Items tagged with microsoft flight simulator
You have to feel for the crew of the Ever Given, a massive container ship that somehow became stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking billions of dollars in goods that would otherwise traverse the artificial waterway each day. While bright minds try to figure out the quickest way to dislodge the ship, the internet is having a laugh at the situation through memes, and a humorous Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) mod. Released last August, the latest version of MSFS is leaps and bounds prettier and more advanced than the original version that came out nearly four decades ago. It features gorgeous graphics, ultra-realistic flight mechanics, and accurate mapping powered by Bing Maps and Microsoft's Azure...
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Today, the World Update 3 is now available for the breathtaking Microsoft Flight Simulator. The game has been widely praised for its extreme attention to detail including lifelike landscapes, accurately rendered airports, and the stunning aircraft models. World Update 3 improves upon the game with picturesque locations in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Now, the cities of Bristol, London, and Oxford (among others) have been given highly detailed 3D imaging makeovers, and there have been visual upgrades made to 85 airports with this update. More importantly the following airports have been fully redone by hand to make them look stunningly lifelike: Barra, Liverpool, Land’s End, Manchester-Barton...
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Prior to the [disastrous] launch of Cyberpunk 2077, Microsoft Flight Simulator was perhaps one of the most talked about PC games of 2020. Thanks to its stunning visuals, accurate representations of famous airports around the globe, and detailed terrain modeling, the game dropped jaws and brought PC systems to their knees due to the graphics requirements. Today, ASOBO, the developer behind Microsoft Flight Simulator, is cranking things up another notch with a new update. The update brings official, public support for SteamVR headsets to Microsoft Flight Simulator. The update is free to everyone that already owns the game and supports all OpenXR-compatible headsets on the PC (i.e Oculus...
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Microsoft Flight Simulator launched earlier this year for Windows PCs to rave reviews. Not only were the aircraft models rendered to near digital perfection, but the natural scenery, cities, detailed airports and weather effects were so breathtakingly beautiful that they had to be experienced to be believed. Now that same simulation goodness is making its way to next-generation consoles. A new trailer for Microsoft Flight Simulator was released last night and it confirms that the game will be coming to the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X during Summer 2021. And to show that moving to the console platform doesn't skip a beat when it comes to graphics and performance, the trailer shows captured...
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Following a brief delay to work out some kinks with its autopilot feature, the fifth update for Microsoft Flight Simulator has pulled in the hanger. Among the list of changes, it offers improved autopilot behavior for pitch management, along with better altitude capture and stability for the Cessna 208 B Grand Caravan EX, Cessna Citation Longitude, Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, and Daher TBM 930. This patch was supposed to arrive a little bit earlier than it did, but Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it needed a small bit of additional time before pushing it out to the public. "We encountered some issues related to the autopilot across various planes right before we were set to release Update...
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Microsoft Flight Simulator has been universally lauded for combining gorgeous graphics with realistic flight controls, but one thing missing is a virtual reality mode. Not for long. Microsoft started accepting signups for a closed beta in VR earlier this month, and the company says it is on track to begin testing the mode very soon. The announced is part of a bigger update on the status of Microsoft Flight Simulator in general, and it is particularly good news for people how own a Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) headset. They will be the first to experience the simulator in VR, provided they are part of the closed beta. Users who have been selected to participate in the test should be on the lookout...
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Flying over real-life locations in a highly detailed cockpit has made Microsoft Flight Simulator one of the most scenic and gorgeous games this year. Since before the game’s launch, players have been requesting a VR mode, and they are finally getting it. Microsoft has outlined the beta phase for VR in Microsoft Flight Sim (MSFS), so we will share it with you. To kick things off, the first phase of testing will only focus on Windows Mixed Reality headsets. The second phase of testing will focus on other headsets, such as the Valve Index or now-discontinued Oculus Rift. Also, this is a closed beta, so not everyone who applies will get into the program. Hopefully, however, the program will...
