Will Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 run on Xbox Series S (512GB)?

Mo,

Ah man… sorry to hear you’d already pulled the trigger on the Series S before seeing Anthony’s post. The good news is you’re not completely stuck here—there are a few practical things you can do to figure out whether you’ve got a workable setup (and if not, make a quick decision while you’re still in the return window).

What I’d realistically expect on a Series S
In general terms, the Series S can be made to run MSFS, but it’s also the most memory/VRAM-limited platform the sim is offered on. That tends to show up exactly the way Anthony described: aggressive pop-in/LOD limits, stutters that feel like “freeze… then catch up,” and occasional CTDs after longer sessions. Some people have “OK” experiences mainly by dialing back everything that increases streaming and memory pressure, but it can still be inconsistent depending on what/where you fly and the state of the servers that day.

MSFS 40th Anniversary (MSFS 2020) on Series S
MSFS 2020 (including the 40th Anniversary content) is the safer bet on Series S compared to 2024. It’s been through more patch cycles and is generally the more predictable experience on Xbox. That said, Xbox-specific issues (black screens, ATC audio cutting, long-flight instability, crashes when the sim gets “stressed”) have been a thing for some users for a long time. Some folks never see them, others see them regularly.

If your Xbox hasn’t arrived yet (or you’ve just gotten it): what I’d test first
Before you invest more money into peripherals, I’d do a quick, structured test so you know whether your setup is usable:

1. Install size / free space: Keep plenty of free storage on the internal drive. When the drive is nearly full, performance and stability can get worse in general (caching/updates/etc).
2. Network sanity check: Use wired Ethernet if you can. Wi‑Fi works, but MSFS is very sensitive to momentary dips/latency spikes. (Your speed can be great and still have spikes.)
3. Start with a “light” scenario:
   • Small GA aircraft (steam gauge if possible)
   • Clear skies preset
   • A rural area (avoid NYC/London/LA, big handcrafted hubs, etc.)
   • Do a 20–30 minute flight, then a second flight without rebooting the sim (this is where some memory-related instability shows up).
4. Then test a “stress” scenario:
   • Bigger airport
   • More complex aircraft (whatever you actually plan to fly)
   • See if you get texture/terrain degradation, major pop-in, long freezes, or CTDs.
5. If you see the “freeze every few seconds” behavior: that’s usually the sign you’re hitting streaming/memory limits and the sim can’t keep up smoothly on that configuration. At that point, it’s less about your internet speed and more about how the platform is coping with the workload.

A quick note on expectations
If your goal is “study-level airliner flights with busy airports, traffic, long preflights, and reliable stability,” Series S is a tough place to do that. If your goal is “casual GA flying, sightseeing, shorter flights,” you might be able to make it work—especially with MSFS 2020.

A couple questions so I can give you a more accurate steer

• When does the Xbox arrive, and do you have a return window if it doesn’t meet expectations?
• Are you aiming for MSFS 2024 specifically, or would MSFS 2020 (40th) satisfy what you want to do?
• What kind of flying are you planning: GA VFR, IFR airliners, big hubs, long-haul, etc.?
• Are you planning to run on Wi‑Fi or wired Ethernet?

If you can answer those, I’ll tell you straight whether I think you’ll be happy with the Series S for your use case, and what to test first once it’s in your hands.