Compare Bus Simulator 27 vs Train Sim World 7

The promised steering-wheel support delivered well in testing, with automatic detection and useful presets rather than the usual setup problems.

Some buyers feel that promoted improvements and promised systems overstated how well the launch version worked.

The music is considered basic, with at least one critic wishing the game had something like a radio station.

The music makes a stronger impression than in earlier entries for at least one player.

Optimization needs substantial work, with demanding hardware requirements, frame drops, blur, and other compromises across both PC and console modes.

New graphics options deliver smoother or better-looking play for many PC users. Traversal stutter, busy areas, and uneven handheld performance persist.

Infinite loading screens were severe enough in one test to force repeated restarts.

Faster loading and menu returns are practical improvements for large libraries.

Weather and lighting can look strong, but rain visibility, ghosting, shimmer, blur, and motion-blur issues keep the effects from feeling polished.

Enhanced lighting, shadows, and rain create memorable views. Some weather transitions and upscaling settings remain uneven.

There are many controls and systems to absorb, but most become manageable after some practice and the game offers enough guidance to ease newcomers in.

The authentic systems can be intimidating without guidance. Beginner controls and easier train options make the first services more manageable.

Tutorials are usually concise and helpful, though route-building instructions can initially leave players confused by the number of systems.

The Training Centre helps explain basic driving, but advanced systems and Freight Hauler often leave players to work out crucial steps on their own.

NPC presentation is inconsistent, with clipping and awkward passenger behavior still visible even after some post-launch improvement.

Some small train interactions feel lifelike, while passengers still pop in and move unnaturally.

Cockpit systems, ticketing, passenger incidents, on-foot exploration, and random road events add impressive interaction depth, though several of those systems can be buggy or repetitive.

Walking through trains and yards adds tactile appeal, but decorative cab controls and inaccessible station areas limit exploration.

The foundation is strong, but the launch build repeatedly feels unfinished, with bugs, AI problems, penalties, crashes, and presentation issues adding up across normal play.

The presentation can feel excellent, but recurring faults in doors, freight routing, and other small systems leave many buyers asking for more refinement.

Its unusually broad mix of bus driving, company management, on-foot exploration, customization, and multiplayer makes it one of the year's more ambitious bus sims.

Freight Hauler and new assists give this annual release a fresh angle for some players. Others see a modest update whose core driving remains almost unchanged.

Visual opinion is mixed: Felicia Bay and the buses can look impressive, but blur, weak character models, lifeless streets, and inconsistent image quality hold the presentation back.

Lighting, shadows, and train models earn frequent praise, especially on PC. A few players see only modest gains or dislike the compromises required for speed.

Extensive assists and automation let players simplify doors, kneeling, engine functions, penalties, and other simulation details without giving up the core driving experience.

Beginner controls and assists make train driving easier to approach while leaving the detailed cab procedures available. Several players welcome the flexibility, although the bright menus and limited hardware mapping remain barriers.

Crashes are a serious launch concern, especially on PC and in multiplayer, while later Xbox hotfixes suggest the current console build is becoming more stable.

Crashes during services and Freight Hauler put long sessions at risk, despite some otherwise playable runs.

District upgrades, route growth, company expansion, and visible improvements to bus stops create a rewarding sense of progress.

Services, route tasks, Journey Mode, and Freight Hauler give drivers several structured reasons to return.

Performance can be uneven, with drops below a stable 60 FPS on capable PCs and larger dips reported even on high-end hardware.

Smooth runs are possible on stronger systems, but busy stations, the German route, and handheld play can suffer drops and stutter.

Points of interest and collectibles give players a reason to leave the driver's seat and make Felicia Bay feel more like a place worth exploring.

Route collectibles offer small, welcome diversions from the timetable.

ROG Ally testing suggests the game is playable at medium settings with upscaling around a solid 30 FPS, though visual compromises are noticeable.

Steam Deck controls are comfortable and playability is acceptable, though stutter, dips near stations, and battery draw limit the experience.

The default HUD can feel cluttered enough to distract from driving, but unwanted elements can be removed for a cleaner view.

Stopping markers and fault notices can be easy to miss, while the freight interface leaves some operations unclear.

Story mode and the tutorials generally do a good job introducing a complex simulation organically, though one critic found the opening poorly put together.

Beginner controls and the Training Centre help newcomers reach the cab. The freight mode and advanced systems need clearer introductions.

The 45-plus licensed buses across many brands, sizes, and powertrains are one of the most consistently praised parts of the package.

New and familiar trains cover commuter, high-speed, and freight work with detailed models. Repeated stock and limited use for some add-ons temper the appeal.

