This is a delicate topic. Patch 1.9.3.0 did not increase raw frame rates. If you were getting 35 FPS over Tokyo, you still got 35 FPS. However, it massively improved frame time consistency (1% lows).
The previous build suffered from "stuttering when loading new tiles." With 1.9.3.0, Asobo implemented a background thread for tile decompression.
One under-discussed aspect of 1.9.3.0 was the self-repairing installer.
Prior to this patch, if your internet cut out during an update, the Microsoft Store version would corrupt its Official folder, forcing a 90 GB reinstall. Post-patch: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 patch 1.9.3.0
For Steam users, the patch finally stopped the dreaded "Disk Write Error" that appeared when the sim tried to modify protected Windows folders.
Published: October 2020
Analysis Duration: 6+ months post-release
When Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) launched in August 2020, it was hailed as a technical marvel—a cloud-streamed masterpiece that allowed you to fly your Cessna 152 over your own house in photorealistic glory. But for every user who posted a stunning screenshot of a sunset over Manhattan, there was a simmering frustration on forums: crashes to desktop (CTDs), missing liveries, multiplayer glitches, and installation loops. This is a delicate topic
Enter Patch 1.9.3.0. Released in late October 2020 (specifically October 22nd for the Microsoft Store version, shortly after for Steam), this update was not about adding a new aircraft or a major world update. Instead, it was Asobo Studio’s declaration that stability and user experience mattered as much as the visual spectacle.
Weighing in at roughly 3.7 GB for the Steam version and slightly larger for the Microsoft Store variant, version 1.9.3.0 became the benchmark that separated the "launch chaos" from the "post-beta" feel of the sim.
The UI in the base game was beautiful but slow. Patch 1.9.3.0 injected performance steroids into the menus. For Steam users, the patch finally stopped the
Asobo faced criticism from real-world pilots that ground handling was "too floaty." While 1.9.3.0 did not overhaul the core CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), it did adjust:
Update 1.9.3.0 introduced one of the earliest major optimizations for the physics engine ("FMOD") and multi-threading.
The patch notes for multiplayer were surprisingly dense: