Heads up!
This page is for X-Plane 10. For X-Plane 11 system requirements, see here.
Minimum System Specifications
X-Plane 10 requires, at the minimum,
- Dual Core, 2.5 GHz or faster processor
- 4 GB of RAM
- A video card with at least 1 GB of VRAM.
Note that the version of the X-Plane 10 flight simulator we sell here at X-Plane.com will run on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. If you’re interested, you can get more info on using X-Plane with a Mac.
Recommended System Specifications
For the best experience, we recommend the following system specs:
- a Quad Core, 3.0 GHz or faster processor,
- 16-20 GB of RAM,
- a high-performance, DirectX 11-capable video card with at least 4 GB of on-board, dedicated VRAM.
Other Notes
X-Plane depends most heavily on single thread CPU performance, but it will also take advantage of multiple cores or distinct processors—4 are recommended. 16 GB of RAM is usually adequate, but 20 GB may be needed for the most complex custom scenery packages. Likewise, highly detailed custom scenery can use as much as 4 GB of VRAM at the maximum settings.
In order to use the full version of X-Plane, Disc 1 of the installation DVDs must be in your disc drive when launching the simulator. (This is not the case when using X-Plane for Professional Use or the Digital Download Edition; in that case, the USB key or Product Key replaces the Disc 1 DVD.)
When running X-Plane on Linux, please note that you must install the proprietary Nvidia or AMD drivers. X-Plane will not run using Gallium or Mesa open-source drivers.
Note: X-Plane 10 does not support PowerPC-based Macs, or versions of OS X prior to 10.6.8.
Purchasing Hardware for X-Plane
If you are looking for hardware (joysticks, pedals, yokes, etc.) to use with X-Plane, or a good machine to run X-Plane, please visit XForce PC. If you are not sure which joysticks to get, which computer to buy, and so on, we recommend going to Digital Edge for that hardware. Everything you get there will have been selected by Laminar Research employees to work perfectly with X-Plane.
