Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition vs Outer Wilds
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition is a horror open-world game from Asobo Studio (2026) while Outer Wilds is an action-adventure horror game from Mobius Digital.
What each one is
Steam files Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition under Horror and Open-World. In contrast, it files Outer Wilds under Action-Adventure and Horror.
From gliders and helicopters to wide-body jets, fly highly detailed and accurate aircraft in the Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition. The world is at your fingertips.
Named Game of the Year 2019 by Giant Bomb, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian, Outer Wilds is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.
At a glance
| Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition | Outer Wilds | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.7/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Steam rating | Mostly Positive (79%, 72,823) | Overwhelmingly Positive (96%, 107,214) |
| Critic aggregate | 91/100 | 85/100 |
| Price | $20.99 | $14.99 |
| Install size | 150 GB | 8 GB |
| Steam Deck | playable | verified |
| Released | 2026 | — |
| Developer | Asobo Studio | Mobius Digital |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition vs Outer Wilds, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary EditionHorror open-world gameOuter WildsAction-adventure horror gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary EditionSimulation, Flight, RealisticOuter WildsExploration, Space, MysteryThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary EditionScore 7.7 · 79% on Steam · 91 criticOuter Wilds ✓Score 8.0 · 96% on Steam · 85 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition72,823 reviews · 3 add-ons · 150 GBOuter Wilds107,214 reviews · 2 add-ons · 8 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition$20.99Outer Wilds ✓$14.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary EditionPlayableOuter Wilds ✓VerifiedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Outer Wilds takes 3 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueMicrosoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition and Outer Wilds on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
- Xbox
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Outer Wilds (GamingPickz Score 8.0)
- The cheaper right now: Outer Wilds ($14.99)
- Better on a Steam Deck: Outer Wilds (verified)
- Lighter on storage: Outer Wilds (8 GB)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
SimulationOpen WorldSingleplayerAtmosphericAdventureBeautifulEpicPsychological Horror
Where they differ
FlightRealisticMultiplayerVRReal-TimePhysics
ExplorationSpaceMysteryStory RichGreat SoundtrackPuzzle
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition is family-friendly and approachable. Outer Wilds is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition | Outer Wilds | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | NVIDIA GTX 770 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 |
| Minimum CPU | Intel i5-4460 | Intel Core i5-2300 |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | 6 GB |
| Install size | 150 GB | 8 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition · Outer Wilds.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition and 8 for Outer Wilds. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition and Outer Wilds in scope?
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition has drawn 72,823 Steam reviews, ships 3 add-ons and installs in 150 GB. Outer Wilds has drawn 107,214 Steam reviews, ships 2 add-ons and installs in 8 GB.
Is Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition or Outer Wilds better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Outer Wilds rates higher (8.0 to 7.7). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition or Outer Wilds?
Outer Wilds is cheaper right now at $14.99, against $20.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.