Best space flight simulation games, ranked

Space is one of the most popular settings for video games, and it's easy to see why. The wonder, the mystery, and getting to fly awesome spaceships. We're focusing on the latter today as we run down the best space flight simulation games you can play in 2025.

In the olden days, HOTAS (hands-on throttle-and-stick) controls were the way to go when it came to flight sims, but – while they're still a thing for diehards – the games industry has been focusing on more approachable experiences and crafting flight sims that make great use of the hardware everyone has access to.

This means great gamepad controls and, if you want something fancier, VR support for extra immersion. Some of the great games listed below accept HOTAS controls, but this genre is no longer as niche as it was back in the 1990s.

Looking for other genre-specific space games? You may want to check out the lists of the best space exploration and space settlement games, or maybe take a look at our spooky best space horror games picks if you've got the guts.

10. Underspace

• Release date: April 10, 2024
• Platform: PC
• Developer: Pastaspace Interactive

Underspace is the most recent space exploration game on our list, but so far, it's been flying under most gamers' radars, which is a shame considering how much its dev team has achieved since it launched in early access.

Veterans will instantly clock it as a "spiritual successor" of sorts to Freelancer, a huge classic of the genre. Underspace mixes traditional sandbox elements with the flight sim DNA you know and love. Throw in robust RPG systems and progression along with plenty of cosmic horrors, and you've got something that's unlike anything else out there.

There's a whole galaxy to explore with tons of story and side missions, boss encounters, ships, customization parts, and a surprising number of giant beasts hidden among the stars.

If you dig the idea of charting your own path as a space trader, pirate, explorer, starfighter, or whatever — while also avoiding cosmic monstrosities — Underspace perfectly delivers on its very specific pitch.

9. Everspace 2

• Release date: April 6, 2023
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Developer: Rockfish Games

Don't get us wrong — we loved the first Everspace, but the sequel took things to another level. Against all expectations, Rockfish's long-awaited sequel didn't iterate on the original's roguelike structure. Instead, it offers a traditional open-world adventure with a handcrafted story and side missions. In a way, it feels like another strong successor to Freelancer, though its sensibility and gameplay are more arcade-like.

Everspace 2 is remarkably fast-paced and easy to pick up, and each new DLC expansion has only added to the richness of its universe. On top of dogfights and exploration, there are plenty of puzzles to solve and secrets to uncover.

The story campaign is a great introduction, giving players a more focused experience, but this sequel truly shines when you go off the marked path and absorb everything it has to offer at your own pace. Moreover, its 'endgame' activities are surprisingly solid, giving flight sim enjoyers more than a couple of reasons to stick around for hundreds of hours.

8. Freelancer

• Release date: March 4, 2003
• Platform: PC
• Developer: Digital Anvil

Of course, we can't reference Freelancer over and over again without giving the original space trading and flight/combat sim game a spot on our list. Developed by Digital Anvil and published by Microsoft Game Studios, it was actually a sequel to 2000's Starlancer. Production on this one was infamously nightmarish, but you can't argue with the results.

Both the single-player and multiplayer modes allowed players to pilot ships and explore 48 star systems while engaging in trading, piracy, and other activities (a favorite of ours was bounty-hunting).

While there's a massive story at the center of it all involving a massive alien invasion, Freelancer was (and still is) celebrated for how wide-open and flexible it was back in 2003. Even now, it's a remarkable game, but you must look for 'alternative' ways of obtaining it, as no platform is selling it right now (not even Good Old Games).

7. Starfield

• Release date: September 6, 2023
• Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Starfield wasn't the home run many of us were hoping for, but it's silly to pretend it was a total bust. It had shortcomings, sure, but it's still one of the most engaging space exploration games around, and we absolutely love its take on customizable spacecraft, intuitive piloting, and cinematic dogfights.

The Lego-like ship-building and upgrading system is intuitive and rewarding, and the extra customization options – even without mods – are meaty. Hell, simply jumping between star systems and floating around in the void feels so immersive… it makes us feel like explorers, and isn't that what we're looking for in a space game?

Despite its fragmented open-world structure and an ultimate lack of depth, there's a lot to love here. It's an uncomplicated game that nails the visuals, sounds, and moment-to-moment gameplay, and for a lot of people, that's going to be more enjoyable than more niche alternatives. Bethesda's divisive space odyssey will be re-evaluated in due time, mark our words.

6. Star Citizen

• Release date: December 23, 2017
• Platform: PC
• Developer: Cloud Imperium Games

Ok, this is a tricky one, because you can't talk about Star Citizen without mentioning the drama; a staggering $800 million budget and 13-year development for a game that still isn't anywhere near its long-awaited 1.0 release. But don't worry, the devs will sell you custom spaceships for hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

And despite all that, there's nothing out there quite like Star Citizen. The creative vision and attention to detail have to be admired, and if you're looking for an immersive flight simulation experience, you'll struggle to find better. The scope alone is daunting, and when Star Citizen runs well, it's a gorgeous and humbling experience that almost justifies the cost and time… almost.

It would be irresponsible to urge our readers to go and drink Cloud Imperium's Kool-Aid without questioning anything, but completely ignoring the actual work that's gone into at least the spaceship side of the project would be foolish.