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Just three weeks ago, Microsoft Flight Simulator was released to the world. Now, the game's team is preparing to release an update to the game to provide content updates as well as some needed fixes, as reported by the community. According to the development update, it has been a busy week for the team behind MSFS. New videos are being prepared, the marketplace is being updated, and testing on patch #2 is nearly complete. In patch #2, a plethora of problems has hopefully been solved. According to the forum feedback, some of the fixes for patch #2 are community bug reports, so players should continue to report issues they find. In any case, let us look at some of the highlights for patch #2: Performance...
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Virtual pilots have been preparing for takeoff and then flying the skies rendered on their PC, courtesy of Microsoft's long running Flight Simulator franchise. The latest iteration kicks things up several notches with real-time mapping data and stunning graphics, making it the simulation's biggest launch in 38 years. It also ranks as the biggest game launch to date on Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass for PC. The latest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator now has over 1 million unique players. And collectively they have logged more than 26 million flights. As Microsoft points out, that is equivalent to flying around the globe 40 thousand times. Not too shabby. It's also not shocking, given the high...
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There are two things I do not want to see when peering out the window of an airplane—a gremlin on the wing, or dark and gray clouds as the pilot brazenly navigates into the eye of a hurricane. It's all fine in the virtual world, though, and the real-time data that gets fed to Microsoft Flight Simulator has prompted some PC pilots to fly right into Hurricane Laura (still no signs of a gremlln, though). Chasing storms is normally a dangerous thing, at least out in the real world. But in the virtual skies, it is a fascinating example of how an accurate flight simulation can be used beyond the typical confines of a PC game. And this is really the first iteration in the storied Microsoft Flight...
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The latest iteration of Microsoft Flight Simulator is absolutely gorgeous (save for some funny rendering quirks), and also demanding, if you intend on running it at a high resolution. If you just do not have the hardware to the simulation justice, you can still get your flight fix by directing your browser to GitHub and playing one of the earlier versions. Software engineer Sebastian Macke has made available the first four versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator, starting with the original 1.0 build for PC released in 1982. That build predates even The Simpson's, which would not land on television screens for another seven years. The cost of gas was just 91 cents back then (presumably more for...
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Developers have published the August 20 developer update for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is the first since the game launched on the 18th. One of the main features talked about in the latest developer update is the Partnership Series with Bing Maps. The partnership with Bing Maps is critical to the game as it's part of what allows the stunning visuals Microsoft Flight Simulator is known for. The partnership with Bing Maps allows the game to leverage "unprecedented" amounts of spatial data. Bing has made a significant investment in creating the best maps possible, including large amounts of imagery and spatially accurate 3D technology. The Partnership Series video goes into significant detail...
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PC gaming is alive and well, and set to get a big boost in hardware spending on the heels of Microsoft Flight Simulator, a demanding title with beautiful graphics and accurate mapping data (save for some hilarious glitches and bugs). According to the analysts at Jon Peddie Research, Microsoft Flight Simulator will help drive $2.6 billion in hardware upgrades over the next three years. JPR estimates the game will sell 2.27 million copies by this time in 2023. The research firm used that figure to calculate how much gamers will spend on PC hardware, taking in account different sub-sets of players, including what it calls "Economically Active" PC gamers. These are the folks who rebuild and upgrade...
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I imagine airline pilots sometimes encounter strange scenery during their air travels, depending on where they are, the weather conditions, and other factors. But none have flown past a skyscraper so tall and narrow that it defies the laws of physics. That is, unless they have taken to the beautifully rendered virtual skies in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Microsoft's latest iteration of its long-running flight simulation is absolutely gorgeous. It's highly detailed, and for the most part, accurate as well—it uses actual mapping data from Bing Maps to plot out locations, so you can buzz by the neighborhood you grew up in if nostalgia strikes, or go anywhere in the world, pretty much. The...
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When purchasing a game on Steam, customers have two hours to try it out and, if desired, request a refund. The policy is designed to protect gamers against being stuck with a game that does not run right on their hardware, or simply take a mulligan on a game they did not like. However, some customers have pointed out that two hours is simply not enough time to evaluate Microsoft Flight Simulator, and are asking Valve to extend the refund window. It's not necessarily that players want more time to fly the skies in Microsoft Flight Simulator before making a final decision, they just want to get in the game, period. So, what is the actual issue? it is the size of the in-game download that takes...
