I started my PPL having significant time flying on flight sim beforehand, particularly online on VATSIM etc., "flying" the 737 all over Europe. I did this for 10+ years, starting at a very young age, always trying to learn more and more. I learned a lot about various aspects of aviation: the principles of flight, techniques of flying an aircraft, IFR navigation, aircraft systems etc. I always just tried to fly the sim like a real pilot would fly the real aircraft. I learned a whole lot about flying in general (as well as a lot of things specific to a 737!) which made the PPL exams a non-issue. VATSIM in particular, whilst it can enforce bad habits, was invaluable when it came to R/T.
I think the whole thing about "sim pilots stare at the instruments too much" has credibility to a point, however I learned quickly within the first couple of lessons what VFR flying is all about. My instructor was a younger guy, and a big fan of flight simulator. One of the first questions he actually asked me if I used flight sim or not. After discussing various aspects of the sim and how I used it, he was more than happy to let me use the radio, taxi, take off and even (attempt) a landing on my first lesson. Throughout the PPL course, I very rarely had to be taught anything about R/T or general flying technique. The thing which I had to study the most was: VFR navigation, flight planning, mass and balance calcs, wind correction, etc. - things which you don't tend to do in the simulator.
I am certainly not trying to toot my own trumpet here, everyone is different, I am an engineer now and it probably shows in how obsessive I was in learned everything I could about anything aviation. I always took the sim quite seriously when it came to "getting it right", and not everyone will be like that. However, I did manage to get my licence in minimum hours with a first time pass - which I credit to my experience with the sim to a large degree, and also my instructor's ability to harness what I had learned and apply it to the real world.
Hope this helps.