Flight Simulator's A380 Costs More Than the Game Itself and the Community Is Up in Arms

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is hitting a patch of turbulence that has nothing to do with virtual weather. As reported by Vida Extra, the arrival of the Airbus A380 developed by iniBuilds on the simulator's Marketplace has sparked a wave of outrage among players. The reason isn't the aircraft's quality or its fidelity, but the tag hanging from its wing: $75, around €82.19, according to Simflight data cited by the outlet.

The figure matters because it exceeds the price of the game itself. The standard edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 currently sells on Steam for €79.99, so a single aircraft, no matter how enormous, costs more than the entire simulator. That comparison has been enough for part of the community to start bringing up Star Citizen, the perennial reference point whenever digital vehicles with out-of-this-world prices come up.

What you need to know

• The product: iniBuilds' Airbus A380, a paid aircraft available on the Marketplace, the in-game store where third-party aircraft and airports are sold.
• The price: $75 or €82.19, according to Simflight. The manual, at least, is free.
• The comparison: the game's standard edition costs €79.99 on Steam, and the higher-tier editions range from €109.99 to €219.99.
• The exclusivity: the A380 is part of Microsoft Flight Simulator's exclusive series and will only be sold on the Marketplace for its first three months.
• The reaction: an annoyed community that is already comparing the situation to the Star Citizen model.

A plane that costs as much as the whole hangar

To understand the anger, it helps to know how the Marketplace works. It isn't just a menu of extras: it's an in-game store where third-party studios sell their creations, from detailed airports to aircraft with systems simulated down to the last detail. A third-party aircraft carrying a high price tag isn't unusual in the simulation world, where premium products have always existed. What breaks the mold is that, this time, the price matches or exceeds the cost of entry to the simulator itself.

The exclusivity detail adds fuel to the fire. Vida Extra points out that the A380 belongs to an exclusive Microsoft Flight Simulator series and that for the first three months it can only be purchased on the Marketplace. In other words, anyone who wants to fly it from day one has no alternative store and no room to wait for a third-party sale.

The ghost of Star Citizen

The mention of Star Citizen is no coincidence. Cloud Imperium's project has for years been the symbol of ships sold at prices many consider outrageous, and every time another game edges into that territory the label appears automatically. In Flight Simulator's case the comparison is imperfect, because we're talking about a finished simulator and a product from an external studio, but the underlying message is the same: the feeling that add-on content is starting to cost as much as or more than the base experience.

To be fair to iniBuilds: recreating an aircraft of the A380's size and complexity is no small undertaking, and its target audience is demanding sim enthusiasts looking for realism. The problem is one of perception and context. When the price of the extra exceeds that of the game, the quality argument stops being enough for many players.

Our take

At Underworld Lordz we understand that serious simulation has its own rules and that a studio-built aircraft can cost as much as a full game if the work behind it justifies it. But we also believe that Microsoft, as the owner of the platform and the store, bears responsibility for how its ecosystem is perceived. Selling an A380 for €82.19 with three months of exclusivity in your own store is a legitimate business decision, but it sends a clear signal: the Marketplace is, first and foremost, a business.

For those who create content around Flight Simulator, launches like this are a double-edged sword. On one hand, they generate conversation and views. On the other, they feed the idea that the simulator is a bottomless pit where every interesting aircraft requires an investment comparable to a new game. That discourages the community coming over from competitive gaming, who already have to split their budget across several titles.

Our stance is critical but not alarmist: this isn't Star Citizen, but it is a warning. If the Marketplace bar is now set at the price of the full game, it's only natural that other studios will drift toward that figure. And that's where the community has the final say with its wallet.

What do you think?

You may be the kind of player who values every simulated system and doesn't hesitate to pay for a well-made aircraft, or you may think no add-on should ever cost as much as the whole game. Tell us in the team chat or on our Discord: would you pay €82 for a single aircraft in Flight Simulator?