What is the Best Flight Simulator for PC – My Top 3

Such a forgiving “video game”. You can fly any plane you chose and fly anywhere in the world. Did you crash? No worries, just restart the flight. Yes, I am talking about flight simulators.

Almost all aviators that had an interest in aviation used a flight simulator, before piloting the real thing. Not only real pilots, but they are people who use these games as a hobby. 

When looking for the best flight simulator, simmers want all buttons and knobs to work, have realistic scenery and realistic flying characteristic feels from the aircraft. 

Before I started my training, I used to be on my PC playing flight simulator for sometimes hours in one day. Flying from country to country was so enjoyable and the realism pushed my learning.  

Here are my top 3 best flight simulators for PC.  

3. Microsoft Flight Simulator X 

This is probably the most famous flight simulator. Flight Simulator X (FSX) is more than a decade old and have not been updated like modern sims. Default aircraft are not very good. Same for the scenery. 

However, when it comes to add-ons, FSX have a lot of them, especially the free ones. Since it is an old sim, finding rare aircraft with a decent cockpit will not be as difficult. 

This was my “go to” simulator for many years. 

Advantages of FSX

• Lot of add-on options  
• Do not need a very fast PC to achieve good frame-rates
• Easy to customize planes 

 Disadvantages of FSX

• Old sim
• Not very good-looking, compared to other sims
• Default aircraft are not great 
• Still 32-bit 

2. Prepared 3D

This flight simulator is really good. The default aircraft in Prepared 3D (P3D) are not bad compared to other simulators. In terms of graphics and looks, this simulator wins. The weather, shadow and texture looks amazing! Simmers that regularly fly big airliners love using P3D. 

The one major problem people did not like about P3D was “transferring” paid add-on aircraft from FSX. Some aircraft could have been used for both simulators with one purchase. Others required another new purchase. What makes this worse, the same add-on from P3D is MORE EXPENSIVE than the FSX version. 

Advantages of P3D

• Great graphics 
• Add-ons can made the flying experience amazing 
• 64-bit, unlike FSX
• Easy to customize planes
• Continue to give updates 
• Weather add-ons   

Disadvantages of P3D

• Expensive!!
• Out of the box scenery not as detailed

1. X-Plane 11

Couple years ago, X-Plane was really battling with the older sims. They slowly got people’s attention over the years. Now, majority of flight simmers, including me, would agree this is the best flight simulator. As of this date, X-Plane 11 is now the “go-to” sim. 

X-Plane has better default airports and aircraft than the rest of simulators. Not only that, but the physics in this sim is really brilliant. Controls feel like you are actually flying the plane in real life. 

Advantages of X-Plane

• Default aircraft look amazing
• Continue to give updates 
• Amazing FREE planes 
• Reasonable add-on products from sim companies. 
• Slope runways!

Disadvantages of X-Plane

• Not a lot of third-party add-ons (compared to FSX, for example)
•  weather system not the best

Have you played any of these simulators? Let me know in the comments below!