One of the most challenging aspects of getting into FPV drones would be learning how to fly. FPV drone simulators can help you practice and train without damaging your drone, even when the weather isn’t cooperating. In this article, we’ll explore all the available FPV Drone simulators and help you decide which is the best sim for you.
If you are new to FPV, here is a complete guide to FPV drones to get you started.
Table of Contents
My Recommendations
- The best for total beginners: DRL
- The best for racing, and slow computers: VelociDrone
- The best for freestyle and cinematic: Tryp
- The jack of all trades: Liftoff
- The best Tiny Whoop sim: Tiny Whoop GO
- The best free sim, and best mobile sim (Android): SkyDive
Now let’s cover some of the basics before we go into each FPV simulator for more detail.
What is an FPV Drone Simulator?
Imagine being able to fly an FPV drone in a vividly realistic virtual world. That’s exactly what FPV drone simulators offer. These are not just games but sophisticated training tools designed to mimic the experience of flying a real FPV drone. While no simulator can replicate the thrill of real-life flying perfectly, they come incredibly close, enabling pilots to improve flying skills and learn freestyle tricks in a safe, crash-proof environment regardless the weather 24/7.
Only in simulators you can fearlessly perform tricks that feel almost impossible in the real world :D
What You Need to Fly FPV Simulators
Before picking an FPV simulator, you should get a radio controller first.
I don’t recommend using gaming console or keyboard, that’s pretty pointless as the skills won’t translate to a real radio controller. Using a proper radio is the best way to build up muscle memory, and get the most benefit out of training. You can continue to use the same radio to fly the real drones later, so it’s a worthy long term investment.
Looking for radio recommendations? I’ve got you covered.
The radios I suggest are plug-and-play with the simulators discussed on this page – simply connect the USB cable and it will show up as gaming joystick on your computer. Then you should be able to use the radio in the simulator, it’s that simple.
If you have a radio that don’t support USB joystick, there are work-arounds, such as using a flight controller and radio receiver.
What’s STEAM?
Most FPV drone simulators are available on Steam, a digital platform where you can buy, play, and update games. Steam simplifies game management and ensures you’re always up to date with the latest patches.
Plus, Steam offers a consumer-friendly return policy, allowing refunds for games played for less than two hours—perfect for testing out a simulator to see if it meets your expectations.
TRYP FPV
Released in 2022, Tryp is arguably one of the best freestyle sims with incredible graphics.
Being one of the latest FPV sim, Tryp FPV impresses with its fantastic graphics, map size and attention to detail. With its $17 price tag on STEAM, it offers a comprehensive sim experience. Despite its advanced graphics, the simulator’s performance on non-gaming computers can be a concern, limiting accessibility.
The training program unfortunately falls short of expectations, potentially hindering new pilots’ learning process. But for experience pilots, it’s a dream to play. It offers moving objects (such as race cars and skiers) that you can follow with your drone, improving your freestyle and cinematic skills. The quads feel slightly heavy in the sim, but the physics is reasonably close to real-life. You can also adjust many drone parameters to get it as close to real life as possible.
Tryp FPV is perhaps one of my favourite sims in 2023 thanks to its stunning graphics and freestyle/cinematic elements, appealing to those with powerful gaming PC seeking expansive flying environments. With good graphics settings, it would make you feel like you were actually flying in a real environment.
Here’s a summary of the features, pros and cons:
- Available on Steam, still in early access and regularly updated
- Built on Unreal 5 engine, great graphics quality and expansive maps
- Features: Immersive maps, chasing challenges, racing mode, learn how to fly mode
- Pros: Affordable, visually appealing, unique challenges, customizable drone settings
- Cons: Requires high-end gaming rig, limited to three maps, physics similar to Liftoff, not best for first-time users
Uncrashed
Released in 2021, Uncrashed is a dream for experienced freestyle pilots with its stunning graphics and vast playgrounds.
Being a relatively new sim, Uncrashed raises the bar with its stunning graphics and smooth flying performance, setting a new standard for visual quality in FPV simulators. The physics is average, it doesn’t feel the most realistic compared to other sims, but decent enough for learning the sticks.
With 19 unique maps filled with engaging activities, such as chasing cars, it’s a dream for freestyle pilots. However, it lacks a bit in racing, and there’s no multiplayer races and map creation tools. The absence of a beginner training program is a missed opportunity for it to be the definitive FPV simulator experience.
In my opinion, Uncrashed is best suited for experienced pilots seeking visually immersive and enjoyable freestyle flying sessions. The vast playgrounds are so much fun, you get to fly in places that looks like the scene in the 5th Element with flying cars, I never get tired of that.
LiftOff
Released in 2018, Liffoff is one of the best all around simulators with rich content and a large online community.
