Microsoft Flight Simulator News & Announcements
Yesterday, our panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial plus special guests from Working Title and iniBuilds appeared on our latest Developer Livestream. If you missed catching it live on Twitch, you can watch the replay on YouTube here:
In addition to answering dozens of questions from the community, some of the other highlights from the broadcast include:
- Overview from Working Title on the improvements to the G3X avionics coming in Sim Update 15 (SU_15)
- Presentation from iniBuilds about the Airbus A320neo V2, a free aircraft for all players on all platforms launching alongside SU_15
- Announcement of City Update VII: European Cities II which includes updated scenery for:
- Barcelona
- Madrid
- Monte Carlo
- Nice
- Porto
- Stockholm
Both City Update VII and Local Legend 16 are targeted for release on May 28.
Also announced during the livestream was an update on the Sim Update 15 release date. While we had previously revealed a tentative launch date of April 30, we now think an additional week of development time is necessary. This will be the last Sim Update for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) prior to the launch of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 later this year (but not the final Sim Update for MSFS2020 ever -- SU_16 is planned for early 2025), so the team really wants to make sure SU_15 in an excellent state before we release it.
In Marketplace news, the team feels like they have the backlog under control and can now begin accepting new developers into the Marketplace. We have a very lengthy list of pending applications and can't approve all of them at once, so in order to help us prioritize the developers most desired by you, the community, we are asking for your feedback. Please see this thread on our forums where you can share your feedback on which developers you would most like to see added to the Marketplace.
– MSFS Team
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On Tuesday, we launched two new releases!
- City Update 06: Southwest Germany is a FREE download from the in-sim Marketplace that enhances the scenery in Germany's Baden-Württemberg state. Please see this page for more information.
- Local Legend 15: Dornier Do 31 is available from the in-sim Marketplace for USD $14.99. You can learn more about this experimental VTOL plane from Germany here.
Also earlier this week, we released a new Xbox-only pre-release test build for simmers enrolled in the optional Sim Update 15 public beta. This build (1.37.13.0) improves performance and stability on Xbox Series X|S consoles. PC players enrolled in the beta will not receive this new build as the changes are for Xbox only.
There was also a small update released to all simmers earlier today. This release includes updated navdata (AIRAC cycle 2404) plus improvements to over 150 airports submitted by community volunteers participating in the ongoing World Hub closed alpha test. You can read the full details on our forums here.
Our next Developer Livestream is coming up next week on Wednesday, April 24th at 10:30am PDT (1730 UTC). Don't miss this chance to hear our regular panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial answer questions from the community and discuss future updates coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator. We are currently reviewing all the pre-submitted questions from the community and will ensure the most common topics are addressed by our panel. If you missed the opportunity to pre-submit a question, don't worry! As always, we will also be taking questions live from Twitch chat during the stream. The livestream will be broadcast on our official Twitch channel, so please follow it to be notified when we go live if you have not already done so.
Finally, if you follow @MSFSOfficial on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, you may have noticed that we've been running an MSFS Madness tournament over the past three weeks where you, the community, voted for your favorite aircraft in a series of head-to-head matchups. From a starting field of 64 aircraft from the Standard, Deluxe, Premium Deluxe, Game of the Year Edition, and 40th Anniversary Edition, plus every Local Legend, Famous Flyer, and Expert Series aircraft, voters selected the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner as the winner! We hope everyone who participated enjoyed MSFS Madness! You can see the entire tournament bracket with the community's choices in each round below.
– MSFS Team
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This latest update invites Microsoft Flight Simulator aviators to experience the allure of the cities of southwest Germany’s Baden-Württemberg state.
Southwest Germany is the latest exciting enhancement to Microsoft Flight Simulator’s immersive global experience with City Update 06. This update focuses on the Southwest German state of Baden-Württemberg, the nation’s third largest state in both population and area. The Microsoft Flight Simulator team and its partners selected seven cities that best represent this diverse and vibrant region of Europe: Mannheim, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Esslingen, and Kehl in Germany, and the French city of Strasbourg, which lies just across the border from Kehl. The update also features Friedrichshafen Airport, Baden-Württemberg’s third largest airport.
Baden-Württemberg is one of Europe’s most geographically diverse regions. The state encompasses the famed Black Forest, rivers such as the Rhine, the Danube (including its source), and the Neckar, several lakes including Lake Constance, and rich farmland and vineyards. Its cities rank as some of the most prosperous and vibrant in all of Europe and include a juxtaposition of modern architectural marvels and centuries-old historic monuments.
