Feedback on Instrument Panel Legibility & Contrast
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I wanted to share some feedback regarding the legibility of the switch and knob labels on the main instrument panel. While I realize the white-on-beige/low-contrast font may be authentic to certain real-world panels, it presents a significant usability challenge within the simulator.
The Issue:
The label fonts do not provide enough contrast against the panel background. This becomes particularly difficult in the following scenarios:VR Usage: The lower "effective" resolution in VR makes thin, low-contrast fonts very difficult to discern.
Low Light: On overcast days or when the cockpit is in shadow, the labels almost disappear.
Comparison: For myself, legibility is actually better at night when the instrument lighting is on.
I truly consider this addon to be among the best I have ever purchased, but these small quality-of-life adjustments would make a world of difference:
Texture Option: An optional "dark" or high-contrast panel texture.
Font Weight: Slightly increasing the boldness of the label decals to help them pop against the beige background.
I’m curious if others, especially those flying in VR, are finding this difficult to read and if this is something the developer would consider as a toggleable option in a future update.
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I wanted to share some feedback regarding the legibility of the switch and knob labels on the main instrument panel. While I realize the white-on-beige/low-contrast font may be authentic to certain real-world panels, it presents a significant usability challenge within the simulator.
The Issue:
The label fonts do not provide enough contrast against the panel background. This becomes particularly difficult in the following scenarios:VR Usage: The lower "effective" resolution in VR makes thin, low-contrast fonts very difficult to discern.
Low Light: On overcast days or when the cockpit is in shadow, the labels almost disappear.
Comparison: For myself, legibility is actually better at night when the instrument lighting is on.
I truly consider this addon to be among the best I have ever purchased, but these small quality-of-life adjustments would make a world of difference:
Texture Option: An optional "dark" or high-contrast panel texture.
Font Weight: Slightly increasing the boldness of the label decals to help them pop against the beige background.
I’m curious if others, especially those flying in VR, are finding this difficult to read and if this is something the developer would consider as a toggleable option in a future update.
@turnandbank I don't fly in VR, but I'm having some difficulty reading the gauges as well. However, my issue seems to be in situations of higher exterior lighting, approaching full daylight -- the area around the gauges is too dark for me to read them well without zooming all the way in. Higher contrast would definitely help me with this issue.
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@turnandbank I don't fly in VR, but I'm having some difficulty reading the gauges as well. However, my issue seems to be in situations of higher exterior lighting, approaching full daylight -- the area around the gauges is too dark for me to read them well without zooming all the way in. Higher contrast would definitely help me with this issue.
@RPGamerous Just to clarify — when you mention gauges, are you referring to the actual flight instruments? I don’t have any issues reading those, since they follow the typical white-on-black design used in most aircraft.
The difficulty I’m experiencing is specifically with the panel labels for the various knobs and switches (e.g., lighting controls, de-icing, etc.). The white text on the beige background doesn’t provide enough contrast, which makes them hard to read—especially in lower lighting conditions.
For comparison, the smaller panel on the left side (Generator, Starter, Battery, Fuel Boost, etc.) uses a darker grey background and is noticeably easier to read.
Similarly, in the BS TBM850, the darker panel makes all labels very clear and legible.
Given how polished the rest of the addon is, a higher-contrast panel option or slightly bolder labels would make a meaningful improvement to usability. I’d switch to a darker panel instantly if it were available.
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@RPGamerous Just to clarify — when you mention gauges, are you referring to the actual flight instruments? I don’t have any issues reading those, since they follow the typical white-on-black design used in most aircraft.
The difficulty I’m experiencing is specifically with the panel labels for the various knobs and switches (e.g., lighting controls, de-icing, etc.). The white text on the beige background doesn’t provide enough contrast, which makes them hard to read—especially in lower lighting conditions.
For comparison, the smaller panel on the left side (Generator, Starter, Battery, Fuel Boost, etc.) uses a darker grey background and is noticeably easier to read.
Similarly, in the BS TBM850, the darker panel makes all labels very clear and legible.
Given how polished the rest of the addon is, a higher-contrast panel option or slightly bolder labels would make a meaningful improvement to usability. I’d switch to a darker panel instantly if it were available.
@turnandbank oh yeah, different issue then -- I'm referring to the actual gauges. I find the cockpit to be very dark when the outside light is approaching full daylight, making it very difficult to read the gauges even if I scoot my view up a bit. I have a feeling it's a sim issue but maybe it's something else I'm not aware of.