Liftoff emerges as a well-rounded choice at $20, balancing ease of use with a rich feature set. Its user-friendly interface, solid physics, combined with a variety of gameplay options, makes it an attractive option for a broad audience.
The recently updated training program adds significant value, providing a structured learning path for newcomers. While it may not excel in any single aspect compared to niche simulators, Liftoff’s comprehensive offering and fair pricing position it as a top contender for the best overall FPV simulator experience.
Graphics might be lacking a bit compared to other newer sims, it’s still a solid choice today for what it offers.
Liftoff is one of the most mature FPV sims out there in terms of features and content. The amount of content is simply impressive, nothing comes close in terms of selection of hundreds of models and thousands of tracks created by the community. Liftoff is the first to implement a “parts system” that allows you to customize your drone by changing components just like in real life. It’s also one of the few sims that accounts for propeller damage (can be disabled too). It forces you to be more aware of obstacles and fly more carefully, hence offering a more realistic flying experience.
Here is a video I captured using the DVR in my FPV Goggles which I used as an external monitor with my computer via HDMI cable.
VelociDrone
For those seeking the most authentic flight experience, VelociDrone stands out. Released in 2016, it offers simple graphics, which means it’s easy on computer specs.
Priced at $22, VelociDrone distinguishes itself as a racing-focused simulator with a strong racing community. Its dedication to racing is evident in its multiplayer interface and map-building capabilities. However, its specialization means it may not cater to pilots interested in other aspects of FPV flying. For those dedicated to improve their racing skills with realistic physics, VelociDrone presents itself as an unparalleled choice.
It offers one of the closest-to-reality physics with a high degree of customizability.
The graphics of Velocidrone is probably the most simple in ths list, but that means it’s not as demanding as other sims when it comes to computer specs. You can practice flying all the same, and the game runs well on slower machines.
It has a great selection of racing tracks and is an incredible tool for practice racing. In fact many MultiGP racers use Velocidrone exclusively for training and learn the courses, which can be made using the in-built track editor. You can also download more racing tracks from the website. There’s also multiplayer mode where you can jump between races and freestyle, have voice chats and changes courses, all in the same session.
However when it comes to drone choices, it’s pretty limited and not a lot of drone customization is available in Velocidrone. You can get access to more drone models but you need to purchase additional DLC (such as the freestyle DLC).
My last complaint would be the fact that it’s not on Steam, so updating the sim can take slightly more effort. For some people it might be a good thing because you are not forced to update if you don’t want to.
Pros:
- Physics is very realistic
- Many different types of drone sizes, from 5″, to tiny whoops
- Different modes for fun flying, including combat mode where you can play first shooter and shoot other drones down with laser
- Low graphics requirement
Cons:
- All the different game modes and drone classes mentioned have to be purchased separately
- Not necessarily the best looking sim but decent enough for practice, and that’s why it runs so smoothly on most computers
- You have to tweak the drone settings for each model to make it feel “real”
The DRL Simulator
Released in 2017, DRL offers an exceptional starting point for anyone new to FPV flying with its training program and it’s fun to play.
The DRL Simulator takes a significant leap forward in terms of features and quality, justified by its $10 price tag. It excels in providing a feature-rich environment with more than 20 diverse maps, extensive multiplayer options, and a variety of game modes, making it a standout choice for both beginners and seasoned pilots.
The comprehensive training program particularly stands out, offering a step-by-step guide from basics to advanced maneuvers.
Released back in 2017, it’s slightly lagging in graphics, however the depth of content makes it a top recommendation. Another fun fact – they use the sim to host online tryout events, top pilots get the opportunity to compete in real-life offline DRL events.
As a gamer, I find DRL one of the most additive.
The physics perhaps isn’t the best among the list, but the maps and scenery are extraordinary, for example, in one of the environment, you get tall buildings, abandoned factories and a shipyard, all in a single map!
I really like the new system where you can race with the ghosts of pilots similar to your ranking. This system can motivate you to play, improve and move up your racking too. DRL is the online simulator that allows pilots on different platform to play together which is fun.
Look here I was having fun diving buildings, and trying one of the race tracks…
FPV.SkyDive
Released in 2021, SkyDive is one of the best free FPV sims!
FPV Skydive is a commendable free-to-download FPV simulator, available on STEAM. It offers a gateway into the FPV world without the initial financial commitment.
It has a beginner training program, easy for new pilots to get into flying even without using a radio before.
Its inclusion of racing, challenges, freestyle, and multiplayer modes presents a solid foundation for an FPV simulator. However, this simulator doesn’t offer much at the moment in terms of levels, content and customization. There are in-game purchases to unlock additional content but somewhat limits accessibility for people who chose this sim just because it’s free.
Despite these drawbacks, FPV Skydive’s position as a free simulator makes it an attractive option for those curious about FPV flying but not ready to invest.