Continue reading about City Update 06!
This week, we're pleased to share an updated Development Roadmap which you can find below. A few highlights include:
- City Update 06: Southwest Germany and Local Legend 15: Dornier Do 31 are both releasing next week on April 17!
- Sim Update 15 and the Airbus A320neo (V2) are tentatively targeted for a full release on April 30.
Speaking of Sim Update 15, last Friday we released a new test build to those players enrolled in the optional public beta. You can find the release notes for this build on our forums here. Once again, we would like to thank everyone participating in the pre-release test for your timely feedback and bug reports. If you would like to join the public beta test, you can find instructions (for PC/MS Store, PC/Steam, and Xbox Series X|S) here.
Our next Developer Livestream is scheduled for April 24th at 10:30am PDT (1730 UTC). If you would like to pre-submit a question for our panel, please complete the form at this link. We will accept submissions until April 16th at 8:00am PDT (1500 UTC). Once the form is closed, our team will collate all your submissions to ensure the panel addresses the most frequently-asked questions from the community. As always, the livestream will be broadcast on our official Twitch channel, so please follow it to be notified when we go live if you have not already done so.
– MSFS Team
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We are now accepting questions for our next Developer Livestream! If you would like to pre-submit a question for our panel, please complete the form at this link. Our team will collate all the submissions to ensure the panel addresses the most frequently-asked questions from the community. As always, the livestream will be broadcast on our official Twitch channel, so please follow it to be notified when we go live if you have not already done so.
Recently on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, we've been running daily MSFS Madness polls where the community can vote for their favorite aircraft in head-to-head matchups. Voters have eliminated half the field from the original starting 64, and we're now onto the Round of 32. Check out the updated tournament bracket below. Do you think there were any surprise upsets in the first round? Which aircraft are you hoping wins it all? Let us know in the forums! To participate in the voting yourself, follow our accounts on Twitter and Instagram. You can make your vote count twice by voting on both platforms!
– MSFS Team
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Enjoy discounted pricing during our Microsoft Flight Simulator Spring Sale!
For 13 Days starting on March 29th, save up to 85% on more than 2250 items.
To purchase these discounted items, visit the Microsoft Flight Simulator Marketplace, select ‘Featured’, scroll down to ‘Special Offers’, then select ‘See All’ and look for the savings.
In case you missed it, we recently announced that the full release of Sim Update 15 (SU_15) will be slightly delayed from its earlier targeted release date of March 26. It's important that we take the time to get it right, and after careful consideration, the team concluded that SU_15 isn't quite ready yet. We're now targeting a release for some time in April (exact date TBD).
In other SU_15 news, we released a new pre-release test build to volunteer community beta testers earlier today. You can read the release notes for this build on our forums here. We want to once again thank everyone who has opted in to the SU_15 public test for your timely and detailed feedback and bug reports.
On the lighter side, there's an ongoing discussion on our forums where players are sharing their memories of their first flight simulator, either from the Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise or from another developer. Our Community Manager SeedyL responded thusly:
When I was a kid in the 1980s, my family had a Commodore VIC-20 and C64 with a variety of really primitive flight simulators. I was super young at the time and didn’t really know what I was doing in any of them.
The first memories I have of actually using a flight sim and feeling like it was a somewhat rough approximation of real flight came when I was a teenager in the 90s. By then, my family had swapped our C64 for an Intel 486-based Compaq Presario desktop running MS-DOS 6.0 and Windows 3.1. I had several popular flight sims from the era (both civilian and military) including:
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.0
- Chuck Yeager’s Air Combat
- Falcon 3.0
- Red Baron
- Aces Over Europe
- Aces of the Pacific
- Flight Unlimited
- Sierra Pro Pilot
- Fly!
We also asked several other members of the team to share their earliest memories of participating in the flight simulation hobby. Here are their responses:
Khoi, Quality Engineer:
My first sim was Microsoft Flight Simulator 4 on a 386. Or at least that's the one I remember. It could have also been been Flight Simulator 1 (or 2). I have a fuzzy memory of playing it, but for sure Flight Simulator 4.
Tyler, Pilot Tester:
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 on a Dell laptop my dad gave me. I used to bring an E6B and take my laptop on roadtrips and try to "fly" our route while we drove it!
