Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 must be installed with via an account with the Steam gaming platform or the X-Box Microsoft Store. Core game files are around 100 GB in size, so broadband access is necessary.
Many simulators use a joystick USB interface for the main flight controls, such the control yoke, rudder, steering tiller, and brakes. It is important to not make any control assignments in MSFS 2020. Those assignments must be made later in ProSim737.
Setting up and configuration of the external displays is done in the General Options section, under the following three sections: Graphics, Camera, and Experimental. These settings are important so that the external world is accurately represented with a correct field of view from the perspective of the pilot’s eyepoint in the simulator’s flight deck. If done correctly, what is seen from the simulator would be an accurate reflection of what would be visible from the real aircraft.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 now has the capability for using multiple displays, but this is under the “Experimental” section in the Options menu. The functionality is not documented; therefore, it does require a bit of experimentation and adjustment of the values to achieve perfect alignment among the three monitors. It also has limitations that require that all three TV displays must be the same size and have a 16:9 aspect ratio.
First, field of view is indirectly set by using the “Zoom” percent setting in General Options under the Camera menu. Several people have documented experiments which have determined what zoom setting value correlates with a specific field of view.
Second, the “Horizonal Position” of the “camera” is adjusted so that it reflects the eyepoint of the pilot, while seated in the captain’s seat. The value of the Horizontal Position is changed from a default setting of 50 to 31.
Third, multiple displays are enabled in the “Experimental” section in the General Options menu. Click three times on “Add New Render Window.” With a mouse, drag each new window to the desired LED display, then set the Display Mode to Full Screen. Enter a “Rotation Adjustment” for the left and right displays. The value needed is approximately one-half of the FOV for the center display plus the full FOV value for the side display. The entered value will then need to be fine-tuned so that it properly aligns the images between adjacent displays.
Here is an Excel spreadsheet which demonstrates the calculations needed for configuring MSFS 2020. Here is a PDF description of the configuration procedure for multiple displays with MSFS 2020. It includes a table of the field of view values for various zoom settings.
The procedure and settings for MSFS 2020 might change in the future as this software is in continuous development and multiple monitor support is currently an experimental feature.