Update (Mar 2022): Orqa released an Android/iOS version of this sim! It might not have as much content as the Steam version, but it’s really convenient as it means you can take this FPV sim and practice on your smartphone!
Tiny Whoop Simulators
VelociDrone Micro DLC
VelociDrone has a pretty good Micro DLC that is designed for Tiny Whoops. Yea… it costs extra, but it’s worth considering especially if you are into participating in community events. Also the physics is one of the best in the whoop class sims, and it has a large multiplayer community you can race with.
Tiny Whoop GO
If you are looking for a free Tiny Whoop simulator, you have to try Tiny Whoop GO. It feels relatively realistic (except it feels a little too easy to fly than real life, for people who love challenges it could be a let down) and most importantly, it’s free!
Liftoff: Micro Drones
Talking about Tiny Whoop sims, you must check out Liftoff Micro Drones simulator. It’s a separate, brand new sim designed specifically for the tiny whoop class.
The physics is pretty good, if I have to be picky I would say the whoops seem to carry more momentum than the real thing, it’s harder to control and make accurate turns than a real whoop. When you try to make a turn it just “slides” which I feel I need to make more stick adjustments and also slow down to make it through a race gate.
Tiny Whoop GO feels more forgiving for beginners and definitely easier to control, but for some hardcore racers that might compromises the experience. If you are looking for a more challenging sim to level up your whoop piloting skills, Liftoff Micro Drone might be a better option.
The attention to detail is amazing in this sim. For example in the warehouse map, you have sound from the forklifts and people working in the background, makes you feel like you are really flying in a real warehouse. In the “Prom Night” map, there are many interactive elements, you can pop balloons, get soda from vending machines, play song on DJ’s laptop etc…
Other FPV Simulators
AI Drone Simulator
At $16, AI Drone Simulator promises a modern sim experience but falls short in delivering a standout feature set. While it offers high-detail maps and the option for community-made drone downloads, its lack of features and game modes compared to other popular sims place it in a challenging position. For those prioritizing community content and drone customization, AI Drone Simulator offers some appeal, but overall, it struggles to justify its place in a competitive market.
FlowState
Flowstate is available on Steam, and it’s free. It’s tailored more towards racing, and lacking a lot of features on other paid sims.
FPV FreeRider
Despite being fairly cheap at just $6, it’s kind of outdated and has a very limited map selection. Many aspects are falling behind today’s standard like game modes, graphics, physics and customization. Not recommended.
- Available on Steam
- One of the earliest FPV simulators
- Cheap with a free trial
- Basic physics adjustments available: gravity, drag, quadcopter power, camera tilt angle, FOV
- Free version has limited settings and only one map
- Outdated compared to other options
- Low graphics requirements suitable for slow PCs
FPV Air 2 Simulator
(Discontinued)
- Available on Steam
- FPV Air 2 costs $5, making it an affordable simulator option
- Decent physics for beginners learning FPV flying and tricks
- Dislikes: additional maps require separate purchase; limited track selection
- Graphics: decent, not the prettiest; offers ultra-low graphics mode for slow PCs
- Features: customizable physics, Betaflight-like GUI, multiplayer mode
- Early stage of development; future improvements expected
- Available on Steam for easy updates
- Review by Kaity: accurate physics, easy Taranis calibration, more racing-oriented tracks
- Sim can be tuned to closely match real-life drones, making transition to actual flights easier
- Crashing in sim is less costly than damaging real drones
Computer Requirement
How well these FPV sims runs all comes down to the GPU (graphics card) and CPU in your PC and the video resolution and settings you are on. If you have a really old and slow computer, some sims might not work right for you. If you lower the settings you might be able to make it work on an older rig.
My PC handles all these sims perfectly even with the highest image quality, but still I prefer to use low quality just to make sure it runs as smooth as possible with high frame rate which is more important IMO. If you plan to build a gaming PC this is also a pretty good specs even for 2023. Here’s the specifications of my computer used to play and rate these sims. (Amazon affiliate links):
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU: https://amzn.to/3setMFb
- NVidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (16GB VRAM): https://amzn.to/3MPy79Q
- Corsair Vengeance 16GB RAM x2 (32GB): https://amzn.to/38OotFC
- Samsung 980 PRO 1 TB SSD: https://amzn.to/3w7Tmwy
- MSI MAG B550M MORTAR Motherboard: https://amzn.to/3Fiu572
- Corsair RM750 Power Supply: https://amzn.to/3KG1vO9
Or just get a Macbook if you hate building your own computer. For me it’s been fantastic for editing FPV videos and practicing on simulators while I am travelling, and I can’t recommend it enough. I talked about why I prefer the M1 Pro over the M2 in this article: https://oscarliang.com/macbook-air-m2-pro-m1/.
