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Windows Central
Windows Central
Technology
Ben Wilson

Microsoft Support responds to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 players stuck with 'loading unusually long' bugs on launch day

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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 displaying 'loading unusually long' message.

What you need to know

  • Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 launched on Xbox and PC today, November 19, at 11:00 AM EST.
  • Pre-loading was offered before launch but offered a fraction of its expected install size.
  • Now, players are met with "loading unusually long" messages with a progress bar commonly stuck at 97%.
  • Microsoft currently recommends rebooting the game as a potential fix, though many players are met with a login queue.

In what is supposed to be an exciting time for simulation enthusiasts around the world, many expectant gamers were left disappointed as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was stuck in an endless loading screen. "Loading unusually long" remained on display with progress bars stuck around the 97% mark, something I personally experienced with my installation.

There were no signs of specific error messages or tips on how to bypass this roadblock until hours later, and tensions rose as many felt the same disappointment I did towards the game's awful pre-install offering that barely prepped 330.09MB of the expected 50GB filesize. As it stood, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was essentially unplayable for a large player base, as Xbox players vent their frustrations on X and PC players follow suit on Valve's Steam community forums.

When will the game be fixed?

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 places players into a login queue when the servers are busy. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

Around an hour has passed since Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 launched on Xbox and PC, but developer Asobo Studio and publisher Xbox Game Studios haven't commented (UPDATE: Microsoft recommends rebooting the game) on the shaky launch situation. The situation developed while I was in the same boat (or plane?) with a seemingly infinite loading bar stuck between 95 and 97% until a restart saw me in a login queue, faced with a new message: "too many users are trying to connect at the same time."

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