I hope controls will be easy so if anyone who doesnt own Joystick can play this game too

[Marcosdonalt]

Title above.

[MugHug]

Are you serious?

It is a simulator of flying aircraft and aircraft use joystick/yokes as their primary means to control flight. It's main purpose is not as a pretty game. Also you can save a lot of money and get other cheaper or free flight sims if you are approaching this as a casual pastime.

Sounds like you would be better to go for something like the freeware FlightGear flight simulator and then you have money for a joystick. Maybe get FSX instead and still buy a joystick.
https://www.flightgear.org/about/

[shadowgravy]

Microsoft made MSFS 2020 (and FSX) accessible to gamers and casual players who don't own joysticks or yokes. I'm sure there will be options in MSFS 2024 to use mouse and keyboard, or a gamepad controller, just like in previous versions.

[WildDogsGaming]

Although you *can* play MSFS2020 with m/k, it is not as easy as with a joystick/yoke/throttle. It is easier with a controller than with M/K in my opinion, but that lacks a lot of the details of the better and more expensive methods. My suggestion, you can get XBox Game pass now, try out MSFS2020 for a while.

[-OrLoK- Слава Україн]

Originally posted by Marcosdonalt:

Title above.

2020 was perfectly "flyable" with a controller, im sure 2024 will be too.

A Stick and Throttle is preferred but you should be fine without.

[NuclearSnail]

2020 was in some ways, easier with a mouse and key board than it is with a joystick, due to control mapping.

[kananesgi]

Thing is, if your on PC, look for a Logitech Extreme 3D. It's a fairly simple joystick with integrated throttle slider and a fair number of buttons, feels really good in the hand (if your right handed), and can be found for as little as $20 sometimes. Amazon has it right now brand new for $35. Around Thanksgiving it'll probably drop to the $20 range again. It has been on the market for over 20 years I think, and there's a good reason it's been out there that long without change. It's a very solid, simple, affordable, and usable stick for all kinds of simulation games, and it has been my go-to stick for casual flying, racing, battlemechs, you name it, for 20+ years now (and I'm only on my second one, too).

If your a lefty, look at the Thrustmaster T1600M. A bit more money at ~$80, but been around near as long as the Extreme 3D, has a few more buttons I think, it's as good or better than the Logi, and is ambidextrous. I believe there are other lefty options that are cheaper, but I have no experience with them.

Just realize that you don't have to spend hundreds, or even more than a hundred, on a decent joystick to enjoy FS. You can do that, of course. I've got well above $1500 in my current setup just in the last couple of years, thousands over the decades, but you don't need any of that to enjoy the sim. For many years, I flew with nothing more than a simple CH Products joystick that had maybe 4 buttons and a throttle slider. If you can afford up to $100, there are a lot of very good options, many significantly less than that.

If your on console, I have no idea what's available there. I've never used anything more than a gamepad on consoles, and that is also a very valid option for FS. Not as fun as a simple stick like the Logi above, but still very usable, and using a gamepad always reminds me of my RC aircraft days.

[BrianRubin]

I played the technical weekend entirely with a gamepad and it was great.

[graphitepaddle]

Originally posted by BrianRubin:

I played the technical weekend entirely with a gamepad and it was great.

What exactly does 'technical weekend' mean?

Curious, based on another message thread, that though an Xbox controller will better than the mouse/combo. But compared to a decent flight stick (never mind pedals & throttles), it would result in an unsatisfying experience with MSFS 2024.

Will start playing MSFS 2024 with an Xbox series 2, but only to,

1. Give a feel for the game, and see if it needs to be returned inside Steam's 2 hour return window.
   
2. As a baseline, so I know what a serious flight stick adds to the experience.

[Manwith Noname]

The technical weekend was a test open to people outside MS and Asobo to gather data on performance of various aspects needed for the game to function.

As for "unsatisfying experience" without said peripherals, that is completely down to each individual. It's perfectly fine with a joypad. You are mostly listening to the opinions of hardcore flight simmers here.

[graphitepaddle]

Originally posted by Manwith Noname:

The technical weekend was a test open to people outside MS and Asobo to gather data on performance of various aspects needed for the game to function.

As for "unsatisfying experience" without said peripherals, that is completely down to each individual. It's perfectly fine with a joypad. You are mostly listening to the opinions of hardcore flight simmers here.

Thanks!

Sound like the prudent thing to do is to play the game with the Xbox, THEN decide if the flight stick is really needed.

[Manwith Noname]

If you have a USB mouse and keyboard you could consider plugging them in to your XBox for additional flexibility.

[graphitepaddle]

Originally posted by Manwith Noname:

If you have a USB mouse and keyboard you could consider plugging them in to your XBox for additional flexibility.

Don't see an advantage over leaving it plugged into the computer, along with the Xbox controller.

My PC has a lot of punch for running games, including a RTX 4090 w. 24G of VRAM, plus 64G on the motherboard. (The CPU is a i9-13900K, but I don't think it will slow me down that much.)

[Manwith Noname]

Sorry, think I misunderstood...

Originally posted by graphitepaddle:

Sound like the prudent thing to do is to play the game with the Xbox, ...

Thought this meant you were going to play on an actual XBox. Yeah, keep 'em plugged in to your PC if you are playing on PC. Point was having a mouse and keyboard will be useful for certain things allowing the joypad to primarily be a flight control device.

[graphitepaddle]

2 lessons learned:

• When using the word, 'Xbox', on the Steams, have to remember to put in context ==> DO NOT assume that readers know that I'm using it as a PC peripheral.
  
• Don't use expect the Xbox as exclusive control device. Prudent to perform some operations using the keyboard and/or mouse. (Not a surprise, since I do that with my driving simulator game.)

[tmaddox]

On both PC and and Xbox Series X I have exclusively played it only with a Xbox game controller. It may not be the most immersive but it gets the job done fine.