Occasionally, you can find discounts of up to 10% on Amazon. I saved £164 (nearly $200) on my 14″ Pro M1. Check prices here: https://amzn.to/3CgxOTr
Best FPV Sim for Macs
Despite my initial fear that my non-gaming Macbook Pro (M1 14inch) would struggle, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn’t face any issues with the simulators I tested. It’s also compatible with common radios such as Radiomaster and Jumper.
Most sims should run smoothly on the latest Macs. However, for those who want to play safe, Velocidrone is an excellent choice. It has one of the lowest CPU and GPU requirements. Despite a lack of high-end graphics, it doesn’t skimp on features, ensuring a comprehensive training experience.
For those looking to explore other simulators on Steam, feel free to give them a go. Steam’s refund policy is there if they don’t perform well on your machine.
Does Physics Matter?
Yes, and no.
The physics of a drone simulator is highly subjective. They are getting closer and closer to real life, but it will probably never going to feel the same.
The point of a simulator is to help you learn how to fly and build up muscle memory. Just pick a simulator that feel real enough for you with graphics that you like (and runs smoothly on your computer).
Spend time on actually practicing rather than worrying about the physics.
If you are using an OpenTX radio, try to upgrade to EdgeTX (2.5 or later) for improvement in USB connection latency. It makes the physics in the sim feel more realistic. In this tutorial I will show you how to flash EdgeTX.
What to Practice
Maintaining proper posture and ergonomics while flying in simulators. If you normally stand while flying, do the same in your simulator practice. If you wear a neck strap in real life flying, wear one while simming.
If you are totally new, choose an open map with minimal obstacles.
- practice arming/disarming (make sure to practice disarm the drone when you crash before hitting the reset button, this is good practice)
- practice take off and fly in straight line, turning left and right, flying in circle etc…
- practice landing – hover close to ground before disarming to minimize impact
- practice flying through gaps
- practice doing rolls and flips
- practice doing split S
Simulator Tuning/Settings
After years of flying sims, I can guarantee you that the default settings in simulators are usually not the best settings. You can make it feel more real by adjusting the settings.
In addition to real-quad-like settings such as PID, rates, you can also adjust the physics. The goal is to make the virtual drone perform more like the real thing. However for someone just starting out, you probably don’t have a good enough ideal how a real quad should fly like, in that case you can just fly with the default, or copy someone’s settings. The only thing you should change should be rates, which controls the sensitivity of your quadcopter. See this post to learn more about rates.
I usually use the lowest graphics settings and disable any grphics features that I don’t need to ensure I get the highest frame rate possible, this minimizes latency as well as maximizes smoothness, offering the most realistic experience.
Wearing FPV Goggles while Simming
FPV Goggles (such as the Walksnail Goggles X and HDZero Goggles) with HDMI input can be connected to the computer as an external monitor, and you can play FPV sim while wearing your goggles. This might help you get used to flying with your goggles earlier if you are just starting out.
If you have WTFOS installed on your DJI goggles (which doesn’t have HDMI input), you can use the WTFOS Moonlight Shim feature to stream the PC video to your goggles.
But to be honest I find using a monitor is way easier on the eyes, especially for long hour practice. Also gaming monitors can usually outperform the screens in FPV goggles in terms of frame rate and image quality, which offers more realistic experience.
Line of Sight Flying Simulators
Most pilots can fly FPV well but lack the skill to fly line of sight (LOS). While it might help practicing LOS skills in a sim, it’s probably not the best way.
First of all, you don’t get the depth perception in a simulator as you would normally get in real life – it’s very difficult to judge how far your quad really is on the screen. Also it’s harder to tell the orientation in a sim because of the low resolution.
If you want to give it a shot anyway, the following sims offers LOS feature:
- In Liftoff, press B to enter LOS mode
- In Velocidrone you can zoom into LOS mode by scrolling the mouse wheel
- In FPV Freerider, there is a LOS mode
Dedicated Radio Profile for Sims
Make sure to set up a profile in your radio dedicated to simulators: simply duplicate your existing profile for flying your drones, and turn off internal and external modules in Model setup. This will save your transmitter battery while practicing in sims.
Having Issues Connecting Radio to MacOS
If you tried connecting your radio to your Mac and nothing happens (no pop up on the radio asking if you want to select joystick), and the computer doesn’t detect the radio, it could be the cable.
I had this issue when I was using a USB-C to USB-C cable. This cable works with a Windows computer, but it just doesn’t work with my Macbook.
The solution is to use a USB type A to USB-C cable. If your MacOS machine doesn’t have a USB Type A connector, just get a usb-c male to usb-A female adapter, I tested this it also works. Get this adapter here: https://amzn.to/470TcYI
Conclusion
FPV drone simulators can’t replace real flying, but are extremely beneficial for improving your flying skills without breaking your real drone, or when you can’t fly outdoors. For a beginner, a simulator can be used almost entirely for practice to build up muscle memory and learning. As you progress however, real world practice becomes more and more important. While some simulators prioritize graphics and visuals, others focus on accurate flight physics and hardware compatibility. Ultimately, it’s crucial to choose a simulator that aligns with your needs and preferences. Happy flying!
