I wouldn't take hellcow's comment too literally, X-Plane is about realism, which isn't the same thing as the sensation of flying. A non-pilot might find that MSFS gives a better sensation of flying because of its superior graphics, and might not care (or notice) its far inferior flight modelling.
> maybe we should distinguish between a flight sim and pilot sim?
I wouldn't use pilot sim, it gives the impression of a 'career mode' beyond the scope of directly operating the aircraft. The terms I've encountered are flying game and flight simulator.
This is almost, but not quite, reflected in the Wikipedia article names. The X-Plane article is under X-Plane (simulator), whereas MSFS is under Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020 video game).
> maybe we should distinguish between a flight sim and pilot sim?
I wouldn't use pilot sim, it gives the impression of a 'career mode' beyond the scope of directly operating the aircraft. The terms I've encountered are flying game and flight simulator.
This is almost, but not quite, reflected in the Wikipedia article names. The X-Plane article is under X-Plane (simulator), whereas MSFS is under Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020 video game).