5. Star Wars: Starfighter 1 & 2

• Release dates: February 21, 2001 / March 11, 2002
• Platforms: Xbox, PS2/3, PC / Xbox, PS2/3/4
• Developers: LucasArts, Blitz Games, Secret Level

The Rogue Squadron series wasn't the only flight sim Star Wars subfranchise gracing consoles in the early 2000s. To support The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, LucasArts put out two very solid arcade space combat games in the often forgotten Starfighter titles (which aren't related in any way to the upcoming 2027 movie starring Ryan Gosling).

The original game happens right before the Battle of Naboo and focuses on starfighter pilots trying to thwart the Trade Federation's invasion, with the stylish and iconic N-1 starfighter at the center of the action. Starfighter 2 mixes up the formula, acting as a prequel to Episode II and also explores the Battle of Geonosis from a different point of view, that of Jedi Master Adi Gallia and the friendly pirate Nym (returning from the original).

In both games, there's plenty to enjoy, and the core action and flying feel hugely rewarding. It's just good old-fashioned arcade fun. While they haven't received remasters yet, you can still purchase and play them both on modern hardware.

4. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron series

• Release dates: December 3, 1998 / November 18, 2001 / October 21, 2003
• Platforms: Nintendo 64, PC / GameCube / GameCube
• Developers: LucasArts, Factor 5

It would be treason to exclude the Rogue Squadron games from any roundup of the best space flight simulation games, even if they're also more on the arcadey side of the genre. This trilogy is widely regarded as one of Star Wars' very best when it comes to video games, and we can't argue against that. They're just that good. Their biggest problem? Being stuck on Nintendo's GameCube (except for the original). Yes, you can always resort to emulation, but we're dying to get remasters or ports of II and III.

While the stories were nothing to write home about, fans really appreciated how they were woven into the events of the original trilogy, expanding on iconic battles and off-camera events while also showing us the unseen side of the Galactic Civil War. More importantly, they're extremely fun games with tight controls and challenging combat missions. There were even some surprising ground-level missions in the threequel, Rebel Strike.

It's a shame LucasArts didn't keep the series going, but we love what we did get.

3. No Man's Sky

• Release date: August 12, 2016
• Platforms: Xbox One/Series X/S, PS4/5, Nintendo Switch 1/2, PC
• Developer: Hello Games

No Man's Sky had a memorable launch for all the wrong reasons, but it's also had the most famous and successful redemption arc in gaming, too. After constant updates from the devs, No Man's Sky has grown into something very special and enduring. It's not a pure flight simulator — you can land on planets, build bases, solve ancient mysteries of the universe, and more — but on top of all that, it is one best space flight sims out there.

Compared to contemporaries like Elite Dangerous (we'll get to you), it's not exactly what you'd call a deep flight sim experience, but it nails the fundamentals and then offers you an infinite universe to explore. You can pilot ships ranging from tiny fighters to massive freighters. You can even command a whole fleet, flying it across the galaxy, chasing objectives, roleplaying any sort of space-exploring life, or just absorbing the gorgeous, stylized vistas.

Moreover, its VR support is excellent, and we can sincerely recommend every version of the game released so far, with its Switch 2 upgrade becoming the best way to experience it on the go and a new favorite of ours.

2. Star Wars Squadrons

• Release date: October 2, 2020
• Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC
• Developer: Motive

As a 'pure' flight sim experience, Star Wars Squadrons is the best Star Wars game of the lot. The stick flight controls feel amazingly old-school, the VR support is among the finest you can get today. Both the single-player campaign and PvP online multiplayer are memorable thanks to a solid progression system and clearly defined starship classes that handle very differently and play distinct roles in the space battles. It's just a shame the online activity has dwindled so much since its launch in late 2020.

It's also a very rare 'Empire vs. Rebels' Star Wars game that takes place after the fall of Palpatine's regime, placing it closer to the scenario seen in Disney+ Star Wars shows like The Mandalorian.

If you're a curious fan (or a straight-up diehard), it goes quite well with the Aftermath trilogy of novels and Star Wars Battlefront II's underrated campaign, and the whole thing is a blast from start to finish. More importantly, the narrative explores both sides of the conflict from the POV of grunts and 'nobodies' trying to navigate the post-Civil War state of the galaxy before the fighting stops.

1. Elite: Dangerous

• Release date: April 2, 2015
• Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC
• Developer: Frontier Developments

Could it have been anything else at the top of our list? Elite: Dangerous is far from perfect; it's far too complicated for some gamers, but the attention to detail, strong commitment to a complete simulation experience, and support over the years have made it the sturdiest and most polished space flight sim experience ever made.

It's also a remarkably chill game that successfully captures the fantasy of being a space captain, whether you're a trucker transporting cargo to a distant system or a bounty hunter travelling absurdly long distances to hunt down a poor spacefarer who's made some poor life choices.

Elite: Dangerous is also defined by the fact that it's an MMO game, meaning that you can (and will) come across other players, both friendly and hostile. Random events keep things interesting too, and the live systems governing the galaxy's finances and huge evolving narrative are the sort of ambitious game design we'd like to see more often.

Frontier has made some mistakes in the past with the game and its updates, but none of that matters when you fully immerse yourself in its rendition of the Milky Way around the year 3301.