The numbers are in, and they tell a clear story. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has officially become the most used platform in the flight simulation community, according to the 2026 FlightSim Community Survey published today by Navigraph. With over 42,000 participants, it’s the largest edition of the survey to date, and for anyone following the MSFS add-on space, there’s plenty here worth paying attention to.
The platform shift is real
More than 30% of respondents reported switching platforms from MSFS 2020, and the survey data shows the overwhelming majority of those who moved went to MSFS 2024. X-Plane 12 continues to hold a steady share of the community, but the direction of travel is clear. For add-on developers and buyers alike, it’s a very important piece of data. It reinforces that the centre of gravity in the ecosystem has genuinely moved, and that investing in MSFS 2024-native products is no longer a bet, it’s the obvious call.
Fenix leads, PMDG holds strong
Aircraft preferences in MSFS follow a familiar hierarchy, but the margins are worth noting. The Fenix Airbus A319/A320/A321 family comes out on top with 43% of respondents naming it as their primary aircraft. PMDG holds two strong positions, with the 737 variants at 32% and the 777 at 23%. These are the products that dominate community discussions, and the survey confirms they dominate actual usage too.
The best of 2025, according to the community
When asked to name the standout releases of the past year, respondents pointed to the iniBuilds A350 as the top pick, followed by the Fenix BFU and WinControl hardware. It’s a telling list. The A350 was a huge release, the Fenix BFU brought meaningful systems depth to an already strong product, and WinControl has been carving out a real presence in the hardware space.
What’s coming next
Looking ahead, the survey also captures where excitement is building. The most anticipated upcoming releases among respondents include the Fenix A320neo, Bluebird’s 757 and 767, and new hardware from WinControl. Nothing too surprising there, but it’s a useful pulse check on where community attention is focused heading into the rest of 2026.
Hardware: the RTX 5000 generation is arriving
On the hardware side, the RTX 4090 remains the most popular GPU in the community, though its share has dropped noticeably compared to last year. Newer cards from the RTX 5000 series, including the 5080, 5070 Ti, and 5090, are already appearing in respondents’ setups. RAM-wise, 32GB remains the most common configuration, though 64GB is on the rise.
The full 2026 FlightSim Community Survey report and complete dataset are available at navigraph.com/blog/survey-2026.
