So, you've got your flight stick dusted off, the rudder pedals are calibrated, and you're ready to jump into the cockpit of the most ambitious flight sim ever. But then you realize: when exactly can I hit that "Fly" button? Honestly, nothing is more frustrating than sitting in front of a loading bar while your friends are already halfway across the Atlantic.
The msfs 2024 release time isn't just a single "midnight" moment for everyone. Microsoft and Asobo decided to go with a simultaneous global launch for the PC and Xbox versions back on November 19, 2024. If you were looking for a "rolling" release where New Zealand gets it first—sorry, the "New Zealand trick" didn't work this time around.
The Global Arrivals Board
Basically, everyone on PC (Steam and Windows Store) and Xbox Series X|S got access at the exact same moment. Because the world is, well, a globe, that meant some people were waking up to it while others were staying up way past their bedtime.
Here is how the clock actually looked for the major hubs:
- Los Angeles: 8:00 AM PST
- New York: 11:00 AM EST
- London: 4:00 PM GMT
- Berlin/Paris: 5:00 PM CET
- Tokyo: 1:00 AM JST (on Nov 20)
It’s kinda wild to think about. While simmers in Seattle were sipping their morning coffee and starting the download, folks in Japan were literally waiting until the middle of the night to see those new 3D rocks and trees.
The PS5 Twist: A Different Flight Path
Now, if you’re reading this and wondering why your PlayStation 5 isn't showing the same thing, that’s because the console's flight plan was totally different. While the Xbox and PC crowd had their fun in late 2024, the PS5 version officially landed on December 8, 2025.
Interestingly, the PS5 launch didn't follow the "one big bang" global time. Instead, it used a rolling release. Most regions saw the game unlock at midnight local time. This meant the New Zealanders actually did get to fly first for the Sony launch. If you were an Early Access flyer (having bought the Deluxe or Aviator editions), you got in on December 2, 2025.
Why the "Download Size" is a Total Lie
You might have seen the "50 GB" or "30 GB" requirement on the store page and thought, "Oh, that’s easy, I'll be flying in ten minutes."
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Wrong.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 uses a "thin client" system. When you first "install" the game from the store, you aren't actually downloading the game. You're downloading the launcher.
- PC users often saw a measly 12 MB initial download.
- Xbox users saw about 330 MB.
Once you actually launch the game at the official msfs 2024 release time, that’s when the real work starts. The sim then begins pulling the actual data from the Azure servers. Even though the base install is much smaller than the 2020 version (which was a massive 150GB+), the 2024 version relies heavily on streaming.
If you have a slow internet connection, the "release time" is just the start of your waiting period. Asobo recommends at least a 50 Mbps connection for a decent experience, but if you want to see the "Ideal" spec level with all those 3D animals and high-res photogrammetry, you really need 100 Mbps or more.
What Most People Get Wrong About Pre-loading
Can you pre-load MSFS 2024? Technically, yes. Useful? Not really.
Because the game is essentially a cloud-based streamer, there isn't much to "pre-load" in the traditional sense. You can have the icon sitting on your dashboard, but since the meat of the game—the 2.5 petabytes of world data—lives on Microsoft's servers, you're always going to be at the mercy of your bandwidth the second you take off.
One thing that caught people off guard during the initial launch was the "Tech Alpha" experience. Some expected they could jump right in, but the server load at the exact release time caused some massive bottlenecks. If you’re planning a flight right at the unlock second, just be prepared for a bit of "server jitter."
Pro-Tips for a Smooth Takeoff:
- Check your ISP caps: This game can eat through data like a 747 eats fuel. We're talking up to 80GB of data per hour if you're flying over high-detail areas with every setting maxed out.
- The RAM Situation: While the download is small, the memory requirement is huge. If you want the "Ideal" experience, you need 64GB of RAM. 32GB is the "Recommended" sweet spot. If you’re on 16GB, expect some stutters when the world is streaming in.
- Community Add-ons: If you’re moving over from MSFS 2020, most of your marketplace purchases should carry over. However, they don't just appear. You’ll need to go into the Content Manager after the release time and manually trigger those downloads.
The Verdict on Launch Day
The move to a 30GB base install with cloud streaming is a double-edged sword. It means you don't need a dedicated 2TB SSD just for flight simming, which is a huge win for most of us. But it also means that the msfs 2024 release time is only the beginning of a constant relationship with your internet router.
If you’re on Xbox or PC, the game is out and ready. If you’re on PS5, you’ve recently joined the fleet. The best thing you can do right now is make sure your "Rolling Cache" is set up in the options menu. This stores some of that streamed data on your hard drive so you don't have to download the same patch of grass every time you practice touch-and-gos at your local airport.
Your next steps: Open your Xbox app or Steam library and ensure the "Digital Ownership" file and the base launcher are updated. If you’re on PS5, check your library for the "Version 1.37" or higher update to ensure you have the latest stability patches that fixed the initial VRAM bugs. Once you're in, head straight to the "Career Mode"—it's the biggest change from the 2020 version and actually gives you a reason to fly besides just looking at your house.