), and FSX even shows you a nice picture of the aircraft you have chosen. On the other hand, FSX has a cleaner presentation while setting up the flight. The downside is that it takes a little time to get comfortable with it. There are a plethora of ways to customize the simulator, especially with joysticks and other add-on hardware. At first glance, XP 10 looks like something only a computer programmer could love. To set up the parameters for the flight (aircraft, location, weather, time, etc.) there is a noticeable difference between the two simulators.
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While the graphics are not the determining factor in my recommendation on which simulator to buy, I prefer the X-Plane 10 presentation over FSX as long as you don’t mind the missing landmarks and less appealing G1000 look. I’ll get more into the functionality below, but the G1000 in FSX looks more like what you see when sitting in the aircraft. Maybe it’s just me, but I like XP 10 when it comes to the standard six-pack.įor the out-of-the-flight-simulator-box G1000, FSX is the winner.
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While the steam gauges in FSX are just fine for shooting an approach, the steam gauges in XP 10 look more polished and the pointers move more smoothly around the gauges. I am more concerned with what I can see during the approach – the instrument panel and cockpit.Īs far as steam gauges go, I think XP 10 is the better of the two. My primary purpose for using a simulator is to shoot approaches with the G1000 and autopilot, so scenery doesn’t really matter that much since I’ll be putting the cloud layer from 200’ AGL to 10,000’ AGL. The landmarks in FSX look a little cartoony, but at least they are there. FSX on the other hand had all of the landmarks I expected to see, the Statue of Liberty and the Golden Gate Bridge to name a few. To sum it up quickly, I like the scenery of XP 10 better, but there were no well-known landmarks to be seen. I flew around New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco and the Grand Canyon on both sims to see how they compare in the scenery detail. Looking outside the cockpit, the scenery of both simulators is fairly decent. Let’s start with how each simulator looks while flying. There are a few modifications in the area of aircraft and avionics that might influence your final decision on which sim best suits your needs. I will also review some modifications that can be installed to enhance the simulator.
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While the main focus will be G1000 functionality and ForeFlight use, the other areas may be of interest if you are still on the fence. This comparison will consider the following aspects:
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If you just want to shoot approaches, run through the menus of the G1000, utilize ForeFlight, and practice operating the aircraft systems, this article will illustrate what you will get without having to install several mods. There are a vast number of modifications that you can add to each and while these might give one of the simulators an edge over the other, I want to begin with an out-of-the-box comparison. I will begin by comparing the base simulators. Just know that it is not a super computer, but it is adequate to run both sims smoothly. XP 10 comparison is tailored for you.īefore we jump in, let’s discuss how FSX and XP 10 will be compared. If you’re a pilot of a technically advanced aircraft (TAA), a pilot who uses ForeFlight, or if you want to see what flying is like with today’s tech, this FSX vs. In this article, I will compare two popular flight simulators, Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) and X-Plane 10 (XP 10), focusing on how each simulator handles recent advancements in aviation. With all of the technological advancement in aviation, it is interesting to see how well flight simulators have kept up with the times. Gentry Shelton, Commercial Pilot, CFI, CFII, MEI Microsoft FSX or X-Plane 10 A Technically Advanced Aircraft Pilot’s Guide
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