Microsoft Flight Simulator might have made its debut in 2020, but it's already received a tonne of free updates. Including the recent addition of helicopters and gliders. In our big interview with Jorg Neumann, the Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, we asked about the future and what major updates might be in the works.

Which as per the headline covers three major areas - seasons, realistic water simulation, and air traffic. Seasons is definitely a big one, especially when you factor in just how visually stunning the game is. To be able to visit and see real-world locales at different times of the year will no doubt be very cool. The same goes for water simulation and getting to more realistic oceans, rivers, and waterfalls. Throw in air traffic, and the air traffic control side of the experience, and developer Asobo definitely has a lot on its plate.

Related: Celebrating 40 Years of Microsoft Flight Simulator - The Big Interview

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Speaking with Jorg Neumann, we don't know which of these three major updates will arrive first, but the team is poised to tackle them one after the other. "The community has been asking for seasons, which is a very big and complicated topic," Jorg tells us. "Others are asking for a more sophisticated water simulation, and others want us to focus on enhancing the ATC (air traffic controller), air traffic in general. The flight sim community is very knowledgeable and passionate and there is no end in sight for how we build together. Our plan is to tackle these topics one after another and – over time – get to what we hope will be a perfect sim."

The game's most recent update, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the franchise, added helicopters and gliders - a massive undertaking in its own right. Currently, the team is looking to add as many helipads and glider spots as it can - working with people from across the globe. The game is showing no signs of slowing down as Asobo works towards creating a realistic digital twin of our planet that players get to explore.

After 40 years of Microsoft Flight Simulator, flying a plane in a realistic digital setting is more popular and accessible than ever. We sit down with Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, to discuss the series' past, present, and future.

A snippet.

In addition to improving airports and the impressive World Updates, is the team positioned or looking to expand the experience in other ways with additional content coming in the near (or distant) future?

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Jorg: Gliders and helicopters to the simulator had been the top requests by the flight sim community since launch. But even that is in no way complete. The 40th Anniversary Edition features 14 heliports and 15 glider airports, but that really only scratches the surface. Our research team is currently working hard on establishing a glider airport database as there is nothing like this commercially available. It’s a massive undertaking that includes lots of primary research, and outreach to several thousand glider club organizations across the globe.

We are embarking on something similar for helicopters, and thankfully, the very knowledgeable and passionate community is helping. For example, just last week someone sent a database of heliports in Switzerland. All of this will take a while to complete. But to answer your primary question, yes, we are looking at all kinds of additional content for future expansions as a high-level goal is to create the increasingly accurate digital twin of Earth.

Head Here For Our Big Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Interview

Microsoft Flight Simulator is celebrating its 40th anniversary, making it both Microsoft's oldest franchise still in development and one of the longest running in game history period. To celebrate this milestone a number of historical planes have been added today (including the Wright Flyer and Ryan NYP “Spirit of St. Louis”) alongside one from the distant future - the Halo Infinite Pelican.

Also Helicopters! Brought to life via all-new Fluid Dynamics Simulation. Which you'll be able to fly around a 1-1 recreation of the entire planet, and push those g's right into the stratosphere. Awesome.



In addition to the Pelican, here's what's been added via Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The 40th Anniversary Edition, a completely free offering for those who already own Microsoft Flight Simulator or play it via Xbox Game Pass, is a comprehensive celebration of the franchise with both a tribute to our past as well as an introduction to new and highly anticipated aircraft types.

The nod to the past will re-introduce some classic airports and several of the most famous planes from earlier versions including Microsoft Flight Simulator X and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight.

We have also listened to our community and will incorporate the most requested aircraft types: helicopters, brought to life with an all-new Fluid Dynamics Simulation, gliders that allow you to experience the planet in a totally unique way and a highly detailed, true-to-life airliner!

Here is just a small sampling of what simmers will find in the Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition:

Historical Aircraft: Wright Flyer, Ryan NYP (“Spirit of St. Louis”), Douglas DC-3, De Havilland Canada DHC-2-Beaver

Helicopters: Bell-407, Guimbal Cabri G2,

Gliders: DG Flugzeugbau LG8-18, DG Flugzeugbau DG1001E neo, True-to-Life

Airliner: Airbus A310

Microsoft Flight Simulator is available now on on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

And you'll be able to fly at Mach 10 and over 150,000 feet above sea level, very cool. You get to see a glimpse of Earth from this height in the new Microsoft Flight Simulator trailer for the new, and free, Top Gun: Maverick expansion which is available now.

