Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy Island Creations add-ons?
You can purchase our add-ons from two platforms: the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 / 2024 Marketplaces (in-game) and simMarket. Please note that the versions available on each platform are not identical in terms of features and quality. For more details on the differences and purchasing options, see the next FAQ question and visit our “Where to Buy” page.
What is the difference between the add-ons on simMarket and on the MSFS Marketplaces?
On simMarket, our add-ons include multiple versions (Standard, Premium, and Premium Plus) of custom ground textures with different resolutions.
On the MSFS Marketplaces we offer two types of add-ons: Aerial Imagery/Scenery and Scenery Enhancement. The Aerial Imagery/Scenery add-ons are equivalent to the Premium versions on simMarket. The Scenery Enhancement add-ons are smaller, lightweight versions without ground textures.
For more information about the benefits of each platform, visit our “Where to Buy” page.
How can I install the add-ons?
All add-ons that you purchase on the MSFS Marketplaces are installed automatically.
The add-ons for MSFS 2024 that you purchase on simMarket are also installed automatically via simMarket app while the add-ons for MSFS 2020 are installed either via .exe installers or by moving the downloaded folder(s) to the “Community” folder inside your MSFS installation directory. Here’s where you can find your “Community” folder:
If you used a custom location for your Flight Simulator installation, then proceed there (e.g. E:\Flight Simulator\Community\).
If you used the default location for your installation, then you can find the “Community” folder under one of the following paths:
– C:\Users\[Your User Name]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community\
– C:\Users\[Your User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Community\
– C:\Users\[Your User Name]\AppData\Local\MSFSPackages\Community\
Important: Windows 10 by default hides the “AppData” folder, so you will have to go to “View” in the menu of File Explorer, and select “Hidden items” so as to see it.
How can I receive updates?
The add-ons that you purchase on the MSFS Marketplaces are updated automatically.
For the add-ons that you purchase on simMarket, you will receive a notification via email when a new update is available. Please make sure that you have accepted to receive emails from simMarket. The updates for MSFS 2024 add-ons can be installed automatically via simMarket app. The updates for MSFS 2020 add-ons are installed manually by deleting the folder of the prior version and installing the newly downloaded version (as described above).
Are your add-ons FPS-friendly? What kind of hardware do I need to run your add-ons?
Custom ground textures have barely any impact on MSFS performance and do not require powerful hardware. If your PC meets the minimum requirements to run the MSFS and your graphics card has at least 4 GB of video memory (VRAM), it will not have any issue running our ground textures.
Our scenery elements (e.g. boat models) are optimized for performance and meet the MSFS’s requirements for maximum number of polygons, draw calls and texture sizes per level of detail (LOD). The performance impact is therefore negligible.
The MSFS 2020 versions of our add-ons on simMarket also include optional mesh (elevation data). This is an experimental feature which impact on MSFS performance can vary. Most mid-range PCs with 16 GB RAM can at least run the 2 m versions on El Hierro, La Gomera and La Palma, the 4 m version on Fuerteventura and Lanzarote and the 10 m versions on Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Since Sim Update 10 even the 2 m versions run much more smoothly with DirectX 12 enabled.
Are your add-ons compatible with airport add-ons from other developers?
Please refer to our “Compatibility” page.