Choose DCS World Steam Edition
Choose DCS World Steam Edition if you want a Free To Play game with Online PvP, Online Co-op, and LAN PvP. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 22,692 Steam reviews back the pick.
DCS World Steam Edition vs X-Plane 12
DCS World Steam Edition and X-Plane 12 both land in Simulation on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Simulation games on Steam. DCS World Steam Edition (2013) is 9 years older than X-Plane 12 (2022). X-Plane 12 scores higher on Steam reviews (86.5% positive) than DCS World Steam Edition (84.6% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose X-Plane 12
Choose X-Plane 12 if it's the newer release (2022) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 2,820 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both DCS World Steam Edition and X-Plane 12 sit in Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, LAN Co-op, and Tracked Controller Support, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (84.6% vs 86.5% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 DCS World Steam Edition |  X-Plane 12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2022 |
| Genres | Simulation, Free To Play | Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | Free to play | 59.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 84.6% positive (22,692 reviews) | 86.5% positive (2,820 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Multi-player, LAN Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Eagle Dynamics SA | Laminar Research |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- DCS World Steam Edition (2013) is 9 years older than X-Plane 12 (2022).
- X-Plane 12 scores higher on Steam reviews (86.5% positive) than DCS World Steam Edition (84.6% positive).
- DCS World Steam Edition is free; X-Plane 12 is paid (59.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: DCS World Steam Edition is Deck Playable, X-Plane 12 is Deck Unsupported.
DCS World Steam Edition vs X-Plane 12 — FAQ
- Which is better, DCS World Steam Edition or X-Plane 12?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: DCS World Steam Edition sits at 84.6% positive (22,692 reviews), X-Plane 12 at 86.5% (2,820). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play DCS World Steam Edition or X-Plane 12 first?
- If you want chronology, DCS World Steam Edition (2013) came out before X-Plane 12 (2022). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are DCS World Steam Edition and X-Plane 12 similar?
- They overlap on Simulation on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both DCS World Steam Edition and X-Plane 12 have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: DCS World Steam Edition ships Online Co-op, LAN Co-op; X-Plane 12 ships LAN Co-op, Co-op.
- Is DCS World Steam Edition free?
- Yes — DCS World Steam Edition is a free-to-play Steam title. X-Plane 12 is paid (59.99 USD).