And yeah, taking the amazing visuals of Microsoft Flight Simulator and letting you cut loose in a fighter jet is something to behold. Check it out.



That stratosphere shot is just, wow.

As for the update it includes:

A “Top Gun: Maverick Edition” livery for the F/A-18E Super Hornet.

Three training missions for the Super Hornet that will allow you to master radical flight maneuvers including unrestricted take-offs, split S maneuvers, and low altitude, high-speed maneuvering through complex terrain.

Five high-speed, low-level challenges that require utmost skill to navigate just above mountains and traverse through canyons.

A carrier deck landing challenge, one of the most demanding operations in the world of military aviation.

A never-before-unveiled hypersonic aircraft that can attain speeds of Mach 10 and altitudes greater than 150,000 feet above sea level.

A mission to roar into the stratosphere.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is available on PC and Xbox Series X|S and as a part of Xbox Game Pass.

Microsoft Flight Simulator's World Update IX sees the impressive and visually stunning flight sim spruce up the beautiful countrysides, cities, and landmarks of Italy and Malta. And with a new 4K trailer giving us a look at the highlights (with music that is very reminiscent of The Godfather) it's an impressive Mediterranean fly-over.

And it looks like there's a few places to rent in Tuscany.



"Fly throughout the historic cities of Rome and Venice, soar above Mediterranean coastlines, and navigate sheer-faced peaks, all rendered in lifelike realism with World Update IX: Italy & Malta," writes Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator. "The Microsoft Flight Simulator team has refined this area with the latest geospatial data available, including digital elevation modeling, aerial and satellite imagery, and triangulated irregular network (TIN) modeling of 20 cities, including Rome, Naples, Venice, and Milan."

World Update IX includes:

Four handcrafted airports:

• Palermo Airport (LICJ) in Sicily
  
• Sondrio Airport (LILO) in the southern Tyrol
  
• Marina di Campo Airport (LIRJ) on Elba Island
  
• Bolanzo Airport (LIPB) in the southern Tyrol

Enhanced detail of 100 other airports

94 points of interest in Italy

11 points of interest in Malta

Three bush trips

Three discovery flights

Three new landing challenges.

And it's available now for free for all Microsoft Flight Simulator players on PC and Console.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most ambitious and visually impressive titles to hit PC hardware over the past decade. With its accurate recreation of the entire planet it's a stunning technical achievement that also pushes gaming hardware to the absolute limit. As part of a recent development update, Asbo has confirmed that NVIDIA DLSS support is coming as part of the July update.

With AMD FSR 1.0 support to boot - though on that front the more impressive FSR 2.0 will arrive sometime down the road. The announcement came as part of a YouTube Q&A Session.

NVIDIA DLSS, which is AI-based up-scaling that takes full advantage of GeForce RTX hardware, has the ability to offer up a massive boost to performance without sacrificing image quality. It's the sort of technology that will make 60fps Microsoft Flight Simulator a possibility on a wide range of hardware, and that's awesome.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is available on PC and Xbox, and via Xbox Game Pass.

With the stunning World Update VII: Australia available now, we sit down with Jorg Neuman, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, to talk about its creation and building a living world to explore.

A snippet.

With new photogrammetry, hand-crafted locales, and cities given a fresh coat of digital paint, each World Update has been met with open arms. Which makes the latest, World Update VII: Australia - something special for local Flight Sim fans. It’s a process that involves collaborating with many people.

“Internet research only gets you so far,” Jorg Neuman explains. “And given that Australia is pretty far away, we needed partners. One company we teamed up with was Orbx, who are a Flight Simulator Add-On developer. They’re in Melbourne and they know the country better than someone like me. Obviously we talked to Microsoft in Australia too, and they gave us a list. If you go by popularity or only speak to a few people you end up with the big population centres, so we reach out.”

“Typically we end up with 500 things we want to add and we whittle it down to about a hundred things or so,” Jorg Neuman explains. “When you get to like the last 50 to cut though, it becomes difficult.” As per the trailer for the Australia update, it includes a number of iconic landmarks, from Uluru to The Twelve Apostles, and Three Sisters to name a few.

