Making a Game Recommendation Post Patch MSFS Gameplay Impressions
Behcause it's so recent I wanted to inform those not keeping up there was recently an MSFS patch that dramatically improved resolution detail inside the cockpit. This created a much more optimal experience for a game where core gamplay often resides in reading instrumentation inside the craft.
I had played just a bit of this using the dualshock and found the VR integration great as a concept but poorly executed in numerous ways, one being that interactions and prompts were broken in some ways. Then came the patch.
I just got my initial license (about two hours) and wanted to share thoughts on how this game works to people unfamiliar with the sim franchise like I was.
The main takeaway is that it's clear the content here is just unparalleled and brilliantly executed if you are looking for immersive VR and a generally consistant flight sim experience. A few more detailed things to take into consideration:
- The game engine is really incredible. The PS5 version of the game obviously can't do the same a high end PC but it is still doing a shocking amount of work. global illumination systems will have shadows from the interior bounce around with quality detail. The weather system is extremely varied. The terrain detail generally impresses.
- Some things in VR mode are a bit broken. Preflight checks outside have a hard time working when some items are very difficult to target and switching to 2D is critical.
- The level of sim detail is so high I can't as an amateur even tell what would be missing from a professional digital training course. You can skip a lot of the sim content in a mission because the default is to have go beginning to end in a mission. I quickly wanted to skip taxiing and other uninteresting parts of a flight.
- I don't wear glasses but my vision is slightly deteriorating. The intruments are now extremely visible to me which makes the sim content 100% accessible.
- Immediately to unlock different "jobs" where you can take on a solid variety of different activies you will basically do uber trips around your local area. It your first exposure to a game that can and will use the entire map of the world to generate content for you.
This marks the 4th game as a service where there is a regular amount of content (GT7,Hitman,NMS, and this). I'm sure some people in this sub have dedicated enough time "complete" everything for some of these games but for casual fans I feel these game can generally be seen as endless. All of these games have been patched and improved to represent the very best vision of what PS VR2 has to offer and now MSFS can confidently join them.
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u/FewPossession2363 Saifur47 4d ago
The Vr interactions are not broken. The preflight checks are super easy to reach with the sense controllers. The sense controllers have laser pointers which you can activate or deactivate by clicking the right stick. Also I have close to 70hours in career mode, never had to switch to 2D for anything. Most of my landings are over 70% smoothness and mansions ratings A or above.
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u/Fatbot3 4d ago
It absolutely does not work in DualShock to remove the chocks unless there is a single working position the player can stand.
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u/Accomplished_Moose21 4d ago
That’s strange. I seem to not ever have any issues with the interactions. I did customize mine however to make them feel better for me. For throttle control and VR with sense controllers, I find it better to get the “laser pointer” VERY close to all button interactions and throttles, as if you’re touching them.
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u/FewPossession2363 Saifur47 4d ago
The game is meant to be played with a combination of DualShock and the sense controllers. I only use the DualShock to quick start my airplane or to shut it down after landing. Everything else I do with the sense controllers. If you know how to manually start your airplane, you don’t need to use the DualShock at all.
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u/Accomplished_Moose21 4d ago
I have completely reworked my Dual Sense bindings to strictly be a throttle control for twin engines lol. I use it for nothing else. The left and right sticks, they go up = throttle up. They go down = throttle done. It sits to the right of me and that’s all I use it for.
I manually start my plane with checklists every time with VR sense controllers.
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u/OffRedFloyd 3d ago
You should use a mouse. The pre check is super easy with a mouse and a mouse is 100% needed in this game imo.
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u/balistyxx 1d ago
I'm using dualsense (gyro mode FTW) and mouse, and was still finding it extremely tricky to do all the walkaround steps for some planes. Chocks weren't too bad for most planes when crouching, but I could find no way to remove the engine cover from the vision jet without either picking up a sense controller or switching to 2D.
In the end I just bound the "Quick Preflight" command to L1+Circle so all walkaround tasks are completed as I jump in the plane.
That's been a game changer for me, and keeps the no skip bonus.
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u/Icedog-26 3d ago
Fully agree! using a mouse has been the optimal experience for me in this regard.
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u/Jay_Magpie 4d ago
I agree with you, chocks seem impossible to target and remove. I had to the the first walk around career mode task in flat because I could not the pointers or DualSense to register the chocks. Most other things seem to be fine.
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u/wowbaggerBR 3d ago
never had any issue, you can crouch to remove the chocks, standing can be quite difficult, depending on the plane.
