Airplane Simulator for Mac Free Download UPDATED
Airplane Simulator for Mac Free Download
If you want to take to the skies without leaving your Mac, we've taken a look at the best Mac compatible flight sims of 2022.
Although the incredibly popular Microsoft Flight Simulator is no longer available for Mac these are the all-time alternatives to Microsoft Flight Simulator For Mac in 2022.
Nosotros found the all-time flight simulator for Mac is X-Airplane which offers a level of realism and graphics that get way beyond Microsoft Flight Sim.
Information technology'due south even more realistic that Microsoft Flight Simulator when y'all add real flying simulator controls on Mac such as yoke controllers, rudder pedals and even flight switches too.
We've besides reviewed other realistic pro level simulators and amateur flight sims for armchair pilots and then there'southward something for everyone hither.
You May Also Like:
- The Best Flight Simulator Controls For Mac Users
- The Best Joysticks For X-Plane
- The Best Virtual Reality Headsets For Mac
- The Top eGPUs For VR On Mac
Here then is our selection of the all-time flying simulators for Mac of 2022 in lodge of ranking.
1. X-Aeroplane
10-Aeroplane is designed by an ex-professional pilot is and is easily the about realistic flight sim available for both Mac and PC.
X-Plane is an incredible piece of work with highly detailed graphics, cockpits, airports, aeroplane handling and weather weather.
In fact, X-Plane is so realistic that it's used past airplane pilot training schools, aerospace engineers and even NASA to pattern, simulate and test aircraft. Even professional pilots employ it on down time to keep their skills sharp.
X-Plane allows y'all to do everything from shoot VFR and IFR approaches to preparing for emergencies or improving your navigation and landing skills.
Not but that but the choice of planes y'all tin fly in X-Plane is incredible ranging from the Cirrus Vision SF 50 to a Lockheed Blackbird and even a Space Shuttle Orbiter.
At that place are 30 planes to choose from but yous tin can add over 1400 more aircraft with add-ons created by fans and airplane enthusiasts.
The impressive thing is that X-Plane models the flight handling of each different shipping so that no 2 planes ever feel the same. And if that's not enough, there'south an in-game plane designer to design your ain plane with.
The choice of landing pads and airports is equally impressive with over xxx,000 locations ranging from oil rigs and frigates (which pitch and whorl in stormy conditions) to commercial airports and helipads.
The level of detail is unbelievable including real world weather condition weather, system failures and downloadable scenery.
X-Plane is also the merely flight sim for Mac that's compatible with flight yokes, rudder pedals and cockpit flight switch panels.
Check out our guide the best flight controls for Mac as to really go the best out of X-Aeroplane and savour a more than authentic flight feel, they really add another dimension to the simulator.
You can also read our guide to the best joysticks for X-Plane if you lot merely want a joystick controller.
You can also enjoy 10-Plane for iPad and iPhone which take been scaled to work perfectly on both and are very similar to the desktop version.
The mobile apps are costless just you have to make in-app purchases to add aircraft such every bit Airbus A320, Boeing 777, F-four Phantom etc.
The regions are far more than limited on the mobile version than on Mac simply it does support multiplayer mode and other challenges and tutorials.
The obvious downside with such a massive game is information technology takes a lot of getting used to.
The X-Aeroplane user guide feels longer than a Boeing 747 transmission.
X-Plane is as well incredibly RAM hungry. The X-Aeroplane system requirements for Mac recommend having sixteen-24 GB of RAM to use it such is the particular of both the graphics and move of the planes.
As long every bit you accept this, X-Airplane works extremely well on Mac because although it is available on Windows and Linux, X-Plane was developed using a Mac.
Note that unfortunately, VR is non possible on Mac in Ten-Plane 11 and then you can't use a VR headset on Mac with X-Plane.
This is due to Apple'south decision to remove OpenGL from macOS Mojave ten.fourteen and above.
One useful tip: If you apply Fourth dimension Machine to backup your Mac to an external hard drive , don't forget to exclude the Ten-Airplane directory as information technology will take-up unnecessary space on your backup device.
Overall, X-Plane really is the ultimate sim for flying on Mac – it's the closest matter yous'll get to stepping into a cockpit on Mac.
Y'all can download X-Plane to judge for yourself.
2. Aerofly FS ii
If the toll tag or complexity of of X-Plane scares you lot off, then Aerofly FS 2 is a very good compromise.
Like 10-Plane, Aerofly FS has incredibly realistic graphics and treatment only with a considerably easier user interface that'south less intimidating.
It's non quite every bit professional equally 10-Plane but for those with lilliputian flying experience, information technology'southward definitely more accessible.
Like X-Plane, you can use either keyboard, joystick, gamepad or mouse to control the aeroplane.
The controls, aerodynamics and graphics of the planes are very close to those in Ten-Plane and the flying environment is incredibly detailed.
On the downside, the only region you can fly over is Switzerland – yous can't cull from a diverseness of worldwide locations similar in X-Plane.
That said, the detail of the terrain over the Alps is stunning. The aircraft are nowhere near as varied every bit in X-Aeroplane either.
There are no commercial airliners – Aerofly FS is limited to smaller aircraft such as Robin DR-400 and Piper Archer. Some of these also demand to be unlocked with in-app purchases.
Aerofly besides requires less RAM than X-Plane. The system requirements for Aerofly on Mac are a minimum of 8GB of RAM compared to 16GB on X-Airplane.
