Flight Simulator Archives

Winsage

December 28, 2024

Microsoft’s wins, fails, and WTF moments of 2024

In 2024, Microsoft made significant advancements and faced challenges. The Surface Pro 11th Edition, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, showed improved compatibility with applications like Slack and Google Drive. The Microsoft Recall feature encountered skepticism due to delays and privacy concerns. The Windows 11 2024 Update confused users with multiple release channels and contradictory hardware requirements. The Surface Laptop 7 received praise for its battery life and design. Game Pass evolved into a complex array of tiers, complicating user experience. The Surface Studio 2+ was discontinued, disappointing fans. Microsoft’s Copilot initiative faced challenges, and the HoloLens 2 quietly exited the commercial market. Flight Simulator 2024 struggled with technical issues at launch. Microsoft integrated generative AI into core applications like Paint and Photos. The Windows95Man Paperclip emerged as a cultural phenomenon.

AppWizard

December 27, 2024

Alan Wake 2 set such a high technical bar last year that few games in 2024 came anywhere near, but it wasn’t all abject disappointment

Alan Wake 2 debuted late last year, leading to assumptions of a 2024 release. Dragon's Dogma 2 launched in March but had excessive hardware demands and inconsistent performance. Nixxes Software's port of Horizon Forbidden West showcased effective traditional rendering. In May, Nixxes also released the Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut, which lacked ray tracing but was well-executed. June saw the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, the first expansion for Elden Ring, which did not include engine updates, causing performance issues for PC gamers. In August, Black Myth: Wukong and Star Wars Outlaws featured ray tracing but faced performance issues. September brought a port of God of War Ragnarök and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, both performing well. The Silent Hill 2 remake encountered glitches and performance issues on PC, while Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 struggled at launch. Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl had visual appeal but suffered from performance problems and required patches for stability. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle performed well on lower-end hardware but was glitchy. High-profile titles like Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are anticipated for 2025.

Winsage

December 27, 2024

Windows Ugly Sweater winner of last year is …

The readers of The Register participated in a light-hearted competition, with the winner receiving a Windows XP Christmas sweater. Suggestions for the placement of Microsoft’s Copilot included integrating it into itself, incorporating it into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, replacing elected officials, and providing blunt advice in Excel. A straightforward suggestion was made to simply ask the AI what to do. ChatGPT humorously proposed unconventional ideas for Copilot's placement, such as assisting in the bathroom or helping with toasting bread. Sureo's suggestion to ask the AI was deemed the most sensible, leading to their win of the XP sweater.

AppWizard

December 24, 2024

PC Gamer’s highest review scores of 2024

Concerns about "score inflation" in gaming reviews have been raised, with a score of 90% expected to represent an exceptional game. PC Gamer has not awarded a score higher than 98%, with Baldur's Gate 3 receiving the highest score of 97% in its UK edition. The 2024 Game of the Year Award winners are not included, but the year featured quality titles. Scores and their corresponding games include: - 89%: - Persona 3 Reload - Tekken 8 - Dragon's Dogma 2 - V Rising - Little Kitty, Big City - Lorelai and the Laser Eyes - 90%: - Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 - Shogun Showdown - Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred - Satisfactory - Riven - Animal Well - Granblue Fantasy: Relink - 91%: - Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake - Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance - Wild Bastards - Balatro - 92%: - Destiny 2: The Final Shape - Factorio: Space Age - 94%: - Caves of Qud - 95%: - Not specified in the provided text.

AppWizard

December 22, 2024

The Best PC Games to Play in 2025

The PC gaming landscape in 2025 will feature major AAA releases such as Grand Theft Auto VI, Avowed, Assetto Corsa Evo, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Frostpunk 2, and Indika. Technological advancements like ray tracing and DLSS will enhance graphical quality and performance, while cloud gaming services will offer new ways to access games. Players can expect a variety of genres, including RPGs, FPS, simulation, and strategy, each with unique pros and cons. The most anticipated games include Grand Theft Auto VI, Avowed, Assetto Corsa Evo, Stalker 2, Frostpunk 2, Indika, Death Stranding 2, Homeworld 3, Broken Roads, and Pacific Drive. Popular PC-exclusive titles include Valorant, League of Legends, Crusader Kings III, and Factorio. The most played PC games currently are Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Apex Legends, Grand Theft Auto V, Baldur’s Gate 3, Naraka: Bladepoint, Team Fortress 2, Rust, and Cyberpunk 2077. Counter-Strike 2 has the highest concurrent player count on Steam.

