Because the work required to develop a full-fledged high-fidelity aircraft for a realistic simulator isn't really less than the work required to develop a game, so developers require comparable compensation.

For instance, this specific aircraft, I can guarantee it didn't require less work than one of these games you get for $30 on Steam, hence its price.

The fact that Microsoft Flight Simulator is a paid product is irrelevant. Most of these aircraft are developed by third-party developers that don't get a dime from Microsoft. In fact, those developed or published by Microsoft itself are either free or much cheaper.

An advanced flight simulator is basically like a platform. In terms of work required and as such price, advanced aircraft are much better compared to games for a platform than DLC for a game, and offer a similar experience, because dedicated flight simulator users get from each new aircraft enough playtime to compare with a full game.

There's a ton of physics/maths behind them as well as animations to line up with those physics/maths. The simulation's goal isn't to just offer simplistic representations but to make it as realistic as possible. That means a ton of differences based on the type of flight, the speed, the shape, and the mechanics behind how it works to allow it to maneuver with the type of flight and speed it has.

Furthermore, it's DLC among hundreds of others. It's not going to sell to every customer. So, with the hours they put in, and the niche market of their DLC, it's priced high knowing it will get those who want it but won't be too low that it may or may not catch the rest of the market who aren't interested in that type of plane. Just because they price it lower doesn't mean a significantly larger number of enthusiasts exist that will buy it since the game itself is a very niche market.

The amount of work that needs to go into it requires a full development teams. You need to remember just one of these things has thousands of functions. It’s not like gran turismo where the cars feel different based on some minor changes. These planes behave like their real life counterparts and you operate them the same way.

You don’t open the door, turn on the engine etc in a racing game.

Default aircraft in any flight simulator don't come even close to the level of complexity and simulation precision that good third-party add-on aircraft provide. They're *very* simplified.

Quite simply, they're good for those who think this is overpriced. Dedicated flight simulation enthusiasts who are interested in simulation precision and detail know that they have a value and as such a cost.

Like with all things, you get what you pay for.