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Can you run Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition? PC requirements and settings

Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition, by Microsoft Game Studios (Simulation), came out on Steam on December 18, 2014. Here are the official specs, and what they mean on the most common graphics cards.

Minimum cardDirectX9 compliant video card or greater, 256 MB video RAM or higher, Shader Model 1.1 or higher (Laptop versions of these chipsets may work but are not supported. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required)
Recommended RAM2 GB

Estimate per graphics card

No frame-rate estimate for this game

The official page does not name a specific graphics card for both the minimum and the recommended specs. Rather than an invented number, we give none. ORION does the maths on your own PC, with your card, processor and screen, then measures the real frame rate while you play.

Official specs

Minimum and recommended requirements

Minimum

OS
Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later
Processor
2.0 Ghz or higher (single core)
Memory
2 GB RAM
Graphics
DirectX9 compliant video card or greater, 256 MB video RAM or higher, Shader Model 1.1 or higher (Laptop versions of these chipsets may work but are not supported. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required)
DirectX
Version 9.0c
Storage
30 GB
Publisher's note
Broadband internet connection required for multiplayer features

Source: the game's Steam page, read on October 7, 2026.

Where to buy

Buy Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition

The official page first. In ORION, the Store tab compares prices across shops, with the official stores listed before key resellers.

On your PC

The same estimate with your own hardware, and the settings applied for you

ORION is a free game launcher for Windows. It reads your graphics card, processor and screen, estimates every game in your library, then measures the real frame rate while you play and sets the game up with its "Recommended" profile. No account, no ads.

Questions

Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition at a glance

Which graphics card do I need for Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition at 1080p?

Minimum: DirectX9 compliant video card or greater, 256 MB video RAM or higher, Shader Model 1.1 or higher (Laptop versions of these chipsets may work but are not supported. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required). The official page does not name a specific graphics card for both minimum and recommended specs, so we give no frame-rate estimate for this game. ORION does the maths on your own PC.

How much RAM does Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition need?

The publisher recommends 2 GB of RAM.

How much storage does Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition take?

The official page asks for 30 GB of storage.

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By genre: Simulation games