Bugs are widespread in the launch experience, ranging from visual oddities and broken interactions to traffic glitches and gameplay penalties, although later patches have reduced some problems.

Launch bugs range from strange train behavior and missing freight jobs to stuck doors and broken paths. Some players encountered little trouble, while others had sessions derailed.

Driving is divisive: many like the weight, precision, and bus-specific controls, while others find the handling loose, awkward, or less refined than competing bus sims.

Operating different trains is detailed and often satisfying, particularly with heavier freight. Unrealistic crash behavior and occasional control faults mar the simulation.

Different routes help prevent the driving routine from becoming repetitive.

Scenarios, scheduled passenger runs, and freight operations provide plenty of different assignments, especially on the Yorkshire network.

Felicia Bay has a strong sense of place, helped by dynamic weather, day-night changes, Mediterranean scenery, and a relaxed road-trip feel.

The unhurried railway setting is a soothing draw, with real-time weather and train sounds deepening the sense of place.

Driving routes, serving passengers, and building the company can be highly addictive, but the moment-to-moment loop loses appeal when feedback systems and handling fall short.

Driving scheduled services remains a satisfying, leisurely routine for train fans. The same point-to-point rhythm may feel monotonous to others.

Detailed bus systems and a believable city can be highly immersive, but clipping, broken AI, and constant bugs can quickly shatter that illusion.

Cab interaction, regional sound, and live weather can make a drive feel remarkably authentic. Abrupt weather and visible technical faults can quickly puncture that effect.

Sandbox mode is well liked for removing money and objective pressure, while broader management settings still allow considerable freedom in how routes and companies are built.

Freight Hauler brings welcome freedom to choose cars and plan deliveries without a strict timetable. Pathing bugs and limited jobs can make that freedom frustrating.

Multiple modes, varied routes, two cities, coach trips, management tasks, and different bus types keep the experience from feeling like the same run repeated endlessly.

Yorkshire, Florida, and Germany supply different landscapes and mixes of passenger, high-speed, and freight services. This range is a widely praised reason to explore the package.

Despite the rough launch, many players still find the bus driving, route planning, and company growth genuinely fun; the harshest critics say the bugs and AI overwhelm that enjoyment.

The relaxed pace and hands-on train work create a pleasant escape for enthusiasts, especially with the beginner scheme.

Traffic AI is the clearest weak spot: cars stop, ram buses, jam intersections, and trigger unfair penalties, though later Xbox hotfixes appear to have improved it somewhat.

The conductor can ease door duties and add atmosphere when it works. Repeated reports of stuck doors, missed actions, empty stations, and passenger glitches make AI reliability a major concern.

First-person driving feels much easier to manage than the more erratic third-person view.

Adjustable camera speed helps frame scenic shots, though a handheld fault caused the view to lurch during one service.

Bus interiors and many parts of Felicia Bay show impressive detail, although a few critics find the streets and repeated NPCs lifeless.

Detailed cabs, stations, and freight locations make many routes convincing. Other players find sparse scenery, quiet platforms, or omitted structures distracting.

The custom Felicia Bay map is dense, varied, and purpose-built for bus routes rather than feeling like a generic real-world recreation.

Freight planning gives the route map a useful role, but fine map movement and setting valid paths can be awkward.

Objectives help break up management-heavy menu work by regularly putting the player back behind the wheel.

Freight Hauler turns wagon movements into an appealing planning exercise. Broken paths, inaccessible cars, and thin job structure can spoil that promise.

Districts stand out as unique and handcrafted rather than feeling copied and pasted, helping routes stay visually distinctive.

The branching Yorkshire network is a standout for its varied journeys and freight work. Florida and Germany offer distinct settings, though a few route stretches feel sparse or familiar.

Felicia Bay's Spanish-inspired identity and corruption backstory give the city a distinct personality beyond its roads and bus stops.

The routes feel like working railways at their best, with stations, depots, and freight sites integrated into the journey.

The management UI can make simple tasks harder to understand, especially when planning routes or handling company details.

The refreshed interface has admirers, but its intense brightness is uncomfortable for several players and lacks a dark option.

Engine sounds, electric hums, traffic ambience, rain, and bus rattles are consistently praised for making each vehicle and journey feel distinct.

Train motors, track noise, horns, and changing acoustics often sound convincing. Some rolling stock audio draws complaints for poor authenticity.

Bus customization can be deep, especially for interiors, seats, floors, colors, wraps, and patterns, though one review found some brand customization limited.

A missing wheel model in the livery designer spoiled one attempt to use a custom train appearance.