Head Here to Read Our Full Microsoft Flight Simulator Interview

And it looks stunning, with 11 cities given a high-quality makeover and a number of iconic landmarks looking better than ever. With Microsoft Flight Simulator available on PC and Xbox consoles the beautiful sim has received a number of World Updates since launch. And yeah, with the latest one covering just about all of Australia -- it's something worth celebrating.

And best of all its free, and available now. Here's the trailer for World Update VII: Australia.

Soar over the renowned Great Barrier Reef, visit the vast regions of Western Australia, and marvel at the natural beauty of Mount Wellington. From the dusty red outback to shimmering coastlines and sugar white sand beaches, explore the country’s most spectacular sights.

A country known for being as diverse as it is beautiful, this great Southern land presents a bucket list of jaw-dropping natural formations and modern man-made wonders – now enhanced with exceptional graphic improvements.

To help bring Australia to life the team at Asobo collaborated with the Melbourne-based Orbx Simulation Systems for the creation of four hand-crafted airports and 94 custom crafted points of interest (POIs). This is the biggest World Update so far too, with the 11 cities covering - Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Cairns, Darwin, Townsville, Bunbury, and Mackay.

Here's a breakdown of the update in stats.

Handcrafted Airports

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YLRE – Longreach
YMBT – Mount Beauty
YPBO – Paraburdoo
YSHL – Shellharbour

Bush Trips

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Tasmania
Southeastern Australia
Sea to Desert
Great Barrier Reef
Northwestern Kimberly Coast

Landing Challenges

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Brisbane
Shellharbour
Mt Hotham
Katoomba
Mabuiag

Discovery Flights

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Gold Coast
Sydney
Perth
Darwin
Melbourne
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

New Photogrammetry Cites (in collaboration with Bing Maps)

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Adelaide
Sydney
Melbourne
Brisbane
Perth
Hobart
Cairns
Darwin
Townsville
Bunbury
Mackay

With its Game of the Year Edition dropping this week, not to mention the first expansion with Reno Air Races, we got the chance to speak with Jorg Neuman, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator to chat about both of those things, the recent console launch, and get a glimpse of what’s on the horizon.

A snippet.

One of the most exciting aspects of Microsoft Flight Simulator, especially for fans, is that Asobo not only communicates its plans for the immediate future but listens and keeps track of community requests and feedback. Since the game’s announcement, one of the things players have been asking for is the addition of fighter jets. With a separate bit of content set to debut alongside the new Top Gun next year, the Game of the Year Edition sees the arrival of the very first fighter jet - the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet.

Basically the sort of plane you need a callsign like Iceman or Maverick to pilot.

“One of the features that kept popping up [in community requests] was jets,” Jorg explains. “There are some from third parties in the marketplace, but we felt like it was important to provide something in the base version.” Compared to regular planes, adding a fighter jet into Flight Simulator presented enough of a challenge that the team had to make sure the game could handle that sort of speed.

“We had to make sure that engine was ready so that you can go over Mach 1 (1234.8 km/hr), and not only that but go over the terrain at that speed,” Jorg continues. “That puts pressure on the streaming engine, so we did all of that optimisation. There was also quite a bit of research we had to do for fighter jets, work out Sonic Booms and things like that. We’ve spent a lot of time just on this one plane, it's been in production for a year and a half if not longer. But, we wanted to get it right and that’s important to us.”

Our Full Microsoft Flight Simulator Interview

Microsoft Flight Simulator continues to evolve as the ultimate platform for digital simming. After its stellar PC debut last year and Xbox Series X and S launch a short while ago, developer Asobo has outlined what will be available in the upcoming Game of the Year Edition coming to PC and Consoles on November 18.

As per the headline the update will being early support for DirectX 12 on PC, which should pave the way for ongoing performance improvements and optimisations on the platform. With its stunning visuals and realistic representation of the planet on which we all live it should come as no surprise that Flight Sim is the sort of game that pushes rigs to their absolute limit. DirectX 12 sports advanced features to improve rendering, with something like VRS being perfect for boosting performance. And with DirectX 12 we'd love to see the implementation of things like NVIDIA DLSS and AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution tech.

As for the game itself there's plenty more coming; new airports, more discovery flights, more planes, expanded tutorials, and even support for the brand-new Windows 11.



