Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Faces Launch Challenges

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 made its debut this week on Xbox, PC, and through Xbox Game Pass. However, many players are facing significant performance issues, including lengthy waiting times to access the game and, in some cases, being stuck at 97% during loading. In a video update released on Wednesday, Asobo Studios expressed their regret regarding the launch troubles, citing that they “underestimated” the demand for server access.

Jorg Neumann, the head of the series, remarked, “We anticipated a high level of excitement for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, but we completely miscalculated just how overwhelming it would be, straining our infrastructure. We sincerely apologize for this situation.”

As players continue to encounter issues, the game’s support account on Twitter suggests restarting the game if it stalls above 90% and recommends checking the Xbox Status page for updates. They also noted that the problems related to login queues have mostly been addressed.

The current challenges stem from the introduction of new features in this edition of the game. To minimize the amount of data loaded at once, such as maps and assets, Asobo Studios has employed cloud storage technology. This allows the game to retrieve only what is needed for a player’s flight path, resulting in requests sent to the server that can take time to process. As a result, a significant amount of data is cached. This approach was previously tested with simulations involving 200,000 users.

In the video update, Asobo’s CEO, Sebastian Wloch, elaborated that the slow loading times and performance issues arise from the servers’ cache becoming overloaded due to the high volume of requests. “We attempted to restart our services, manage player numbers, and expand the queue size for faster access, but these measures were only temporarily successful before traffic overwhelmed the system,” he explained. This has also led to some in-game elements, such as optional default aircraft, failing to load properly.

Wloch added, “We are diligently investigating these problems, and our priority is ensuring that everyone can access the game as quickly as possible.”

It’s not unusual for massive games like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 to encounter issues at launch. The game is notably demanding, requiring 64GB of RAM to operate under optimal settings on PC. The previous iteration, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, prompted many players to upgrade their hardware. However, the current situation has escalated, with players quickly noticing the shortcomings. The Steam version currently holds an “Overwhelmingly Negative” rating.