Scott, Customer Support Agent:
I dabbled in FSX on PC, but I learned how to fly (sorta) in WW2 Online, a 24-year old MMO. My OG flying game was "Blue Max" for the Commodore 64.
Many, many others in the team have their own stories and backgrounds with flight simulators and we've been enjoying reading everyone's responses. If you have anything share, check out the discussion and post your own story!
– MSFS Team
Click here to continue reading the Development Update!
Public testing for the upcoming Sim Update 15 continues to progress. Thank you to all the volunteer beta participants who have been submitting bug reports and feedback on the forums so far!
Over the last several days, we've noticed many reports about an issue affecting PC players where the sim will always open in windowed mode even if full screen mode was set. Players using both the regular release build and the SU_15 beta build are affected by this issue. The team has identified the source of this bug, and a fix will be coming with SU_15. In the meantime, the workaround to restore full screen mode is to set this option in your General Settings each time you launch the sim or simply press Alt+Enter on your keyboard.
On Monday, March 25, we're hosting a Grand Canyon Race on our official Twitch channel in partnership with Tobii! One lucky viewer from Twitch chat will win a Tobii Eye Tracker 5. For the full details about this event, please see the Community section of this post below.
Finally, it's that time of year where many people get really obsessed with tournament brackets, and we couldn't resist creating one of our own! Over the next few weeks, we'll be posting a series of polls on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram each weekday. Vote for your favorite aircraft to see it advance through the bracket. Which will be the one plane to rule them all? It's up to the Microsoft Flight Simulator community to decide! See all the details on our forums here.
– MSFS Team
Click here to continue reading the Development Update!
Earlier today, we released a new beta build (1.37.7.0) for all players enrolled in the Sim Update 15 (SU_15) beta test. You can see the release notes on our forums here.
As always, we'd like to thank the players who continually provide invaluable feedback during these beta tests. Be sure to share your feedback on our forums here.
Also today, we released updates to three Local Legends/Famous Flyers: the Bell 47J Ranger, Junkers F 13, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries MU-2. These updates are available to download now from the in-sim Content Manager. The release notes are on our forums here.
Our next Developer Livestream is scheduled for March 13 at 10:30am PT (1730 UTC)! As always, it will be hosted on our official Twitch channel, so please follow it if you are not already to receive notifications whenever we go live.
If you missed the opportunity to pre-submit a question in advance, our panel will be taking live questions from Twitch chat during the event, so be sure to attend.
– MSFS Team
Click here to continue reading the Development Update!
On Wednesday, we released a new beta build (1.37.5.0) for those players enrolled in the optional Sim Update 15 (SU_15) public test. You can see the release notes on our forums here. Among other improvements, this build fixes a few known issues that were inadvertently introduced in the previous beta build, and it also has some stability enhancements.
We appreciate all the feedback and bug reports we've been receiving from the volunteer testers from the community. Your timely and detailed reports of issues really makes a huge difference to the development team. Thank you so much for your efforts!
If you're participating in the beta, be sure to share your feedback on our forums here.
As noted in the new Development Roadmap below, Sim Update 15 is now targeted to launch on March 26th, alongside the release of the hotly anticipated iniBuilds A320 NEO!
Our next Developer Livestream is scheduled for March 13! As always, it will be hosted on our official Twitch channel, so please follow it if you are not already to receive notifications whenever we go live.
We will be taking questions from the chat live during the session, but if you would like to pre-submit a question to the panel in advance, you may do so at this link. We will tabulate all the submissions to ensure the most popular concerns from the community are addressed during the livestream.
– MSFS Team
Click here to continue reading the Development Update!
Earlier today, we released a new beta build for those players enrolled in the optional Sim Update 15 (SU_15) public test. You can see the release notes on our forums here. Please note that this build contains a few known issues that will be resolved prior to the full release of SU_15, so please read the notes carefully.
Also, we released an unrelated small update to players on both the regular release build and the SU_15 beta build today. This patch contains updated navdata for AIRAC cycle 2402 and the first round of improved airports from community-sourced fixes using the World Hub tool! Simmers can expect to see regular updates to airports from the World Hub in the coming weeks and months.
Last but certainly not least, at the recent red carpet premiere of Dune: Part Two in London, the Microsoft Flight Simulator team was there to showcase the Dune Expansion. Stars of the upcoming film including Timothée Chalamet and Souheila Yacoub plus composer Hans Zimmer had a chance to fly the Royal Atreides Ornithopter in a life-size replica cockpit!