Here's the breakdown from Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

New Aircraft

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Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet: Our first military jet and a highly requested feature from the community. The Top Gun: Maverick expansion will release with the movie next Spring, but we wanted simmers to have the opportunity to test their need for speed this holiday.

VoloCity: We partnered with well-known German company Volocopter, which is working on an eVTOL called “VoloCity”, a vision for an urban air taxi. We worked closely with the Volocopter engineering team to develop an authentic version of the prototype aircraft for the simulator. This is our first aircraft that can perform pinpoint landings and is a teaser of what you can look forward to in 2022 when we intend to launch helicopters in the sim.

Pilatus PC-6 Porter: This legendary short takeoff and landing (STOL) utility aircraft is a highly versatile plane from Switzerland and comes with several cockpits, cabins, and landing gear variations. It is the result of our close collaboration with the manufacturer and the development efforts by famed developers Hans Hartmann and Alexander Metzger resulted in a great and fun new aircraft with exception capabilities in the simulator.

CubCrafters NX Cub: Yakima-based CubCrafters recently introduced a nosewheel option for their flagship CC-19 XCub Aircraft, popularly called the NX Cub, which we are pleased to introduce to the flight sim audience to further enhance our bush flying and off airport options.

Aviat Pitts Special S1S: One of our most popular planes gets a single-seat option with the release of this aircraft.

New Airports

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Germany - Leipzig/Halle Airport (EDDP), Allgäu Airport Memmingen (EDJA), Kassel Airport (EDVK)
Switzerland - Lugano Airport (LSZA), Zurich Airport (LSZH), Luzern-Beromunster Airport (LSZO)
United States - Patrick Space Force Base (KCOF), Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (KNKX)

New Missions

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Based on the popularity of the recently introduced Discovery Flights, we are adding an additional 6 locations (Helsinki, Freiburg im Breisgau, Mecca, Monument Valley, Singapore, and Mount Cook) to this popular series.

New Tutorials

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To further expand the onboarding experience, we are adding 14 new tutorials, introducing simmers to Bush flying (in an Icon A5) and IFR (in a Cessna 172).

New Features

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We are also pleased to introduce several highly requested features by the community: an updated weather system, early access to DX12, and a dev mode replay system.

New Photogrammetry Cities

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As part of our ongoing collaboration with Bing Maps, we are pleased to add a number of new photogrammetry cities: Helsinki (Finland), Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany), Brighton, Derby, Eastbourne, Newcastle, and Nottingham (UK) and Utrecht (Netherlands).

In addition to the above, the first paid expansion 'Reno Air Races' also launches on November 18.

A new partnership with the RARA (Reno Air Racing Association) is bringing what's being described as the "world’s fastest motorsport" to Microsoft Flight Simulator. On the account of planes being a lot faster than cars (800+ km/hour), with the aircraft looking to be customised for a brand new Reno Air Races expansion bringing competitive multiplayer to the sim.

Available later this year, the Reno Air Races expansion pack might be the first bit of paid-DLC for the game. Here's a teaser.



Coming for free, and on September 7, is World Update VI - covering Germany, Austria and Switzerland. With brand-new 3D cities and more detailed environments recreated from aerial imagery and high-resolution elevation maps it brings a new level of detail to several locations. Around 100 locations have been hand-crafted by the team including several airports.

Check it out.

And by amazing we mean it, with the custom powered July suitcase (that also looks like a console) featuring an Xbox Series S inside, an incredible portable USB-C display from ASUS, two controllers, and the cables you need to have a high-end portable Microsoft Flight Simulator experience.

The giveaway is happening via Twitter. As per the T&C's it's worth a whopping $3,282 AUD.

Where's the first place you'll fly to in Microsoft Flight Simulator on Xbox?

Retweet and reply below for your chance to win this limited edition Xbox Series S x @July suitcase to celebrate the console launch of @MSFSofficial! pic.twitter.com/RcCKb1yepC

— Xbox ANZ (@XboxANZ) July 27, 2021

Having received our very own pack earlier today we can confirm that this is legit amazing.

Speechless... "This is your captain speaking... and I have nothing to say but... wow" pic.twitter.com/zcnWlR2b9C

— AusGamers (@ausgamers) July 27, 2021

Though real-time ray-tracing is set to arrive once Microsoft Flight Simulator makes the jump to DirectX 12. Which is still TBC for PC. First up, coinciding with the sim's Xbox Series X debut later this month, the sim is set to get a massive performance bump thanks to the optimisations made over the past year.