Edit History
- Mar 2015 – Article created
- Oct 2017 – Updated reviews
- Jun 2018 – Updated reviews
- May 2019 – Updated reviews, added “Wearing FPV Goggles in Sims”
- May 2021 – Shortened URL, updated my recommendations
- Feb 2022 – Updated list with new simulators
- Oct 2023 – Updated list with new sims
- Feb 2024 – Updated my reviews and recommendations
97 comments
Hi Oscar, love your content. I have pretty much every single simulator available and the one that I have liked the most in these previous months has been TrypFPV. Not sure if you have tried it but to me it seems the most realistic one and with great maps.
Yea I like Tryp a lot too! The new V2 has just made it even better.
Do you recommend a sim for flying 7″ quads for long range?
You skills flying 5″ in the sims will translate to 7″ in real life, I don’t think there’s a need to practice 7″ long range specifically in the sims.
Just bought DCL on Steam for $8, normally ~$30. Very active community and multiplayer with weekly races and annual big events. Funny, you mention updating DCL in 2018, but it is not in the article that I could find. DCL and DRL are completely different software and organizations despite sharing so much in common.
Is there a simulator where we can import flight log file of a real drone during setup process to make flight physics more credible?
FPV Air 2 has gone from Steam, unfortunately.
You should remove FPV Air 2 as it’s no longer available to buy – https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/889040/view/3327611022131126722
Sad, because I planned to buy it :(
that’s sad! :(
Don’t be sad. It sucked. Crashes constantly and not even worth the 5 bucks.
Since September 2021 there is a new simulator available: Uncrashed. It is on Steam.
AI Simulator is very very good and you can upload your Backbox files into it so you get a digital copy of your drone with same flight specifications
THX , where to download it from?
Hi Oscar, one good free simulator as well, which is a stripeed down version of RotorRush created to the Tiny Whoop team is the Tiny Whoop Go. tinywhoopgo.com/ it is quite fun and also event friendly. Small user base currently though, but RAB is planning some events soon on it .
FPV Freerider Recharged supports 3D mode too
orqa is making a sim, too
Concerning the post by Giorgy, I have a run of the mill HP laptop and I can run all these sims on it without turning the res down either.
Only FPV Freerider is capable of running on a laptop, others do require powerful video card.
I’ve bounced around from Velocidrone, Freerider, and Liftoff. Currently I landed on Liftoff. Although I think I need a beefier GPU, it gets me by. I am inheriting a system and more powerful GPU from a friend that will work better. But My question is does FOV matter? I noticed that Liftoff doesn’t get any lower than around 60-deg. I think my Dominator V3s are 30. I would think that loss of extra peripheral vision would matter.
You are confusing camera FOV and screen FOV.
What you choose in the simulator is camera FOV, so ideally you should be setting it to 90 degree or even higher to match the FPV cameras we typically use.
FPV Goggles FOV: https://oscarliang.com/fpv-goggles-review-fatshark-skyzone/#fov
FPV Camera FOV: https://oscarliang.com/best-fpv-camera-quadcopter/#fov
Hi,
Could You add info if it’s possible to modify models (switching motors, batteries etc) or not?
What about android/iOS simulators? Like DRS or QuadcopterFX
I personally don’t think simulators without using your actual radio can improve your flying
It’s possible to connect a USB controller to an android device.
Oscar FPV Air 2 my fav sim atm, I havn’t played them all. Anyway it does have a track editor now. In case you wanna update this article.
Guys,
It is February 2019… any updates?
I’m relatively new to the hobby and want to learn more .
I have Surface Pro 3 and at the moment, Im using FPV Freerider Recharged with FrSKY vLite.
Just downloaded Velocidrone demo and it feels so much more realistic which make me think I want to upgrade my current simulator.
Im looking at Liftoff and Velocidrone .
Which one would you recommend ?
“Available on Steam”…what’s that?
I have been using FPVfreerider which is great with my Taranis as I setup a little expo on the transmitter but with the Turnigy Evolution not having any expo functionality although it is flyable it’s just not fun… a little too twitchy !
So which sim would you guys recommend, that I can use with the evolution and be able add in a little expo in the sim?
Liftoff, FPV Air 2, Velocidrone etc these all have built-in expo and rate settings. Velocidrone has a free trial.
GTA5 FPV mod
Could some one please explain to me what “Available on Steam” means?
Google “Steam”.
store.steampowered.com/
DRL Racing doesn’t run on linux :(
Hey heads up . FPV Air 2 is Windows only. Will not run on Mac, which I found out after I bought it! so maybe edit your list
Thanks for the reviews!
