If you downloaded the Microsoft Flight Simulator pre-load expecting to dive straight into the game at launch, well: take a seat. The pre-load only downloads the game’s client, which weighed in at a suspiciously tiny 532.5MB. Once the client is downloaded, you’ll have a 91GB download awaiting.
Of course, if you purchased the game on Steam you weren’t given the option to pre-load anything, so add the client size to that launch download. If you purchased it on the Microsoft Store and did do the preload, you may have been observant enough to notice that the download was a) very quick and b) very small. If that’s you, well done.
But there are other annoyances other than the download size (which admittedly, we expected): the music. While downloading the 91GB of ‘recommended content’, an endlessly looping soundtrack plays, presumably to get you in the mood. But this mood setting will likely annoy rather than titillate, especially if you happen to live in Australia where the internet is famously crappy.
If the music is bothering you (it will), right click the speaker in your system tray and open the volume mixer. Then mute the hell out of the installer.
Download rates naturally vary, but our Tyler reports that he’s managed 31GB in around 30 minutes. Whatever the case, 91GB is a lot to download, but it’s still more modest than Call of Duty.
Our review-in-progress of Microsoft Flight Simulator suggests that the wait will be worth it, but maybe get some sleep while it downloads, ok?