Derekhe created a mod that inserts Google maps imagery into FS2020 on the fly (intercepting the map tile requests and redirecting them to Google maps server). It works like magic, no slow down, just a process running in the background, downloading from google maps instead of the regular data server.

This way you get the most up to date map data, however it is not color corrected and the game still adds trees and buildings according to what Blackshark AI found on the copy of Bing map data it used. Still the result is like playing FS2030.

The mod is here https://flightsim.to/file/19345/msfs-2020-google-map-replacement

The river next to my house


I can now spot rubber dingies and canoes going down the river


The park near my house


I can recognize the markings on the playground (which are gone since 2 years ago, Google isn't up to date either)


Part of the river I go cross country jogging along




Mileage may vary, a lot of areas in the USA already have great data. However for 'remote' places like China it's eye opening

Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, world's tallest and longest glass bridge



Of course height data is lacking, the bridge is no bridge, trees are missing. Yet from altitude it actually looks worth flying over now

Can't wait to go explore Northern Canada, Siberia, Antarctica again. All places Bing pretty much has no data. As well as parts of the Caribbean, Central Africa, Australia and many tropical islands. Where to first, maybe Pyonyang. Best enjoy it now before either Google or MS shuts it down :)

Cool stuff. Would be interested in a side by side comparison.

oh cool this is really ingenious.

Wow, that's a huge improvement.

Those are side by side comparisons up there ;)

Here is a video comparing different places with installation instructions at the end

That's really cool. Makes it look way better.

It's so sharp with google maps, I'm getting moire patterns. Here between Waterford and Simcoe, following Brock's route


Btw heads-up, the mod doesn't always remove itself correctly, or rather Windows keeps the redirects in the hosts file. If FS2020 doesn't work anymore after turning the mod off, you'll need to remove these two lines from the hosts file with notepad, run as administrator.

It's in C:System32Driversetc
Type hosts to open the file as notepad doesn't list it

The mod adds these two lines to redirect to google maps

127.0.0.1 kh.ssl.ak.tiles.virtualearth.net
127.0.0.1 khstorelive.azureedge.net

Simply remove them (they are at the bottom and safe)

Then either reboot or open a powershell (run as administrator) and type
ipconfig /flushdns
That will reset the dns redirects and FS2020 is back to Bing Map Data.