I was wondering what would happen if I linked two Xbox consoles together for flight simulation. Would they talk to each other? Would it even work? The answer, as I discovered, is yes - and the results were far more interesting than I expected.
With Microsoft FS2020 (and even more so with FS2024), two Xbox systems can indeed share the same virtual sky. Each runs under its own Microsoft account, both signed in to Xbox Live, and both joined to the same multiplayer group. Once configured on the same network, the synchronization is remarkable - aircraft positions, weather, and time of day line up perfectly. Fly side-by-side, and it feels like formation flight in the truest sense.
Here's a simple layout to illustrate the setup - two Xbox consoles, two screens, and a shared Ethernet connection forming a small but capable “dual-station simulator.”
One station becomes the Pilot Flying, the other the Pilot Monitoring. You could just as easily think of them as Captain and First Officer, working from different perspectives within the same world.
The applications are wide-ranging. For training, one console can act as the instructor’s desk, monitoring or recording the other’s flight. For cooperative flying, both pilots can operate within a shared environment, using party chat or Discord to coordinate. And for cinematic content, one console can focus purely on external camera work while the other handles the aircraft.
In short, two Xboxes and one network cable can create something very close to a full-fledged training environment - a small demonstration of what’s possible when technology and imagination converge in the cockpit.
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