X‐Plane vs MSFS: a Cross-Sim Helicopter Experience

Every time I talk about Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 helicopters, someone inevitably chimes in with a similar line:

After hearing it enough times, I finally gave in. I picked up X‑Plane 12 on special, grabbed the Alpine Studio AS350 pack from X-Plane.org, and decided it was time to experience this for myself.

The AS350B2 is a meaningful aircraft for me. It was the first helicopter type I ever flew in as a passenger, and I’ve wanted a convincing version of it in a sim for years. So loading into a cool morning in Salzburg, surrounded by the Alps, felt like a fitting way to begin.

Inside the cockpit, the aircraft looked good, though not quite at the ultra‑polished level we’ve grown accustomed to in MSFS’s latest generation of add‑ons. Some textures showed their age, and a few polygon edges were visible if you went looking for them. But the overall modelling had charm and character, the rotor hub looked great, and the landing skids flexed convincingly.

What didn’t catch my attention in a good way were X-Plane 12’s camera controls. I still haven’t figured out how to map multiple views to the same controller input, and right‑click panning didn’t work for me. Maybe I un-assigned it when trying to figure out all the other bindings?! Head tracking saved the day, but it was a reminder that X‑Plane’s camera system has its own learning curve.

Once airborne, everything changed.

Hovering the AS350 in X‑Plane 12 was almost startlingly easy. The collective felt stable and predictable, the pedals behaved consistently, and the aircraft responded to small inputs with calm, controlled movements. I barely had to chase the collective at all. Compared to MSFS 2024, where the collective can feel loose and jittery—especially in ground effect—X‑Plane felt calm and composed. Maybe even too composed. Without real AS350 time, I can’t say whether it’s perfectly accurate, but it was certainly confidence‑building.

In the circuit, I tried a deliberately aggressive descent to see how the rotor system handled stored energy. I expected to overspeed the rotor, but it never happened. The aircraft handled the scenario without complaint. Whether that’s realistic or simply forgiving is something I’d love to hear from real‑world AS350 pilots, but it was interesting to note.

Then came the autorotation test. In X‑Plane, the AS350 behaved in a way that felt believable. Rotor RPM responded to collective changes, the flare mattered, and the touchdown felt earned. It feels like this will reward further practice time.

Switching back to MSFS 2024 for comparison was a shock. The moment I lifted into the hover in the default H125, the collective felt loose and unpredictable. It wanted to drop, then rise, then drop again. I had to constantly ‘chase’ it. Ground effect feels unnatural. The cyclic roll axis was noticeably more sensitive. And in autorotation, the H125 held far too much rotor energy, to the point where it almost felt like it wanted to hover at the end. It’s a beautiful aircraft, but the auto‑rotation model doesn’t feel convincing.

The world itself also felt different between the two sims. MSFS 2024 is undeniably stunning, with its lush lighting and cinematic presentation. X‑Plane 12, by contrast, feels grittier, and with convincing lighting. Graphically, X-Plane 12 demanded 100% from my 5080 GPU. But loading the sim is fast. It resumes previous flights almost instantly, and includes a built‑in flight recorder that I greatly appreciated.

Returning to the helipad in X‑Plane, I felt in control the whole way down. Canceling translational movement, settling onto the rear part of the skid, letting the front touch—everything behaved in a way that made sense. The Alpine studio AS350 is a joy to fly.

After spending time with both sims back‑to‑back, my takeaway is simple: X‑Plane 12 has real merit for helicopter pilots. The Alpine Studio AS350 may not have MSFS‑level texture fidelity, but the systems depth, flight feel, and collective stability make it a compelling experience. And X‑Plane itself, with its speed, simplicity, and focus on flight dynamics, offers something genuinely refreshing.

I’ll be spending more time here, and I appreciate that viewers have recommended their favorite X-Plane helicopter add-ons. It’s great to have so much choice!

I’m always weighing up your great ideas for our regular group livestreams. Coming soon: the second edition of our hilarious Cabri Games skills challenge, but at our brilliant new destination developed by community member Tangles: Rotorland!

Pimax is offering a sweet March deal! If you’re in the market for a new VR headset, you need to check out these links.