Microsoft Flight Simulator launches next month

Microsoft is getting at least one big game announcement in early ahead of its July showcase. This week, we have an update on Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is now officially launching on PC in August. 

The game ships on the 18th of August but can be pre-installed starting today using Windows 10 or the Game Pass for PC app. While you can play the game through Game Pass, you can also buy it to own, with three versions to choose from- Standard, Deluxe and Premium Deluxe.

Here are some of the key features for Microsoft Flight Simulator, as per Xbox Wire:

• Vivid and Detailed Landscapes – Immerse yourself in the vast and beautiful world that is our planet with more than 1.5 billion buildings, 2 trillion trees, mountains, roads, rivers and more.
• A Living World – Earth is vibrant and ever-changing and so is the world of Microsoft Flight Simulator which includes live traffic, real-time weather and animals.
• Highly Detailed Aircraft – Hone your pilot skills in a variety of aircraft from light planes to commercial jets with comprehensive flight models. Every aircraft includes highly detailed and accurate cockpits with realistic instrumentation.
• New Checklist System – From pro to beginner, scale your level from full manual to full assist with interactive and highlighted instrument guidance and checklist.
• Dynamic Weather – The new weather engine enables users to switch on the live weather mode to experience real-time weather including accurate wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, rain and more.
• New Day & Night Engine – Experience flight at any time of day or year allowing for night VFR, visual flight rules, navigation.
• Aerodynamic Modeling – A state-of-the-art physics engine with over 1,000 control surfaces per plane allows for a truly realistic experience.

The three editions of the game contain slightly different content. The standard has 20 planes and 30 detailed airports from across the globe. The deluxe edition has 25 planes and 35 detailed airports and finally, the premium deluxe edition has 30 planes and 40 detailed airports. Each of these airports are handcrafted to be as close to real life as possible.

There have been closed alpha and beta tests going on for months, so the developers have had plenty of time to gather feedback and polish the game in time for its summer release.

KitGuru Says: I haven't played a flight sim in quite some time, but I am looking forward to this. Graphically, it looks stunning, so it'll be interesting to see it first-hand and travel the world for a bit. Are any of you planning on playing this next month?

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