Tsw 6 Starter Pack - Is It Worth Switching Now?

Easy question, as the title says - is it worth it to switch over to TSW6 from TSW5 now if there is no route you need it for?

Or another way to go about it - is there a reason one should stay with TSW5 for now? I have no problem with big downloads but currently do not have the space to hold both with all the DLCs...

 

Personally I'm staying on TSW 5, until I have a TSW6 route or there is a big patch on the no-TSW6 route because in itself there will be no difference

 

I’d still recommend switching over to tsw6 even if you don’t intend to buy any routes at the moment. The free starter pack will only be free for a finite amount of time, and having it will mean you can access tsw6 routes, whereas staying on tsw5 would prevent that

 

If you ever want to buy new tracks, you will need TSW 6.

So it's best to get the TSW 6 Free Starter Pack, which is free.
This gives you a free version of TSW 6, and you can then buy new tracks for TSW 6.

The Free Starter Pack is normally only available for 6 weeks, after which you would have to buy TSW 6.

 

Sorry if this sounds daft but if I switch to tsw6 right now using the free starter pack do I have to then still buy it after the 6 weeks? I’ve never done it this way before I usually pre order

 

No, you can download the free starter pack for free during 6 weeks, but once you have it, you keep it, and you do not have to pay anything afterwards.
On the other hand, if you fail to download it during those 6 weeks, then it's over, you'll have to pay.

 

Just as ---DMY--- writes.
This way, you can switch to TSW 6 free of charge and then only have to purchase the routes you want.

 

Just to be clear, you don't have to download it in the 6 weeks, you have to claim it on your platform.

There is no downside whatsoever in claiming the starter pack, even if you don't download it for months. You can still carry on playing TSW5 then switch when you want to.

 

Relevant precision. I made a shortcut.
In other words, in Steam, you just have to "add it to [your] library", and download if/when you want !

 

My question was probably misunderstood, I of course already claimed TSW 6 starter pack so now I can install it any time in the future.

The question was - is there a reason why I should not move all my DLCs under TSW6 now, probably because of lower performance, bugs,...?

I do not wish to delete TSW5, download hundreds of GB of TSW6 only to find out there is a major issue and reinstall TSW5 back...

 

Better to change over so you continue to get updates.

 

TSW5 won't be supported going forward, so if you want updates or to try the new routes, then TSW6 is the way to go.

You can keep both installed simultaneously if you wish.

 

If you have the starter pack, can you just buy the Morristown Line, or do you have to buy the Deluxe version to get it?

 

I started the download and immediately paused it after a few MB just to have the starter pack added to my account. A 197 GB download for a game I am barely playing due to boredom isn't worth the rush to me having only played 76.8 hours of TSW 5. Not even recently announced DLC appeals to me and I may sit this new title out and casually play TSW 5 whenever the mood fancies it.

 

They clarified from the beginning that they have no interest in the new routes.

Also, updating to a new game just because there might be some update in the future to warrant it is just silly. Honestly maybe a handful of routes get worthwhile updates during a single installment of TSW. It's also possible that TSW6 could have new bugs early on that make it worse initially. Case and point I just saw a new thread talking about the CSX SD40-2 not appearing in TSW6's Sand Patch. Honestly "updates" in reality can go in any direction, up, down, sideways, northeast, or whatever, there's a lot of benefits to having a non-updating, stable branch of a game that people undervalue immensely.

Not in their entirety, they mentioned not having the storage space for both being installed at once in the OP.

Obviously they could partially install parts of it, but again, honestly I feel it's too much effort to research and work out which routes are better in each version. Especially in this early juncture when I don't think everyone has fully worked out what issues exist yet in TSW6's back catalog. I'm sticking with TSW5 for a few months, I'd advice OP do the same.

 

It's worth upgrading to Part 6, at least because of the performance optimizations. On the SBD in Part 5, the FPS at Union Station was around 50 and dropped below 30. Until you move the channel. Now I see 70 FPS and then a drop to 40, which is an excellent result, in my opinion.

 

I downloaded it as soon as it was available, the free version. (I did this with TSW5).
Everything I had and all my settings come with it.
As I only like old British stuff I already have all I need.
But in case something new in BR steam or diesel comes along I need to be ready.
Been playing a few routes today and actually all is exactly the same.
Need Great Western Express update pretty urgent now.
Otherwise no problems.

 

It actually doesn’t matter. Just purchase pick the train you want to operate drive and go wild. If there any bugs or crashes bypass that and act like it never happened and walk away.

 

I claimed TSW6, but only installed it with one route, using Steam's Manage DLC facility.

Over time I'll migrate my TSW5 routes over and then uninstall TSW5, unless some routes I like don't work with TSW6.

 

As long as you have the starter pack you can buy any dlc individually

 

Id still get the free starter pack because even if you don't want any of the base routes their might be a route you want in the future and it will save you having to buy the base game as well as the route you want

 

Get it now while its available, since it is free, and you are not obliged to install it if you want to stick with TSW5 for now.

 

Welcome Back everyone to the sixth instalment of our beloved game my Advice is if you have played the last 5 versions then Yes Get the free starter pack its not worth buying it as a new but if you have not played the last 5 versions or at least one version of Train Sim World i will leave it up to you entirely in how you want to purchase & play but if you have played the last five versions then i would recommend the free upgrade you have till the 11th November 2025

 

Can't agree more with most in here.
The current routes and locos announced/leaked for TSW6 won't be the end of it. There's 8 months of releases in 2026 before TSW7 comes out, if one of them turns out to be the thing you've been wanting in TSW for ages, an upgrade could be costly.

