Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 may take a huge amount of bandwidth

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 A10 Warthog

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

What you need to know

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 requires a constant internet connection, as the world is streamed in with varying levels of detail depending on player settings and the exact location of a flight.
Early tests of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024's technical alpha show internet bandwidth usage spiking as high as 180Mbps, while also falling to lower consumption rates of around 10Mbps in less-detailed areas of the game world.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is slated to launch on Nov. 19, 2024 across Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC.

Veteran flight sim enthusiast and aspiring pilots alike should double-check their internet connections.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 requires a constant internet connection to play, as the data for the game is streamed in constantly while players soar across the world. While the PC requirements for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 list a 50Mbps connection as meeting the recommended specs, the game's usage could spike higher in particular situations.

MSFS 2024 Technical Alpha | Performance and Internet Bandwidth Tested! - YouTube

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YouTube channel Compusemble tested the technical alpha for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (thanks, Tom's Hardware), finding that internet bandwidth usage could spike as high as 180Mbps in certain situations, roughly 81GB per hour (pray your ISP doesn't have data caps).

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Now, to be fair, the usage also went well below the recommended requirements in many places, with lower-detailed areas seeing the download rate fall to merely 10Mbps in places.

It's also worth noting that this technical alpha was around a 9 GB install, while the full game will be larger at about 30 GB. This means more data might've been streamed during the test that will be locally installed in the full game.

Ultimately, we'll have to wait and see how the whole game pans out to know exactly what the data usage looks like, but you should definitely be prepared for a high rate, just in case.

I had the chance to go hands-on with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 for a preview, and I enjoyed my time with the game, though there are many aspects I couldn't test.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is launching across Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC on Nov. 19, 2024. Like other Xbox first-party games, it's included at launch in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. If you're unsure how you want to play, consult my guide on the different editions of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.