There as well aren't many military machine aircraft merely it does include the F-18 fighter jet. There'south likewise Aerofly FS for iPad and iPhone for $iii.99 although like the desktop version, you need to unlock nigh of the planes with in-app purchases.
The iOS version does nevertheless support commercial airliners such as the Boeing 747-400 which is a $2.99 add-on.
Although the overall lack of locations and aircraft are a fleck disappointing in Aerfly FS for Mac, for those that can't be bothered with a huge pedagogy manual, information technology's is an excellent simulator for novices.
Note: Aerofly FS does not work on MacBook Air's from 2012 or earlier.
iii. FlightGear
FlightGear is easily the best free flight sim out in that location as information technology's completely open source and doesn't price a penny simply incredibly detailed.
Although FlightGear works on all platforms, it does require a lot of downloading unlike components such as scenery and shipping.
If you can program, you can even expand the code yourself and add airports and planes for others to enjoy.
In fact, putting Flightgear together from all the different downloads bachelor is a bit of a mission in itself and nosotros recommend watching the go started guide before jumping in.
Due to the sheer number of aircraft and locations that have been contributed by users around the globe, Flightgear has an incredible amount of flying possibilities and choice.
There are 20,000 unlike airports alone and there are also tons of videos uploaded past users giving y'all instructions how to use the planes, flight tips and more.
The graphics in FlightGear aren't quite as sharp as in Aerofly FS or X-Plane – they feel a fiddling bit blocky in comparison but there's not much in it really.
However, all of the detail is there – the cockpits and planes have been modeled exactly like the originals and the handling feels very realistic.
All the major commercial planes are there too such as Boeing 747 and Airbus A320.
FlightGear requires the to the lowest degree RAM of any flight sim on Mac with a minimum of 4GB RAM required then information technology's as well suitable for older Macs.
Like X-Plane, FlightGear takes some getting used to though and downloading and uploading the different components takes a bit more time.
However, if you're on a budget and desire a highly detailed and realistic flight sim that'due south highly customizable, you can't do much meliorate than FlightGear.
4. GeoFS
GeoFS is a gratis deject based flying sim that can be used in a browser on your Mac.
In that location are xx shipping to choose from and yous can control them with a joystick, keyboard or mouse. There are a staggering 30,000 unlike runways to choose from also so y'all definitely won't get bored in a hurry.
Y'all tin even cull to fly a hot air balloon, a helicopter, and a paraglider.
GeoFS is very piece of cake to use compared to most flying sims and yous but use the "+" or "-" keys to control the throttle.
Other planes you see in the sky are as well being flown by other players so you tin can too play with a friend in real time.
A really nice touch on is that weather atmospheric condition change in line with real earth weather changes as GeoFS is linked to Open Weather Map to add an extra special level of realism.
Yous can play GeoFS for free although yous can too pay just $nine.99 a year for college resolution images.
Fifty-fifty in HD, the graphics aren't great just considering you can play it for costless in any browser, GeoFS is an impressive flight sim for Mac users of all abilities can effort.
5. YSFlight
YSFlight is almost as cheap and cheerful equally it gets when it comes to flight sims just information technology's free, piece of cake to acquire and works on Mac desktops.
YSFlight was created by Japanese student Soji Yamakawa as a project dorsum in 1999 and allows yous to practise everything from flying a private jet to fighter jets.
At that place are more than than lxx planes to choose from and you tin can shoot-down other planes and play multiplayer with friends in "East vs West" Cold War battles.
Yous tin even host online events similar airshows, squadron competitions and even races.
YSFlight has a defended community of followers that have modded the game so there are lot of user created planes, environments and scenarios to effort.
You can customize the controls in YSFlight to use the joystick as well.
YSFlight is completely free to use and there'south a useful Flying School to get you started quickly.
six. Google Earth Flight Simulator
I thing many Mac users aren't aware of is that you tin use Google World as a flight sim. It works either in your browser or as a desktop download.
Google Earth Flight Sim is about as basic as information technology gets just the imagery benefits from Google'due south amazing photos of planet World from the sky.
You tin even fly over the Moon and Mars.
To activate Google Earth Flight Simulator, simply go to Tools > Enter Flight Simulator to launch it.
Yous tin only choose from either a Viper F-16 Fighter Jet or SR22 Propeller plane.
Yous can find the controls to Google Flying Sim here.
Flying Simulators For Mac: Conclusion
As we've seen, although in that location are less flight simulators on Mac than there on PC, there are iii that work on both platforms and stand out for professionalism and realism: X-Plane , Aerofly FS and FlightGear .
X-Plane and FlightGear are hands the about realistic but besides the virtually complex. X-Plane costs $59.99 whereas FlightGear is gratis only 10-Plane is more than polished and easier to go going with than FlightGear.
X-Aeroplane also allows y'all to heighten the flight experience with far more realism thank you to accessories like cockpit joysticks, rudder command and flying switches.
Aerofly FS is an excellent compromise between the two equally information technology's much easier to learn merely as a result, isn't as realistic.
For those looking for something simpler with less of a learning curve, GeoFS, YSFlight and Google World Flying Sim are excellent flying sims for beginners on Mac.
Note that if you're looking for flight simulators on iPad or iPhone, you tin enjoy both X-Airplane and Aerofly FS on iOS although there's no mobile version of FlightGear.
We'd also highly recommend the excellent Space Flight for iPad and iPhone which unfortunately isn't bachelor for Mac nonetheless.
If yous accept any questions, problems or suggestions almost any of the flight sims featured here, let us know in the comments below.
Comments
Post a Comment