I wanted to highlight that you can assign a switch on the Tx to reset in Liftoff. With this trick, no need to remove the goggles anymore!
:)
Please have a look at GTA5 with Quadcopter Mod. For a few bucks (and if you have a good gamepc) it has the best graphics and also the physics is very good! I have tried all and i must say after you have played with the physcis settings in GTA it feels as good as the other simulators
Andy
Thanks for the reviews, they helped a lot. I wouldn’t consider frequent patching and waiting for a patch to be applied a downside. The fact that they update the software as frequently as this is a huge plus. Missing out on a few minutes of practice during lunch is a minor inconvenience. Maybe patch before you go to work next time?
Hi,
I’ve got an FS-i6 and this simulator cable gearbest.com/radios-receiver/pp_704292.html It’s downloaded all the drivers and shows up on the system and in the sims. The sims (velocidrone and liftoff) aren’t detecting any inputs from the Tx despite the fact it shows up on them. Not really sure where to go from here. Thanks in advance
Did you configure/calibrate within windows game controllers?
My Son and I are using the latest VelociDrone and using the HDMI mini plug on our Fatshark Quantum headset to run it on. We look really silly but we are more familiar with out headset when we are out in the real world.
Hi,
currently the DRL simulator costs. And hotprops-fpv-race.com/ does not seem to exist anymore.
thanks for the update!
Why do they all have to be for racing. Being new to drone flying, it would be nice to have some area to practice in. I’m not a racer yet.
Often we don’t race with our “racing” drone, we just cruise around doing “freestyle” moves…
I guess calling it “racing drone” separates them from drones that are used for aerial filming like a DJI phantom.
Useful review but I’d second quadcopter FX simulator on Android. 1. You can use a transmitter providing your phone / tablet supports OTG (USB controller). 2. It seems very realistic to me. 3. It is very configurable. I’d say it’s a mistake to write-off Android devices – these days they are very powerful and the screens are excellent – look at the number of games that run on them.
LiftOff also works with Linux my friend, please correct it :)
Yes – both LiftOff and Velocidrone run on Linux
“There is also an “universal” solution by using this “radio receiver to USB” adapter. It connects the RX output to this USB adapter which goes into your computer, and there is no direct connection between the TX and computer.”
I’m interested in being able to interface multiple transceivers with my computer but the link in your article broken. Do you have an updated link or a suggestion on other “universal radio receiver to USB” options?
Thanks!
Yes you are right the product has been withdrawn by the shop. I can’t find it anywhere else at the moment. When I do i will update the link again.
For your info, you can try to search for “FPV Simulator adapter for PPM”
are you refuring to the orange dongle on recall
Nice update Oscar! I own many of these and oddly enough I agree with all your comments about them. I enjoy Liftoff because it is very “polished”. I like DRL because of the large map. I play Velocidrone mostly because I can change the graphics to match how my real quad flies and it is the best racing practice in my opinion.
Could you credit the image you used for your article please ?….
I know the development of UPV is pending , but it would be nice to support them.
facebook.com/unrealfpv/
Thanks.
Yes of course. It’s sad that they’ve stopped updating since more than a year ago
FPV Freerider Recharged is the new version. You really should update that list.
It’s my absolute go to sim in terms of realism. Tweaking the settings a bit and it feels nearly 100% like my quad.
RotorRush is just too expensive. It feels and looks great but due to the price there are no players to race with. I mean the top 500 highscores are not even filled yet that few people play it.
LiftOff has a bunch of cocks as programmers, so don’t expect any nice support. Otherwise it could be a nice sim one day.
And of course I do feel the urge to mention the ripoff RealFlightX is where you not only need to buy the software, but also a stupid dongle, cause it doesn’t recognize any remote otherwise. Blatant rip off.
Yes I have tried Recharged, I feel like it has the same flight characteristics, apart from the new maps, which IMO are worst than the original maps…
Hi Oscar,
you have a amazing site full of invaluable information for quad lovers! Thank you for putting this together.
The only thing that I would improve related to the site is to have the article post date above (on top) of the article so that it is straight away visible how up to date a certain article is. You if anybody knows how fast this hobby is developing and I find myself always scrolling to the bottom of the article to find the date before scrolling back up and starting to read.
Happy tinkering, testing, learning and flying!
BR,
Robin
thanks Robin, I am trying my best to update the articles :)
hopefully keeping the site up to date :)
I’ve been flying Lift Off since its early days. It was crucial in helping me get my level-mode “training wheels” off when I first got into the hobby, and I still brush up on it regularly. I find it especially handy when I’m ready to increase my FPV cam angle, saving me precious rebuild time (and $$).
I definitely recommend Lift Off!
