"whatever you do you will find yourself looking at the instruments":
You can (a) switch them all off and just look at out of the window (b) fail some/all of them (c) stick post-its over them (d) use the professional edition where you can modify the nav fit in the plane.
I think PC flight simulators are useful for some parts of pilot learning, but not all: it is as simple as that. Holding a heading for X minutes with a wind of Y at Z and seeing if you arrive where your plan said you would. Yes. Triangulating a position from two nav aids? Yes. Experiencing the physical sensations involved in steep turns, landings or stalls? No. Dealing with ATC, general airmanship, coping with stressful situations (e.g. being lost)? No.
And if you do want to get as much out of a PC flight simulator as possible (in particular for instrument appreciation, which is part of a PPL) I suggest you at least try X-Plane as personally I think it has a more realistic feel to it.