Over $4,000 for Train Sim World 7: What Happens If You Really Buy ALL DLCs?

When we previously took a closer look at the costs of train simulators, a theoretically complete collection was already in the region of around €3,500. With Train Sim World 7, the catalog has grown again. The current Steam page lists a total of 159 entries under “Content for this game.” Even more impressive is the figure directly below it: If you click “Add all DLCs to cart,” Steam currently displays a total of [$4,047.42. This means the DLC catalog has now even exceeded the $4,000 mark.

However, this figure urgently needs context. It does not mean that Train Sim World 7 itself costs more than $4,000—and nor does a player have to spend this sum. For its launch on September 15, 2026, Dovetail Games is even offering a permanently planned Free Starter Edition for the first time. Among other things, it includes the Training Center and at the same time provides the free technical foundation with which additional routes and vehicles can be used. Anyone who already owns compatible content from earlier Train Sim World titles can continue using it with the free Starter Edition on the same account and platform.

Alongside this, Dovetail sells three classic packages. The Standard Edition normally costs €49.99, the Deluxe Edition €79.99 and the Ultimate Edition €129.99. A ten-percent pre-order discount applies until release, bringing the current prices to €44.99, €71.99 and €116.99 respectively. Standard includes the three new routes Nuremberg–Würzburg, Florida Tri-Rail and Airedale & Wharfedale. Deluxe adds, among other things, the DB BR 412 ICE 4, the Northern Class 333 and the Tri-Rail GP49H-3. Ultimate additionally includes several older compatible routes and vehicles.

And this is precisely where the difference between a normal game edition and a theoretically “complete” Train Sim World collection begins. Even the Ultimate Edition contains only a fraction of the now enormous catalog. On Steam, there are also numerous German, British and American routes, individual locomotives, freight-car packs, gameplay expansions and older content from previous TSW generations. Current routes often cost [$39.99 or $44.99, while individual vehicles usually range from around $16.99 to $24.99. Particularly elaborate so-called Expert locomotives can also reach $39.99. Just a few larger routes plus matching vehicles can therefore quickly add up to several hundred euros or dollars.

At the same time, the 159 entries tell a second story. Train Sim World 7 is not really starting over from scratch. Dovetail has brought together a large portion of the catalog built up over the years as “TSW Compatible” under the new version. Content from older Train Sim World games can therefore also appear in TSW7 and be listed again in the current store. Anyone who already owns it on the same platform should not have to buy it again. However, Dovetail points out that some older content remains technically unchanged and does not automatically use all of Train Sim World 7’s new features.

As a result, the total of $4,047.42 is both spectacular and somewhat misleading. For a completely new player, it is theoretically possible to invest an enormous amount in the entire collection. In practice, however, there is hardly any sensible reason to buy every single piece of content. A player who, for example, drives exclusively on German routes does not need American commuter routes or British diesel trains. Others focus exclusively on Great Britain or the USA. In addition, there are regular sales and edition bundles through which individual pieces of content can be obtained considerably more cheaply.

Nevertheless, the calculation impressively shows the scale Train Sim World has now reached. In 2026, the simulator is launching on the one hand with a free base package, while on the other hand a DLC catalog has accumulated whose current Steam cart exceeds the [$4,000 mark. And this catalog continues to grow: New content such as the Tadami Line for Japan is already listed on the Steam page, while more routes and vehicles will follow after the release of Train Sim World 7.

The decisive question, therefore, may not be whether Train Sim World 7 “costs $4,000.” It does not. More interesting is whether this business model works for players: a free entry point, individual major editions and then a huge library from which everyone assembles their own personal train simulation. For long-time players, this system can be attractive because their old purchases remain usable. For newcomers, however, a store page with 159 add-ons initially seems almost inevitably overwhelming.

How large is your Train Sim World collection by now? Do you buy only German routes, or content from Great Britain and the USA as well? Approximately how much money have you invested in Train Sim World over the years? Do you think the system with a free Starter Edition and individually selectable DLCs is fair—or has the catalog become too large and confusing by now? And where is your personal limit for how much you would spend on a single simulator in total?