When Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was officially announced for PlayStation 5 a few weeks ago, it marked a historic first for the franchise. For the first time in its four-decade history, the simulator — once synonymous with PC gaming and more recently with Xbox — is coming to a Sony console.
Now, during the October Developer Stream, the team shared the first concrete technical and ecosystem details about what PlayStation pilots can expect. The session didn’t just reaffirm that the PS5 version is well underway; it clarified what will (and won’t) carry over from the Xbox and PC ecosystem, how peripherals will work, and what’s planned for the Marketplace and VR support.
For Microsoft and Asobo, this is a chance to expand the simulator’s reach while carefully adapting it to a platform with a very different infrastructure, one where cross-play, controller integration, and third-party distribution come with unique challenges. Here’s what we learned on this week’s developer update!
Cross-play and entitlements
- The team said the PS5 version will not support cross-play with Xbox or PC because it does not use Xbox authentication.
- Purchases from the Xbox/PC Marketplace won’t carry over to PS5. The ecosystems will remain separate, according to the developers.
Peripherals and input on PS5
- Currently there are compatibility quirks with some HOTAS units on PS5. The developers highlighted one confirmed option at launch: Thrustmaster Flight HOTAS 4 support on PS5 games.
- The PS5 build will make use of DualSense features. The team said haptics, controller audio, and the touchpad will be supported.
Marketplace on PS5
- At release, the PS5 in-sim Marketplace will start with first-party content. The team said this is to ensure stability on the new platform.
- If testing goes well, third-party add-ons will be introduced gradually, with the developers pointing to a target around spring for that phased rollout.
- Pricing remains up to each developer. No special PS5 pricing policy was announced.
PSVR support in 2026
- The developers reiterated that PS VR2 support is planned for 2026.
MSFS 2024 is currently undergoing a closed PS5 beta to validate the port. You can already find some promising footage online from beta testers, which for the most part are showcasing a smooth experience with everything simmers have come to expect from the base sim. During the live developer stream, the MSFS team said few PlayStation-specific issues have appeared so far.
And this is what you can expect on day one! Bringing Microsoft Flight Simulator to PlayStation 5 will be the start of a new chapter for the franchise. For the first time, the simulator’s world will open to a completely new audience, many of whom may be experiencing it for the first time outside the Xbox and PC ecosystem. That kind of growth has the potential to inject fresh energy into the Marketplace, third-party development, and the wider simming community.
But it also comes with its own set of complications. Managing separate ecosystems, ensuring hardware compatibility, and keeping performance consistent across three major platforms will be an ongoing balancing act. If done right, though, this could mark the moment when Microsoft Flight Simulator truly becomes a platform-agnostic experience that invites more people than ever to take part!
