Friday, March 30, 2012

Some Important Considerations About Purchasing Flight Simulator Games

By Pete Harris


If you want the best flight simulator setup possible there are a number of considerations you need to be aware of. You will need to think about the level of visual detail the simulator has, as well as the realism and challanges associated with the gameplay. The above considerations will be affected by the type of hardware and software you intend to use. Is your home computer up to the task of running your chosen simulater and what additional software or hardware items will you run.

The hardest part for your computer to handle when running a flight simulator is the graphics. The higher the graphics detail then the slower your PC will be. This is compounded by running additional software packages in conjuction with your simulator. To help with computer performance it is important to ensure that your hard disk drive is healthy and well fragmented. If you can afford to purchase an individual drive solely for the purpose of running the simulator you will find that your computer performance will increase considerably.

Hardware add-ons are an integral part of any realistic home simulator. Additions range from throttle quadrants and yokes, to rudder pedals, track IR devices and radios. The most commonly bought hardware items are yokes, throttles and rudder pedals. These additions give you the essential flight controls of any aircraft and at the same time increase the realism tenfold.

Software add-ons are very common for most mainstream flight simulator games. Microsoft Flight Simulator probably has the most add-ons of all the simulators available to buy and download. These add-ons include new and more realistic aircraft, detailed scenery for most parts of the globe, realistic weather effects and visuals and air traffic control software. Running these in addition to the flight simulator takes a lot of processing power, if you are considering running a large amount of add-ons it is definitely worth while looking at CPU upgrades.

Obviously the biggest choice to make is deciding which particular flight simulator you wish to purchase. These days there are literally hundreds available and they all seem to offer the same thing. High realism, amazing graphics and world wide flying oppurtunites. This is mostly true however ensure you read some reviews about the package you are considering and see that it will match up with what your expectations are.

It is beneficial to read some reviews about flying games before making a purchase, these will give you an indication of whether the game will run well on your computer as well as whether it will deliver everything you expect. Consider joining a virtual airline also as these will increase the enjoyment as well as provide some extra realism.




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