Check out our video footage of the premiere, and watch Dune: Part Two from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures only in cinemas on March 1!
– MSFS Team
Click here to continue reading the Development Update!
On Tuesday, we released the Dune Expansion, which is available now as a FREE download from the in-sim Marketplace! This optional package allows Microsoft Flight Simulator pilots to fly the Royal Atreides Ornithopter as seen in the upcoming film Dune: Part II from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures. Pilots can fly the ornithopter in both free flight anywhere in the world and in a series of new training missions and exciting challenges on the planet Arrakis.
Also this week, we launched the first pre-release public test build for the upcoming Sim Update 15 (SU_15)! To see the release notes, read our forum thread here. If you would like to join the optional public beta, you can find instructions here. The beta is available for players on PC/MS Store, PC/Steam, and Xbox Series X|S.
One of the biggest improvements included in SU_15 is Working Title's new implementation of the Garmin G3X Touch avionics suite. To learn more, please read the FAQ about the G3X in the SDK section of this blog post below.
Thank you to everyone who has enrolled in the beta and submitted feedback so far! We've received some excellent feedback after the first day of release, and we're looking forward to hearing more from participants as the public beta test progresses.
– MSFS Team
Click here to continue reading the Development Update!
Xbox and Microsoft Flight Simulator are immersing gamers worldwide in the captivating world of Arrakis, commemorating the highly anticipated release of “Dune: Part Two.” Enthusiasts can anticipate a free game expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator launching, bespoke Xbox hardware, and an awe-inspiring gaming simulator-all intricately inspired by the film.
To learn more about the Dune: Part Two Expansion, read the XBOX Wire Article: Xbox and Microsoft Flight Simulator unveil Dune Expansion and Floating Controller - Xbox Wire
The team is currently hard at work preparing Sim Update 15, with the public beta test expected to start soon. If you missed the January 31 Developer Livestream, some of the announced improvements coming in SU15 include:
- Memory optimizations
- New G3X avionics implementation courtesy of Working Title
- Support for multi-rotor helicopters
- Overall stability and performance improvements
- And more!
February 10 marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year! To everyone celebrating this holiday, the Microsoft Flight Simulator Community Team is proud to share this special video showcasing beautiful fireworks displays over several East Asian cities including Beijing, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Singapore, and more. We hope you enjoy it!
Lastly, in celebration of Black History Month we're spotlighting several Black content creators from the Microsoft Flight Simulator player community throughout February on our X / Twitter channel! So far we've highlighted Blu Games and Bel Geode. Keep your eyes out for more throughout the month!
– MSFS Team
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On Tuesday, we released World Update XVI: Caribbean! Available now as a FREE download from the in-sim Marketplace, this World Update contains new Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, 104 hand-crafted points of interest, seven bespoke airports, and new Landing Challenges, Bush Trips, and Discovery Flights for the beautiful and scenic Caribbean region.
Also launching alongside the World Update was a new aircraft, Local Legend 14: Bell 47J Ranger. Available from the in-sim Marketplace for USD $14.99, this is the first time our Local Legend series has featured a rotorcraft. Check it out!
Yesterday, we were pleased to host another Developer Livestream. Our panel of Jorg, Seb, Martial, and special guest Dominik Gallus from Working Title answered many questions from the community and discussed upcoming new features and improvements coming soon to Microsoft Flight Simualtor, including some details about Sim Update 15 which is currently targeted for release in March.
If you missed watching the session live, you can catch the VOD below. We will also have a written transcript posted on our forums next week for those of you who prefer text to video.
Finally, we'd like to announce a special collaborative Twitch stream with our friends at Next Level Racing scheduled for next week. Everyone is welcome to join a group flight in Australia from Gold Coast to Sydney. During the broadcast, we'll be giving away several prizes, including the Grand Prize of a Next Level Racing Flight Simulator home cockpit (USD $799 value!). The event starts at 6pm PST on Wednesday, February 7 (0200 UTC on Thursday, February 8) on the Official MSFS Twitch channel. The full event details are available on our forums here. We'll see you Down Under!
– MSFS Team
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Microsoft Flight Simulator celebrates a historic era of rotary wing aviation with this Local Legend release!
