The teams at Microsoft and Asobo Studio dropped a big surprise today with the announcement of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024! A new entry into the world of Microsoft Flight Simulator. Although we don’t know a ton of information yet, what we do see looks to be focused around offering new experiences within the sim. Let’s have a look!
Your career in aviation
Surprising nearly all of us, Flight Simulator 2024 is coming sometime next year and is offering some next generation features. The new sim is intended for release on multiple platforms including Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows 10/11, and Steam all on day one.
The trailer makes it clear that this next iteration brings forward more things to do with the sim. VIP transport, cargo slinging with helicopters, scientific missions, sky diving, crop dusting, powerline construction, and firefighting are just some of the things that we saw in the trailer – making it clear that this next iteration is all about adding to the experience.
Here’s what was said on the official website.
Pursue your dream of an aviation career with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. This brand-new simulator is designed to take advantage of the latest technologies in simulation, cloud, machine learning, graphics and gaming to create the most sophisticated, immersive and awe-inspiring flight simulator of all time. To achieve this unprecedented level of accuracy, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is powered by the significantly evolved Asobo Studio engine.
It does appear that some visuals are being upgraded with pilots appearing to walk towards their aircraft before takeoff and might be more animated than before from within the cockpit. There’s also new and modified aircraft with types like the A-10, A-400M, a modified DA62 with a sensor suite (a real product offered by Diamond), and CL-415 waterbomber all making appearances in the trailer.
Other features like enhanced weather that includes forest fires, tornadoes and multiple seasons are all shown off.
In short, Microsoft and Asobo have come out swinging with many more new features that further expands on the world of Microsoft Flight Simulator.
What we don’t know yet
Many questions are being asked today as a result of the trailer and announcement and I expect that we’ll learn the answers to many of the biggest ones very soon. An obvious one is what kind of cross compatibility will we see between the new and the old version?
We don’t yet know what the plan is there, however, Microsoft and Asobo have been extremely successful as a result of their efforts to not only offer the simulator itself but open up a huge array of markets and cultivating the activities and interests of thousands of developers both big and small. How they intend to handle this and how this new 2024 edition will fit into the mix will probably determine a lot of what makes this future project a success or not.
I hope they have some smart answers prepared and that we don’t have to wait for long to hear what they are.
Nonetheless, I am very excited by the prospects of the future of this simulator series and I look forward to learning more!
Meanwhile… fly over the sands Arrakis
I read many of the Frank Herbert Dune novels when I was a kid and then watched the Sci-Fi miniseries and the most recent Denis Villeneuve movie as well. Colour me surprised and kind of impressed that we’re getting an interesting new movie tie in expansion for Dune with Microsoft Flight Simulator this fall.
This looks to be similar to the Top Gun Maverick tie in with a new aircraft, an Atreides ornithopter, and some sandy looking dunes to fly over. It should be fun!
Stormbirds 
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