Using microsoft flight simulator on Mac

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FutureFly

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FutureFly
Looking at getting an Mac air book M1 for the next 4 years of college classes, have read that using Microsoft flight simulator on Mac requires a subscription of a Xbox game card and the use of an Xbox controller. Has anyone used said setup? Is there a more realistic chair flying experience with using a Mac?
 
FutureFly said:
chair flying experience with using a Mac?
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Hi.
I would NOT use / get XPlane12 at this point.
There are so many things wrong with it that most users that purchased it are no longer using it, and some wanted to get refund.
The cockpits / instrument panel is way too dark in most acft, like the C172 to the point that it renders it useless.
The throughput required to just run it in Real time, above 20 FPS, with decent settings, is incredible, needs at least a CPU in the 5GHz, 3090 or above Video, 32GB RAM..
At this time it's only available in Digital download which is limited to only a couple of weeks of use unless you have Internet available to revalidate. Some people had to go to their friends to revalidate when they needed to use it and had no internet available.
There are some distributions that are showing up ind DVD but not widely available in USA.
If you want XP look for XP11, on DVD, or available on Steam for around $30.00

There in Nothing of added value in XP12, knowing what I know now about it I would not waste any of my time with it. I don't know what is going on with that group, arrogance, ignorance, air of superiority thinking that they can dictate to customers what they want them to do..? I have no idea, they've known about some of these problems for many months but they chose to do nothing about them.
My opinion is stay away from XP12 unless you have no other choice.
 
XP12 is great, ignore the doomsday stuff from the other commenter. I would agree, however, that 32GB RAM is a good idea.
As with most any flight sim, the faster the CPU the better. I wouldn't find it useful without a yoke. Honeycomb yoke is excellent. Also, for me personally, a laptop screen would be too small. I run mine off a 27" screen.
 
FutureFly said:
Looking at getting an Mac air book M1 for the next 4 years of college classes, have read that using Microsoft flight simulator on Mac requires a subscription of a Xbox game card and the use of an Xbox controller. Has anyone used said setup? Is there a more realistic chair flying experience with using a Mac?
Click to expand...

What is your end goal? Is this for fun or for practice as you work on your ratings?

Personally, I think that Microsoft flight simulator's advantage is in its VFR experience. The VFR gameplay is amazing for using the sim for entertainment, but most of the training benefit of sims are in IFR procedures (in my opinion). For practicing procedures, using a sim on an XBox controller has very little value.

I have an M1 air that I run XPlane 11 on to practice IFR between flights, but I don't enjoy flying VFR in XP11.
 
mr_happyland said:
... that 32GB RAM is a good idea.
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Hi.
Memory is Not critical, actually XP12 will run fine in under 16GB, 11-12GB is fine. At this stage the Most critical component is the Video 3XXX or 4XXX type and a fast CPU above 4.6GHz that number of cores is Not very important.
If using it for VR, even with the simple low res VR / Quest a 4XXX series and 32GB of RAM is suggested, using it with a hires like Pimax... is a must in addition to the CPU, Video and Solid state drive. Think about $5-6000.00 system
Using Vulkan they can target a specific areas of interest but the the overall code is very inefficient, and adding all the useless 3D stuff kills that sim.
Again, if you want something XP get XP11 and stay away from XP12 .
 
Flight sim and peripheral support is going to be much better in a Windows PC than on a Mac. Is there a reason why you need an Apple device for school?
 
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