Agreed, Liftoff has recently come a long way with its latest update to 0.10.0.
They’ve added a PID system that’s almost straight out of Betaflight (sadly, it’s not the most recent 3.0+) BUT!!! It is almost spot on now for flying in the real world.
How do I know this?
Because I tuned my Blade Conspiracy to the same identical settings that I had in game. One of the instructors at my RC airfield took it out for a spin, and said, “Wow! Not bad! A TINY bit of oscillation when you punch it through a tight turn, but the rolls and flips? It’s fairly accurate and snappy!”
I tried Velocidrone, and the free trial is ok, but I’m stuck doing just racing. Liftoff, so far, has some fun locations, like the Shipyard (flying over and around some fallen shipping crates is a blast), but my favorite is flying Hannover, Germany, where I can cut through the guy wires over their buildings, dive an observation tower, and fly through a spinning logo sign on top of one of the buildings.
The “trees” aren’t entirely accurate, unfortunately; flying by them and obviously hitting tiny branches that would bring down any other drone, you just kind of fly through them with minimal damage, but if you’re like me, you tend to avoid trees (at least at the beginning, while you’re learning Acro).
A new simulator called Zephyr came out recently. It seems awesome so far, they have a bunch of training challenges and a screen pops up after each challenge that shows you where you can improve. It looks like it was primarily made to teach new pilots how to fly, but it could also be a good tool for experienced pilots to stay fresh on the sticks. They have a lot more info on their website: zephyr-sim.com
CGM Next is better,
rc-aerobatics.eu/cgm-rc-heli-simulator_e.html
mac/pc… with gimbal option. 2 RC for drone + gimbal control…
I also fly CGM Next on OS-X mostly with helicopters. Graphics is not very fancy, but for helicopter sim this does not matter. FPV experience is quiet good in my opinion with multiroter and helicopters, too. Btw, thanks Oscar for your great articles on multi rotors, i learned a lot!
For $90 the graphics should be excellent!
hi ive tried most sims but im loving the demo of fpv freerider recharged…took me a little while to get my cheap banggood usb controller setup but it really feels like fpv, physics and speed seem good.
well worth the £12 for the original and the recharged!
thanks for the link
I am also getting the Banggood xbox controller. Would you mind sharing what you found the best setup is?
AccuRC have v2 out in public beta with FPV and multirotors.
youtube.com/watch?v=4OeBR39k828
Ah … Hello FlightGear anyone?
wiki.flightgear.org/FlightGear
Thanks for sharing this nice article. and I wish to visit again on your blog. keep sharing with your work.
Thanks for sharing this nice article. and I wish to visit again on your blog. keep sharing with your work.
Thanks for sharing this nice article. I read it completely and get some interesting knowledge from this. I again thanks for sharing such a nice blog.
I like your blog. I enjoyed reading your blog. It was amazing. Thanks a lot.
Thanks for sharing this nice article. and I wish to visit again on your blog. keep sharing with your work.
Did you try some new sims?
– Liftoff (steam): http://store.steampowered.com/app/410340/ . I’ve tried it yesterday and must say that it is GREAT. It has beatiful graphics, real-like FPV noize, good physics etc. Need to add, that before I was flying in Phoenix RC, RealFlight 7.5 and FPVFreerider. I’d recommend to take a look at it!
-HotProps (beta): http://hotprops-fpv-race.com/home/ . Not so impressive as previous, but I must say that it requires your attention.
HI Andrew, thanks :) yes i tried them both already actually i have a video on my channel flying liftoff :)
Same here not impressed by hotprops but liftoff is pretty good :)
lastly, i would really appreciate it if you could join the forum: http://intoFPV.com … I don’t want to miss your comment, because I only check my blog comments only once a week, but I use the forum daily!
Hi Oscar
We have taught a lot of people how to fly and the simulator the best start for maybe 1/4 of them. 15 minutes is all most need to get use to the altitude and yaw controls.
Many good experienced flyers have no use for them because of the experience and physics.
I have them all including Realflight 7.5+.
The trick is to learn on a cheap ($20) quad – that flies realistically – , CX 10 is my current choice,
Amazon: amazon.com/gp/product/B00QDZ8D9G is one, it includes the blade guard, crazy not to have it.
Hi Oscar, thanks for the review. I have Aeroflot 7 with Taranis and it’s an awesome combo. One question; how did you adjust the tilt angle in FPV mode (or cockpit mode as they refer to it) ?
There are only a limited number of scenes you can use for FPV as it has to be a 4D scene which is a bit of a pity.
Great training tool though.
Hi Oscar
FPV FreeRider is awesome, i went from horizon straight into Acro on my quad with no problems after a couple of goes on this.
After changing the presets and using a controller plugged into the pc to make it feel real.
I now use this for training for flying though woods etc.