With the example given as part of the latest dev stream seeing a jump in the range of 20-30 frames-per-second. Basically it shifts the balance in favour of the GPU - where a 4K version of the game (upscaled) running on a NVIDIA Geforce RTX 2060 SUPER goes from 30-40fps in the current version up to 60fps.

Yeah, awesome. Here the CPU usage also drops whilst the GPU is given the work-out it craves - rendering the visual splendor of MSFS's digital Earth. Again, as the team at Asobo has been busy optimising for console, this means those architectural changes will benefit PC. This new performance patch is set to drop in Update 5, which should go live around the same time the Xbox Series X and S versions drop.

With the Xbox Series X debut of Microsoft Flight Simulator on track for a July 27 release, the game is also getting its latest World Update with the Nordic region in Europe getting a visual make-over. Covering Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden - the following trailer showcases the architectural and natural wonder of the region.



"World Update V: Nordics includes improvements in detail of broad swaths of landscapes, enhancements to regional architecture, improved data for 100 airports and 78 carefully selected points of interest," writes Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator. "This update also features five bush trips, one for each of the Nordic countries, that show off some the very best elements of these destinations."

The update also includes five new landing challenges set in the stunning locales of Denmark’s Bornholm, Iceland’s Ísafjörður, Sweden’s Stockholm Arlanda, Norway’s Svalbard, and Finland’s Vaasa Airports.

World Update V: Nordics is free to all Microsoft Flight Simulator users.

Going from over 170GB down to the more manageable 83GB, with the developers at Asobo noting that is has "performed some optimisation". And how! As per our in-depth chat with Jorg Neuman, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, from earlier this year, when discussing the upcoming Xbox Series X version, he noted “We literally went through every model, we looked at every buffer and it was shocking how much memory we found."

No doubt this new PC update was born from those optimisations made for the console launch -- which is happening sometime in the next couple of months.

The patch notes for the 1.16.2.0 update are quite extensive, covering things like reduced weather bandwidth alongside many other fixes to navigation and planes.

Head here to read them in full.

And here's your reminder that Microsoft Flight Simulator is truly stunning in motion.

And of course, there's a stunning 4K trailer to celebrate the release. World Update 3 for Microsoft Flight Simulator continues the focus on enhancing visuals, scenery, and airports found across the world. With the UK and Ireland given the update treatment new high-resolution 3D photogrammetry has brought just about photo-real detail to castles, soccer stadiums, and that place aliens built - Stonehenge.

Here's the 4K trailer highlighting the update.



And here's Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator going through the visual updates.

World Update 3: United Kingdom & Ireland features high-resolution 3D photogrammetry for the renowned cities of Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, London and Oxford, five new meticulously hand-crafted airports (Barra, Liverpool, Land’s End, Manchester-Barton and Out Skerries), visual and logistical improvements to 85 more area airports, and improved digital elevation information across the U.K.

In addition, we’ve added compelling architectural elements throughout the region, ranging from British manors and Victorian homes to countryside stone structures, castles and churches – and even some drive-thru restaurants. In addition, over 70 custom landmarks and points of interest bring stunning new levels of detail and fidelity to some of the world’s most famous landmarks and bridges, regal palaces, breathtaking cathedrals … and, of course, football stadiums.

In addition to the above the update introduces a pair of regional Landing Challenges in addition to an Iconic Flight. Microsoft Flight Simulator is available for PC and headed to Xbox Series X and S this year. For more be sure to read our recent in-depth interview with Jorg Neumann - Microsoft Flight Simulator - The Past, Present, and Future - where we cover the game's development, milestones, and what's in store in the months (and years) ahead.

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We sit down with Jorg Neuman, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, to talk about the game’s development, launch, Xbox Series X release, and what’s in store for the future. Also, a shared appreciation for Pilotwings 64.

When Microsoft announced that there was a new Microsoft Flight Simulator game coming in 2020, many were left stunned. Not only by the fact that one of the longest franchises in the industry was making a return -- the series hadn’t seen an official release in over a decade at that point -- but specifically, that announcement trailer. It delivered exactly what a flight simulator could look like in the modern era -- beautiful, breathtaking, cutting edge.

