Game review: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (PS5 Edition)

I remember I was 12 years old in 2001, and my brother cheekily allowed me to play Grand Theft Auto 3. The game was innovative because it allowed me to explore a living and breathing city full of cars, pedestrians and so much more. 

As much as I loved Grand Theft Auto 3 as a kid, a part of me wanted more. Two years later, I got that because Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas came out, and that game allowed me to explore three cities instead of one. 

A part of me again wanted even more. I wanted to imagine a game where you could explore more than one country! Well, my dream finally became a reality when Microsoft released Microsoft Flight Simulator in 2020. This was the first game I know of that allowed you to explore the entirety of planet Earth. 

Using the technology of Bing Maps, the 2020 version of Microsoft Flight Simulator literally allowed you to visit any country and any city in the entire world. It was like the video game version of Google Maps, and it was awesome. 

That being said, the Microsoft Flight Simulator series was only exclusive to PC and Xbox gamers at the time. However, Microsoft has changed its strategy because many previous exclusives are now making their way to the PS5. December 2025 now marks the release of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 for the first time on PS5. 

Although the game has many game modes, the one thing I wanted to try first was Free Flight Mode. In this mode, you can pick any vehicle you want (plane or helicopter), and travel to any location in the world you wish. You can even set the time of day and the weather you want. 

Since I live in Auckland, this was the first location I decided to visit. I remember playing Flight Simulator 2020, and I was disappointed by its representation because the Sky Tower wasn't there, and the Harbour Bridge's famous arches weren't animated either. 

Thankfully, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is a huge improvement when it comes to animating the beautiful city of Auckland. The Sky Tower and Harbour Bridge are here, and they are landmarks that you can explore.

Eden Park is also located in the heart of the city and looks great from afar as well. The new game also allows you to exit your vehicle, and you can explore the city on foot. That being said, I preferred using the Free Cam mode instead to see what the game looked like on street level.

Before I talk about street level, the game from above the skies looks photorealistic. I played the game on my 4K TV, and anybody passing by who is watching the game might mistake it for real-life footage! Whether it's Auckland City or New York, nearly every location on Earth is accurately modelled (most of the time). 

The only time the graphics see a dip in visual quality is when you visit the game on street level. Most buildings in the game look great from afar, and important landmarks are usually fully animated too. Things like residential buildings or unimportant objects look horrendous though when you view them from close up.

I only noticed this because I wanted to know if the game was able to render my house correctly. From a location standpoint, it is accurate because my house is near the Mt Roskill Mountain. From a visual standpoint, normal houses like mine look horrible from up close!

This isn't a total knock on the game's visuals, though, because I suspect the PS5 (or current hardware) isn't powerful enough to render every building in great detail. Yes, the game looks great while flying a plane or helicopter, but some corners are cut to make sure the game can run on current-gen hardware. 

The only major flaw with the game's accuracy is that Bing Maps' data is outdated. I visited Sydney, Australia, to see what Accor Stadium looks like since I went there to see Taylor Swift in real life back in 2024. To my surprise, the game still has the stadium, but it's called ANZ Stadium instead. 

Since I'm a huge WWE fan, I also went to the United States to see all of the WrestleMania stadiums I could think of. Sadly, I visited Los Angeles, and SoFi Stadium isn't even in the game yet! It's just a construction site in the game currently. I'm hoping a simple update or something can make some of the cities more accurate to 2025. 

I've been talking a lot about Free Flight Mode; I forgot to talk about the other modes in the game. One mode I liked playing a lot was called World Photographer Mode. It is here where you visit some of the world's most famous cities to try and photograph their iconic landmarks from the air. 

Some of the landmarks you have to photograph include the Eiffel Tower, Stonehenge, the Statue of Liberty, and the Pyramids of Giza. It can be somewhat difficult trying to get the perfect photographs from the air, but every location looks beautiful. 

Another big feature in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the extensive Career Mode. It is probably here where you should start the game because it has a helpful tutorial mode to teach you the basics for flying lots of different aircraft. Despite using a PS5 DualSense controller, developer Asobo Studio has managed to make the game manageable for console users. 

As you advance in your career, you can choose the type of job you want to have. This can include an aerial firefighter, a search and rescue helicopter pilot, an air ambulance pilot, among others. 

The last major mode in this game is called Challenge League Mode. In this mode, you can test your skills as a pilot by competing in Rally Races, Precision Landing Challenges and more. It takes a lot of practice in order to be skilled in this game, but the payoff is worth it once you master the game's controls and physics system. 

Aside from the outdated data that this game receives from Bing Maps, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is a blast to play on PS5. The graphics are mostly good, and the game features the best gaming map of all time, and that's the entirety of planet Earth!

Verdict: 9.0/10