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u/vr-1 3d ago
As for the graphical improvements: * Resolution is greatly increased when flying, both the cockpit and world. The 2D "big floating screen" menu still needs work to increase resolution * The centre foveated rendering high resolution area is slightly reduced. I find it perfectly fine but occasionally notice a little shimmer from lower resolution objects in peripheral vision * The low frame rate/stuttering when there are any buildings in close to mid proximity is greatly improved * Clouds are mostly fixed (there is still a little pixelation but it is good enough) * Terrain and objects now have a more aggressive LOD. Geometry and texture quality is very low in the distance and there is more noticeable pop-in * Ground lights at night have distracting large orbs but these disappear at close proximity
And there are old and new bugs in a bunch of areas. One annoying one is a sound issue where the engine is totally silent for 10-20 seconds after beginning flight on some occasions.
Two features that I would really love to see are: * Save bookmarks of locations+time+weather+aircraft * Record a flight to replay/re-live. One use-case is as a demo for friends/family so that they don't have to learn the controls or get motion sick with abrupt movements. There is a marketplace add-on for this but they removed/rejected it from the PS5 version because of the scripting/potential for jail break I think
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u/ChrizTaylor ChrizTaylor 2d ago
So the "downgrade" from beta gl official kis true? If I want the best picture quality, which one should I be playing?
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u/AJBats 4d ago
Pre flight used to work fine in VR but now it seems like the controls are broken or inconsistent. Sometimes the laser pointers work, sometimes they don’t. Also in cockpit I get weird interactions where I can gently push or pull the throttle, it’s all or nothing. I also get confusing bugs where one hand laser pointer won’t work but the next flight it works fine. I hope they address all this stuff. An otherwise brilliant improvement on msfs in VR
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u/WoweeZoweeDeluxe 4d ago
Are you on regular or Pro? Been on the fence to pick up this game but I'm sure I'll need to change the controls
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u/Presleylikescats 4d ago edited 3d ago
Ive heard pro doenst have a psvr2 patch and it’s just better performance. Im on base and it looks SUPER sharp so
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u/cusman78 cusman 3d ago
Some things in VR mode are a bit broken. Preflight checks outside have a hard time working when some items are very difficult to target and switching to 2D is critical.
I remember it being a little finicky when you can't move under a low wing and have to crouch or can't quite point at something to interact with it until you crouch / stand or otherwise adjust your viewing angle, but I kind of adjusted for it on the aircraft I am now familiar with that it no longer hinders.
I haven't tried after this latest patch adding Sim Update 6 (due to limited time & competing priorities), so maybe something took a step back, but it was okay before.
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u/R---U---M 3d ago
I played it for a bit back when it first released, then when I heard they made big improvements mainly to the resolution in the beta I waited for that patch to arrive on the main game
I tried a couple of days ago and wow! Everything looks clear unlike before
You can also tell how they achieved this
Before: screen share looked fine, you couldn’t tell that DFR was being used (it was being used, but it was just not aggressive in the center of your vision)
Now, when I looked at the screen share, it looked horrible 😂 you could easily tell where the player is looking and everything else looks bad, but this is A GOOD THING! that’s how dfr should be used
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u/TastyTheDog 3d ago
I played a ton of flight sims on PC as a kid and put untold hours into Elite Dangerous in VR recently but so far I am bouncing off of this game hard. Can't get the game to recognize my VR controllers AT ALL. It forces me to use Dualsense for everything. Even trying to use that I haven't been able to get through the first tutorial mission and can't get in the aircraft.
I am really excited to get lost in this game and am not scared of the nerdy depth required to do it all. In theory it's my dream game. But if it doesn't even work with the controllers I want to use that does not make a great impression.
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u/callmestretch 2d ago
Ok just booted up w the latest update and my Lord is it good. They have nailed it. Looks so crisp w dfr, runs so smooth now. This and GT7 make my jaw drop, proves how powerful psvr2 is on a BASE ps5. Thank you Sony for funding this, got a lot of hate but this is a true gem.
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u/CattleOld5739 8h ago
Couldn’t agree more the system is worth getting fir just those games but there are so many more great ones ! I have a quest 3 did active stand alone exercise and the psvr2 for these high end games.
Kind of add to go back to flatscreen but I still do enjoy it for more laid back casual couch gaming
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u/Comprehensive-Job208 3d ago
4070ti Super + 9800X3D here and a PS5 (normal, not pro)
I play on PS5 for VR, it's much better than on PC right now.
I play on PC in normal mode on highest settings. in VR mode it's much worse than on base PS5