For those of you excited for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, there were some interesting announcements today for the product.
We’ll come back to this in a bit.
First up, Flight Simulator 2020 will be available through Steam at https://store.steampowered.com/app/1250410/Microsoft_Flight_Simulator/. It will be available on the platform from the 18th August 2020 for those who use Steam as their gateway to games.
Now Steam Powered.
Next, is that Flight Stimulator 2020 will be supporting TrackIR and VR support. TrackIR support available on day one, and VR support will be available later this year in time for the launch of the HP Reverb G2.
TrackIR allows head-tracking, delivering a full six degree of freedom (6DOF) camera control for an ultra-immersive simulator experience. TrackIR will allow players to enjoy a low latency mouse free look around with Microsoft Flight Simulator in full 4K/HDR, while still allowing easy interaction with a suite of hardware peripherals.
The HP Reverb G2 has been created by HP in collaboration with Microsoft and Valve, which plans to offer a bright, high-resolution display, excellent tracking, and immersive audio. The HP Reverb G2 will be available later this fall and the VR update will be a free update for all Microsoft Flight Simulator players.
Airbus A320neo departing JFK within Microsoft Flight Simulator – Image, Microsoft
For those who have existing products, Microsoft is working with Honeycomb Aeronautical, Logitech G, Thrustmaster, Virtual Fly and other manufacturers. Support has been confirmed for the following:
- Honeycomb’s upcoming Bravo Throttle Quadrant.
- Thrustmaster’s new TCA Sidestick and Quadrant Airbus edition peripherals.
- Existing peripherals and home cockpits via an updated SimConnect will also be offered.
Take the controls…
Xbox Game Studios and Asobo Studio are also planning for more updates post-launch, meaning this won’t be a static release. And yes, that means Downloadable Content (DLC) will be coming. There will also be free world updates and other things which Microsoft will reveal in due course.
From a window of a Flight Simulator 2020 window – Image Microsoft
Speaking of Free World Updates, the data for the world will be coming from Bing, with the content ever-improving. Microsoft says “players will enjoy new, even better terrain, and an ever-evolving, machine learning-fueled simulator that grows over time”.
Coming soon.
Flight Simulator 2020 is set for release on the 18th August 2020. It will come in Three Editions (because Microsoft is going to Microsoft).
- The Microsoft Flight Simulator Standard Edition ($59.99 USD/£59.99) includes 20 planes with unique flight models and 30 hand-crafted airports. The Standard Edition will be available on day one with Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta).
- The Deluxe Edition ($89.99 USD/£79.99) includes everything from Microsoft Flight Simulator’s standard edition plus five planes with unique flight models and five additional handcrafted international airports.
- The Premium Deluxe Edition ($119.99 USD/£109.99) includes everything from Microsoft Flight Simulator Standard Edition plus 10 planes with unique flight models and 10 additional handcrafted international airports.
I went through the breakdown of what’s different between each edition – but here’s that handy chart of what edition will get you what aircraft.
So… are you taking to the air on the 18th of August? Or do you need a hand building a PC to help you along?
Don’t worry – Kevin is on that…
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