It's free. Do it.

 

I am keeping both on my system right now. I am happy with 5 but there is a time limit on getting the free starter pack, so I got it. I will try both for now.

 

Yes you can buy it and the ALP45 separately. I ended up getting the deluxe because for the price of the Deluxe, I was getting the other 2 routes and extra trains and it was a better deal overall since I’ll use them all. If you won’t then buying separately makes sense.

 

Get it while you can, Plus performance wise( well for meanyways) I can now run my pc game settings on ultra maxed out. couldnt do that on Tsw5

 

I mean, from going around the forums a while, no, not really worth it, if you're not getting any new routes at the moment, or at least not until you see in patch notes for TSW6, an update for any bug(s) that you may find gamebreaking in your TSW5. But don't hold your breath.

At the moment, it's TSW5 but yellow. It's *that* little of an upgrade.

 

I hate to be that guy, but it needs to be said quite a few of you (Even a staff member which shocks me) are misunderstanding OP, he already has the free starter pack redeemed,

The question has never been "Do I redeem the free upgrade", it's whether it's worth reinstalling everything today for the current upgrades.

 

I forgot that, my tsw6 download was 91gigs. took 3 hours.

 

I did exactly as ironbladder, installed TSW6 without DLC and used symbolic links to mount DLC from TSW5 into the TSW6 Content folder. Branded SJSF and its trains still work and are having their CalTrain markings.

Over time, when the upgraded to TSW6 equivalent of a DLC appears, I'll tick the box in de DLC pane and have Steam download the new version.

So far, everything seems OK during a few test runs.
I hardly play the game, so do not like to waste some 300 GB storage on duplicate DLC, almost all of which has been abandoned by DTG and probably never will get updated to suspension, faults, announcements and other gimmicks.

 

You don't have to waste 300gb on duplicate dlc, you can delete tsw5 and it's dlc once you have 6

 

I got the starter pack yesterday. I’m not trying to accomplish anything in the game specifically. I just like to play it. And I don’t see any reason not to upgrade. I will buy TSW6 eventually. But I decided to see how the game worked now, especially since I hadn’t played it that much in the past six months.

 

Another daft question..... I take it you can install the free version and then switch it to the deluxe version when it's on sale etc.....

 

Including the new DLCs?

 

Yes. That's what I intend to do. The game usually goes on sale at Christmastime. Which isn't all that far away when you think about it.

 

I decided yesterday, since it has been years since I had TWS, to purchase the Deluxe Package. So far, I really like it. Lots to learn.

 

I was in the same boat. So far, I've seen no reason to stay with 5 over 6. My experience has been very positive thus far. All my 60 or so DLC automatically updated and everything runs very smoothly. Overall, TSW 6 seems to be an improvement.

 

Yep, I concur. TSW6 seems to run fine with the DLC I have too, from what I've seen so far anyway. Last month I happened to get a new NVMe drive for my PC so I waited for TSW6 to arrive and then just claimed the free version and installed it rather than download TSW5 in the interim. Everything runs pretty smoothly.

 

I switched TSW5 to TSW6 ( FREE STARTER PACK not worth anything else) .Why because this time next year we will ( well most of us) be switching to TSW7 Which is probably in development as we speak.

Most recent purchase Riviera Line (Devon mainline ) + Voyager class 220 in Cross Country Livery verdict plays like Midland mainline with a dash of West Cornwall Average at best

 

What do you dream about at night?

DTG will only start building TSW7 again around June or July.
That's exactly what they did this year with TSW6, and that's exactly why we all have a TSW6 that is full of bugs and errors.

 

I mean, if you've already claimed the Free Starter Pack, there's no rush to download it now. Just keep half an eye out for any new DLC that might interest you and another half-eye out for any patch notes that take your fancy. The other eye can keep playing TSW5.

 

Get it while it last or else you
May have to wait until 2027 to get another that new starter pack.

 

That cannot be true at all. They’d have to create new features, 3 routes and a few new locos in a couple of months. Don’t be ridiculous. The whole planning process, eventual decisions and creation will take months, not a few weeks

 

If I were you, I would search through all of Matt's posts.

Because Matt himself wrote around the beginning of June that much of TSW6 had not even been started yet.

And if DTG needed 11 months to develop a new version of TSW, do you think it would work just as poorly as TSW6, which is full of bugs, just like the routes and locomotives that are full of bugs?

How can anyone think that DTG is already starting to build TSW7?
We all know DTG, and we know that they are not already building TSW7.

Just look for Matt's post, then you'll know what I mean.

 

No he didn't, he said that various things hadn't been finished. And in one of the streams he's done in the past week he said that planning of TSW6 started pretty much after TSW5 came out.

 

Actual quote, just for fun.

"Bearing in mind it's mid july now and as of today none of the routes are remotely finished, none of the timetables are done, the trains arent finished, and the features aren't finished."

The context, for the record, was a discussion of the gap between the digital and physical releases of the game due to the lead time needed to create the physical media, and whether a simultaneous release with a day 1 patch would be doable vs. a three month gap. (Short answer: No.)

 

Calidore266,Thanks for that.
I couldn't find it myself.
But I knew 100% that Matt had said something like that.

 

Just claim it, don't install it, and be over and done with it! It is yours forever to keep.
You can always copy or simlink selected TSW5 DLC into the TSW6 folder and try it.
And find out nothing significant has changed, no bugs have been eradicated, it's just more of the same.
Wait for a sale on TSW6 exclusive DLC with all the singing and dancing new features or any updated TSW2-3-4-5 DLC you actually play.