BIRTH OF A LEGEND
The single-engine, four-seat Bell 47J Ranger is one of the most important and successful helicopters developed in the early era of rotary wing aviation. Renowned for its versatility, ruggedness, and reliability, the Ranger traces its development to the Golden Age of Flight, the period from the end of World War I to the beginning of World War II aeronautical technology enjoyed remarkable strides. In the late 1920s, American Arthur Young, inspired by flight innovations of the time, began independently experimenting with basic helicopter design. In 1941, after more than a decade of work on his own, Young joined the Bell Aircraft Company to develop a full-size, fully functioning helicopter.
Continue reading about Local Legend 14: The Bell 47J Ranger!
Explore the white sand beaches and emerald waters of one of the most beautiful regions on the planet!
The Caribbean, a seemingly endless series of islands mostly located just east of Central America between the North and South American continental land masses, is globally recognized as one of the most exotic and beautiful regions on the planet. The Microsoft Flight Simulator team is pleased to add World Update XVI: Caribbean to its long and growing list of global enhancements so that aviators can experience this storied part of the globe like never before.
Continue reading about World Update XVI!
Earlier today, we released updated versions of four Local Legend add-on aircraft:
- Local Legend I: Junkers Ju 52
- Local Legend III: Dornier Do J Wal
- Local Legend VI: Junkers F 13
- Local Legend XII: Dornier Do X
The updates are available via the in-sim Content Manager. You can read the changelog on our forums here.
We’re also excited to confirm that World Update XVI: Caribbean is launching next week on Tuesday, January 30! As with all World Updates, this will include new Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, 104 hand-crafted points of interest, seven bespoke airports, and new Landing Challenges, Bush Trips, and Discovery Flights.
Finally, we want to remind everyone that our next Developer Livestream is coming up next week on Wednesday, January 31 at 10:30am PT (1830 UTC). You can tune in to our official Twitch channel to watch our regular panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial plus special guests answer questions from the community and discuss the future of Microsoft Flight Simulator. If you can’t watch the stream live, we will also post the VOD to our YouTube channel and post a written transcript on our forums.
We previously asked players to pre-submit their questions for the panel, and we’ve reviewed all your submissions to determine what are the most common issues the community would like to see discussed. As always, we will also be taking questions live from Twitch chat, so if you missed the opportunity to pre-submit your question, you will still have a chance to have it addressed by the panel.
– MSFS Team
Click here to continue reading the Development Update!
Earlier today, we released updated versions of two add-on aircraft: Expert Series 1: ATR 42-600 / 72-600 and Famous Flyer 7: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries MU-2. Both updates are available for download now from the in-sim Content Manager. You can read the changelog on our forums here.
We also sent the first batch of invitations to the closed alpha test of the upcoming World Hub today! If you registered for the alpha test, check your email to see if you were accepted and instructions on how you can begin using the World Hub tool. Due to overwhelming demand, we could not invite everyone who registered for the alpha immediately, but we will be adding more testers over the coming weeks. If you weren't selected in the first round, keep an eye on your email for an invitation in a future test batch!
Finally, we want to remind everyone that our next Developer Livestream is scheduled for Wednesday, January 31 at 10:30am PT (1830 UTC). As always, you can tune in to our official Twitch channel to watch our regular panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial plus special guests answer questions from the community and discuss the future of Microsoft Flight Simulator. We previously asked players to pre-submit their questions for the panel, and we're currently reviewing all the submissions to pick out the most frequently-asked topics to answer during the livestream. As always, we will also be taking questions live from Twitch chat, so if you missed the opportunity to pre-submit your question, you will still have a chance to have it addressed by the panel.
– MSFS Team
Click here to continue reading the Development Update!
Earlier this week, we announced that applications to join the World Hub closed alpha test are now open! For those unaware, the World Hub is an upcoming tool which will allow any Microsoft Flight Simulator player (i.e. YOU!) to submit corrections and updates to any default airport so that they better match their real-world counterparts. If you would like to help test the World Hub as we get it ready for its full release, you can find instructions on how to apply to the closed alpha on our forums here.
We're also pleased to announce that our next Developer Livestream is coming up later this month on Wednesday, January 31 at 10:30am PT (18030 UTC). As always, you can tune in to our official Twitch channel to watch our regular panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial plus special guests answer questions from the community and discuss the future of Microsoft Flight Simulator. If you would like to pre-submit a question to the panel, you can do so using this web form.
– MSFS Team
Click here to continue reading the Development Update!