Flight sim’s return would see it land with its cargo hold full of high-end visual effects, real-world data, satellite imagery, photogrammetry, and all manner of tech wizardry.

“I’ve told this story a few times, but the first time I showed the game internally at Microsoft to Phil [Spencer] and the Xbox team they didn't recognise that it was a game at all,” Jorg Neuman, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator tells me. “They thought I was showing them a video. That was the first indication, where we felt that we had transcended something. In the many meetings I had with Phil after that, he said time and again, ‘Man, it just doesn't look like a game’.”

Our Full Microsoft Flight Simulator Deep Dive Interview

Microsoft Flight Simulator is getting its highly anticipated VR update this week, arriving just in time for the holidays with support for all headsets and VR setups. As per our review we noted that the game/sim was something of a platform, an experience that will grow and evolve over many years. On that front mid next year the Xbox Series X version is due for release, in addition to more content updates that will improve its already stunning recreation of the entire planet.

And it's this side of Flight Sim that makes the over 2 million player count something worth highlighting, especially when it arrives with some truly fascinating stats.


As per above, even with 2 million players only 72% of Earth has been seen in-game. Meaning there's almost 30% of the planet on which we all live, with all of the game's insane satellite and rendering tech, that remains unseen. Very cool. Elsewhere the stats show that pilots have taken flight over 50 million times with the distance traveled being the equivalent of 19 round trips from the Earth to the Sun.

Related: Microsoft Flight Simulator Review - A Stunning Technical Achievement

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"As we’ve said time and time again, our launch in 2020 was only the beginning of our journey with Microsoft Flight Simulator," writes Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator. "We are excited to carry this momentum into 2021 – we will launch on Xbox Series X|S in the summer, we are planning 3 large updates to the simulation, and we will update the world 4-5 times with additional World Updates (as well as a few other surprises we have planned)."

Mid next year or "Summer 2021" as they like to call it up there in the northern hemisphere. Which you can visit in Microsoft Flight Simulator on the account of it featuring the entire planet to explore. As per our review from earlier this year the experience is nothing short of incredible. And as part of the console announcement Microsoft also debuted a new trailer featuring 4K footage running on an Xbox Series X.

And it looks incredible.

Today, we’re excited to share that Microsoft Flight Simulator will come to life on the Xbox Series X|S this summer. Simmers on Xbox Series X|S can expect the same level of depth as the PC version, allowing you to experience the most authentic and realistic flight simulator we have ever created.

From light planes to wide-body jets, you’ll test your piloting skills against the challenges of real-time weather including accurate wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, rain, and lighting – all in a dynamic and living world. With the power of satellite data and cloud-based AI, you’ll travel the entire planet in amazing detail with over 37 thousand airports, 2 million cities, 1.5 billion buildings, real mountains, roads, trees, rivers, animals, traffic, and more.

Naturally the game will also hit Xbox Series S. Now, to get technical for a moment, as the PC release was running on the DirectX 11 API - performance was and still is an issue even on the most high-end of rigs. Even the new GeForce RTX 3080 struggles when you try to run it in 4K. This is to say that the flight sim has probably been given a DX12 overhaul for the new console architecture. Which should come to the PC version too.

Not a simple port, this is the full Microsoft Flight Simulator experience. Microsoft is also working with third-parties to bring peripherals like flight sticks and yokes and rudders to the Xbox Series X and S. Very cool.

VR support in Microsoft Flight Simulator is set to go live on December 22, and it will work on all current VR headsets out there -- from Oculus to Valve to HTC. The full game, including menus, will be accessible from within VR too -- and with Flight Simulator being one of the most impressive sims ever released, no doubt this will be amazing to experience with future-goggles on.

Though we would have liked to see this coincide with a DirectX 12 and performance patch, as the game still punishes PCs - and for VR a high frame-rate is key.



In terms of other updates, in addition to the big and stunning USA World Update (seen above) and the Japan update, the next region set to be upgraded is Great Britain which will overhaul its depiction using new high-res data and more hand-crafted airports. That's due for release in January.

Still no word yet on the expected Xbox Series X release though we assume that has to be on the cards for next yet sometime. As one of the best games/sims/experiences of 2020 -- Microsoft Flight Simulator is something that will continue to grow for years to come.