Menus range from clean and quick to overloaded and confusing; the radial bus-control menu works well for some players but feels cumbersome to others.

The updated menus look cleaner to some, but others find them too bright, confusing, or several layers away from starting a run.

Controller and wheel support are generally strong and precise, though one negative review found the handling poor and some wheel-feedback features remain weak.

Several trains feel quick and satisfying to drive, though a few technical faults interrupt throttle or door control.

The voice cast is considered solid, doing a decent job with both story characters and passengers.

Regional voice work earns praise, while synthetic sounding announcements disappoint some players.

Steering wheels and controllers are broadly well supported and often work with little setup, though force-feedback quality remains uneven.

PC players receive enhanced lighting and graphics options that console players miss, while Steam Deck support receives a more favorable report.

Post-launch support is a major positive, with frequent hotfixes targeting crashes, saves, AI, handling, penalties, passengers, and multiplayer.

A launch update and promised patches show active attention to reported problems, although the fixes have not erased every interruption.

Several critics like the underlying game but still recommend waiting for more patches before paying the launch price.

The three-route bundles look worthwhile to several players, particularly newcomers. High deluxe pricing and launch bugs make other buyers favor the free starter or a sale.

Multiple modes, a large fleet, company management, and a long progression loop give the game strong long-term replay potential.

Branching services, varied trains, and random freight jobs provide plenty of potential replayability. The freight mode needs shorter, more reliable sessions for that promise to hold.

Steam Deck power draw runs high, limiting portable sessions to a few hours.

The switchable Classic and Realistic looks are a hit, with strong color grading and the ability to choose between vibrant and more natural presentation.

Four-player co-op is one of the better extras, letting friends coordinate routes and run a company together; disconnects and crashes can still get in the way.

There is plenty to drive across the new routes, but Freight Hauler is initially confined to them and some routes or yards feel unfinished.

Story dialogue is one of the weaker narrative elements, described as cheesy, mediocre, and easy to ignore.

Difficulty and realism are unusually flexible, letting players choose a relaxed drive or a stricter simulation with more rules and penalties.

Company management is usually satisfying and approachable, with hiring, routes, fleets, and visible AI drivers, but some systems feel shallow, buggy, or too simplistic.

Getting out on foot, finding landmarks, visiting points of interest, and roaming a large two-city map adds welcome variety beyond driving fixed routes.

The familiar driving model, bus-management structure, and simulation-heavy controls make this recognizably Bus Simulator, though its rough launch keeps it from feeling like a fully worthy successor yet.

There is substantial longevity, with more than 15 hours leaving plenty of story content and some players expected to spend dozens or even hundreds of hours.

The grading and penalty systems are a recurring frustration, often docking points or money for signals, collisions, or other situations players believe were handled correctly.

Controller feedback can feel good, but steering-wheel force feedback is inconsistent and sometimes described as lifeless or effectively nonfunctional.

The annual upgrade and expensive add-ons concern some players, even as others find the edition bundles reasonable.

Walking sideways with a controller slows awkwardly and takes time to get used to.

Story mode is useful and enjoyable for some because it gives goals and structure, but others find the plot easy to ignore or poorly written.

Multiplayer has suffered disconnects and crashes, but recent patches have addressed spawning, loading, and passenger-sync problems.

A bespoke fictional city built around public transport gives the game more personality than another one-to-one recreation of a real location.

The tutorial is praised for teaching the basics without dragging on too long.

Flexible photo tools help capture the routes at their most scenic.

Hiring drivers fits naturally into company management, with visible skills and hidden professionalism traits adding some decision-making.

Story-mode characters are described as fun and colorful, giving the structured campaign more personality than simple route objectives alone.

Upgrading districts and bus stops produces visible and gameplay changes, making progression feel tangible rather than purely numerical.

The story writing is directly criticized as cheesy and poorly written.

Character creation is a welcome extra and offers more flexibility than some expected, but several critics find the models and options fairly limited.

Simplified gamepad driving is convenient, but specialist controllers and custom mapping remain poorly served.

Co-op meaningfully expands the management simulation by letting up to four players coordinate routes, fleets, and driving duties together.

Felicia Bay is one of the most consistent strengths: large, attractive, varied, and full of distinct districts, highways, towns, coastlines, and points of interest.

Player profile progress transferred from PC to Steam Deck, making portable play easier to resume.

Compatible purchases carrying forward is appreciated, and bundles can be a better deal than separate add-ons. The large catalog and premium route pricing still draw sharp criticism.

Save protection received focused post-launch fixes, improving one of the launch-era reliability concerns on Xbox.