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With all the new games on the horizon, NVIDIA has to keep up with their drivers for game support. As such, NVIDIA today is releasing ‘Game Ready Driver’ version 452.06 for supporting several new games, optimal game settings, and G-SYNC compatible gaming monitors. Over the course of the next few months, new games are going to start to come out, and the driver team at NVIDIA has to make sure that you can be on your best game with their hardware. With driver update 452.06, support and optimizations are offered support for the following games: Microsoft Flight Simulator Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 A Total War Saga: TROY (which was just offered for free on Epic Games) World...
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Gamers worldwide have been anticipating the official launch of Microsoft Flight Simulator for many months. The game was in alpha form for a long time before entering beta last month. Developers have been offering tidbits, including game details, video, and screenshots during those periods that have gamers excited. Developers are reminding that closed beta access ends on August 17, with the game launching in full next week. With the official launch of the game only a handful of days away, Microsoft is giving another Partnership Series Update officially introducing VATSIM, which can be see in the video introduction below. For those wondering what VATSIM is, it's an international online flying network...
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The excitement surrounding the upcoming release of Microsoft Flight Simulator is palpable, as simulation fans -- especially those that didn't get accepted into the alpha or beta branches -- have been drooling over the ultra-realistic aircraft, picturesque landscapes, and detailed flight models. Today the developers behind the game announced that they have teamed up with Austrian firm Blackshark.ai. Blackshark.ai uses artificial intelligence to examine flat satellite imagery and extract a photorealistic "digital twin" of the planet. This is what allows Microsoft Flight Simulator to show truly 3D buildings and other structures, and stream them to gamers live...
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One of the most highly-anticipated games for the PC platform these days isn’t a new strategy game, first-person shooter, or battle royale entry. It’s actually a simulation game that all of us have drooled over in officially sanctioned screenshots and leaked gameplay footage: Microsoft Flight Simulator. We’ve now learned that in addition to being available to download direct from Microsoft, as part of Xbox Game Pass for PC, and in a retail box format, it is also heading to Steam. Preorders are currently open for the game on Steam, where pricing mirrors other versions of the game: $59.99 for Standard, $89.99 for Deluxe, and $119.99 for Premium Deluxe editions. The game will...
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We’re now in the next phase heading towards the retail release of Microsoft Flight Simulator: the closed beta has just kicked off. After a long series of alpha releases, Microsoft announced that all alpha participants should now have access to build 1.6.13. Microsoft does caution, however, that those that haven’t yet received their invites should just sit tight – invites will continue to be sent out through Thursday, July 30th. The big news with this new build is the introduction of 9 new aircraft, which include a nice mix of piston-, turboprop-, and jet-powered engines: Aviat Pitts Special S2S Extra 330LT Flight Design CTSL Icon A5 JMB Aircraft VL-3 Robin Cap10 Zlin Aviation...
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Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most anticipated games for PC gamers landing in 2020. The game is notable for relying on actual software in the simulation that pilots use in the real world along with real-time traffic, among other things. The game comes in three different versions and will have 30 different aircraft and 40 highly-detailed airports. Simulation fans may have been wondering which airports and aircraft will be included in the game, depending on the version purchased. The complete list of aircraft included in the game are as follows (in alphabetical order): 747-8 Intercontinental – Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner – Boeing A320neo – Airbus Beechcraft Baron G58 –...
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The latest developer update for Microsoft Flight Simulator was issued yesterday, and it was pointed out that it's been just over a year since they began working on the game in close conjunction with the community. The developers promise to continue engaging with the community by listening and reacting to feedback/suggestions. One important thing of note from the new update is that the closed beta is still tracking to release on July 30. Invites to the closed beta will be sent out on July 23, and everyone who is an alpha tester will automatically receive access to the closed beta. The team has also announced a new Marketplace Partner Program. That marketplace will allow approved partners to sell...
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