It helps you learn the rules & it’s fun - but nothing compares to the real deal. The real physics and ability to “feel” the machine make it a totally different experience.

As pin2k said " Play a real game, Play pinball"....

Ditto. TPA is great for learning a table's ruleset on the cheap. But it's in no way going to make you a better player in real life. The physics are OK for what they are, but the repeatable nature of things is just so far removed from reality.

Case in point - here's the end of the last game I'll ever play of TPA's Scared Stiff. Just played until I couldn't take it anymore.

Oddly enough, I've not been able to crack 2.4 Billion in real life.

And in their MM you can trap a ball ejected from the castle trough or coming out of the pops area every single time, on either side you want by doing a dead flip if needed.

Lots of other things do not map with reality as well.

Still great for sitting on the can, though! And any time you can practice and refine your reactions has to help in the long run.

It's so cool how your brain can adjust from flipper fingers to thumbs with no effort or reaction penalty.

Agreed. But one thing that TPA allows people to do without worrying about plunking in another dollar of quarters when they drainX3, is giving them a chance to experiment with what flipper technique works on TPA pins different feeds like the castle trough and recognizing the value of attempting to consistently control the ball. While real pinball is NOWHERE close to the consistency of TPA, I think learning that there ARE relatively consistent feeds possible on different physical copies of each pin is a great mindset to develop: Which feeds on a pin am I going to encounter frequently? And what are the different flipper technique tools in my arsenal to try to control the ball instead of flail away at the feed?

Then try each one to see if one works. Once you find that one that works most of the time: it becomes your go-to response to that feed.

I built a full size virtual cabinet 4 or so years ago. That project alone was a blast if you are into that sort of thing. Figuring out how to make things work like in real pinball, making cabinet artwork, etc. It is a completely different experience than just playing the PC desktop or console emulators.

Playing the virtual tables of ones I've never had the opportunity to play is great and while I agree it will never match the real thing, it does a great job at it. (and takes up a lot less space).

Additionally it gives you a chance to really feel out if you want a specific table that you might never have considered before.

For me it is a nice compliment to my real tables.

TPA is with very good and nice graphics,but definitely the ball not roll how it must be.
You must try Visual Pinball X.You can feel the machine.
I was big fan before I touched VPX.Was very sciptic because I was played it when it was VP 8.But VPX is new univers.