Winsage

December 18, 2024

Elevate your PC gaming experience with Windows 11 this holiday season

Windows 11 offers new gaming experiences for PC Game Pass subscribers, including titles like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™. Key features include: - Auto HDR: Enhances SDR games to HDR for improved colors and contrasts. - DirectStorage: Reduces load times using NVMe SSDs, optimizing data loading for better performance. - Game Bar Compact Mode: Simplifies navigation on smaller screens, providing quick access to games and performance metrics. - Dynamic Lighting: Allows synchronization and customization of RGB lighting across devices. - Optimizations for Windowed Games: Introduces Variable Rate Refresh (VRR) to reduce tearing and stuttering in windowed modes. - Advanced Hybrid (CASO)/UMA: Improves performance on hybrid laptops with integrated and discrete GPUs. - Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 support: Enhances online gaming with faster speeds and lower latency. - Color filters for colorblind players: Helps colorblind players differentiate colors while improving frame rates. - Automatic Super Resolution for Arm Copilot+ PCs: Upscales lower-resolution content in real-time. - Xbox app on Windows PC: Manages PC gaming content and facilitates cloud gaming and cross-platform connections.

AppWizard

December 18, 2024

Nvidia’s new app is making PC games run up to 15% slower — here’s how to fix it

Nvidia has introduced a new application to enhance the PC gaming experience, replacing GeForce Experience. Initial feedback suggests that the app may decrease frame rates by up to 15% in popular games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Flight Simulator 2024, primarily due to its AI-powered RTX game filters, which impact performance even when not in use. A workaround involves disabling Game Filters and Photo Mode in the app settings to restore performance. The app also includes updates for Nvidia drivers, but installation is optional. Nvidia is working on solutions and plans to introduce additional features, including enhancements to the Control Panel. The new app is expected to leverage the upcoming Nvidia RTX 50 series GPUs, anticipated to be unveiled at CES 2025.

AppWizard

December 17, 2024

The NVIDIA app on Windows 11 could be sapping performance out of your PC games

The NVIDIA app, which evolved from the GeForce Experience, has been criticized for not improving gaming performance as expected. Tests on games like Black Myth: Wukong and Flight Simulator 2024 at 1080p with medium settings showed concerning results, indicating performance issues that detract from the gaming experience. Gamers are advised to uninstall the NVIDIA app and reinstall the latest drivers from the NVIDIA website while awaiting a fix from the company's engineers.

AppWizard

December 17, 2024

Most popular Xbox games — Indiana Jones and the Great Circle replaces Minecraft in top 3

"Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" has risen to the top three in player engagement on the Xbox gameplay chart, surpassing Minecraft, which has fallen to fifth place. "Marvel Rivals" is in fourth position, while "Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl" has dropped to twelfth. "Hunt: Showdown 1896" debuted at 20th place, and "Cyberpunk 2077" moved up from 39 to 24. "Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled" and "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024" declined to 27 and 28, respectively. "For The King II" entered the chart at 29, and "Warframe," "Elden Ring," and "The First Descendant" returned at 34, 39, and 40, respectively. The chart is based on gameplay data from over 2.4 million active Xbox accounts.

AppWizard

December 15, 2024

Microsoft Flight Sim 2024 gets a really, really big patch adding full control of enabled content

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has released patch 1.2.7.0, which addresses various bugs and enhances user experience, particularly in career mode. The patch allows users to selectively enable content from the previous 2020 marketplace, with all items turned off by default for greater customization. Players on PC are advised to maintain an organized Community Folder, as outdated packages may negatively impact game performance. The launch of the game faced challenges, with developers acknowledging an "awful launch experience" due to bugs and complexities of the new streamed-assets model. Asobo plans to release a major Sim Update 1 and World Update 19, focusing on Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname, in early 2025. Full patch notes for version 1.2.7.0 are available on the official website.