If this was multiplayer, a few more courses and maybe a way of building your own I’d play nothing else when its raining.
Hi TubeRider
yes it’s pretty good :)
if it’s got more features, and better improved physics… i don’t see why we still fly the real things :D LOL
Hi Oscar
There is new release for Quadcopter FX simulator on android which supports Google Cardboard VR where you can Look around in 3D environment and see your quad flying as in real life. Also the FPV experience with google cardboard is simply amazing. You guys will forget PC simulators after trying that.
nice review!I just worried about flight-simulator for multicopter.
I wanna translate this into Japanese.
I’ll try heli-x have free version. thank you.
sure no problem Yokota. :)
thanks
Oscar
Have you had a look at this one??
fpv-freerider.itch.io/fpv-freerider
Haven’t tried it myself yet, but it looks good! :-)
I have bought freerider FPV and have to say, that its AWESOME. Very realistic (not ultimately, but its simulator no real life). It costs few bucks and you get updates every other day. I really recommend it.
yes i have been using it and will cover it in this post soon.
AerosimRC can be made to work with tweaking config files manually
C:ProgramDataAeroSIM_RCConfig.txt
Here’s example of my Elev and Ail channels for thrustmaster T,16000
.TX_CAL_CONTROL_TYPE_0 5
.TX_CAL_VAL_MIN_0 0
.TX_CAL_VAL_MED_0 8192
.TX_CAL_VAL_MAX_0 16383
.TX_CAL_CONTROL_TYPE_1 5
.TX_CAL_VAL_MIN_1 0
.TX_CAL_VAL_MED_1 8192
.TX_CAL_VAL_MAX_1 16383
To figure out which channels is which I calibrated the channels with say Elev middle 142, Ail middle 176, and then looked them up in the config file, and edited the values to match what the joystick is actually doing.
good review, I have been practicing with clearviewSE version using a Sky Surfer 54in wingspan and followed mods in youtube it flys great for the price. best money I ever spent. I’m sold on simulators and thanks for pointing me in the direction to save me time.
Real Flight 7.5 is great. The quads in it feel good to fly, and it really helps with the muscle memory. You can even download the CY Stingray a collective pitch quadcopter. Owners of the real thing who have used the sim say its pretty much spot on to how it feels in real life. I’ve flown it in the sim (and I have one IRL, but haven’t flown it yet) and if it really does handle like it does in the sim, I’m going to have a lot of fun. :D
Using the sim helped me go from auto leveling mode to rate/acro modes when flying, just helped with how the quad handles and such and improved my reactions to certain situations.
You’ll still need to compliment real flying with it to be truly good, but its handy having a good sim there to quickly fly for 10mins here and there in-between dinner or heading out.
What about picasim I use it and it is great? I have never flown outside this sim it has a quad in it rowlhouse.co.uk/PicaSim/
There is also smartpropoplus.com/site/ for controllers that use an aux port like headphones can be used like a regular controller
thanks will look into those.
How about Quadcopter FX for andriod?
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Creativeworld.QuadcopterFX&hl=en
Can pair with a ps3 dualshock
i am only discussing simulator on a computer, that you can hook up with your RC transmitter.
You can use transmitter on android device but it takes a bit of configuration / OTG cable
yes, but computer versions are more realistic, and better graphics don’t you think :)
I think Sims are crap and total waste of time.
1.- Buy a micro/nano quad… I have the Nano QX FPV, it’s pricey SPECIALLY in my neck of the woods. Oh and it only flew well for the first week, I replaced the props and motors ($$$) but it still flies wrong so I sent it for repair 3 weeks ago but they say there’s nothing wrong with it.
2.- Build a strong basher quad. I have an Armattan 355 frame + Naze + Scorpion 2208 kv1050/8×4.5 props (old GAUI 330X) and this thing is virtually indestructible. I’ve had to yank it out of the ground and the props bent all the back… straightened them out and it flew again… best RC toy ever!
Ummmmm…. I don’t really see the point in your comment and couldn’t disagree more with the little you elaborate… I think a simulator gives a lot of good times and helps you a lot to get into Acro mode WITHOUT spending tons of dollars into props.
I do agree in buying a nano, and don’t understand your complains. It sounds like you didn’t spend enough time setting up your controller properly, or trying to understand the quad.
I made the mistake of going directly with a big quad. I enjoy smaller quads better and the sim takes a lot of time, when it’s late and I just want to fly. The sim lets you play with configurations on the quads much faster, so when you want to adjust a real quad it doesn’t take you as long either.
I completely disagree that Sims are a waste of time. A sim is a very good way to start learning without constantly having to buy spare parts.
I learned the basics of flying a Heli way back when Realflight 3.5 was the latest. It teaches you orientation and the basics of throttle control.
I think a Sim and Real life practice will help someone progress much faster than just real life flight time on its own.