In June 2019 I blogged about the upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator, often dubbed Flight Simulator 2020. I have been following the development, even if I have not been part of the alpha testing group.
Microsoft worked closely with the Flight Sim community, and posted a series of videos where they talk about different aspects of the game. I think most people (including me) expected the game to be released in late November or early December, to coincide with the holiday season.
But just a two weeks ago, it was announced that the game will be available on August 18.
There will be three different editions: Standard ($60), Deluxe ($90) and Premium Deluxe ($120). The more expensive editions contains more airplanes and additional handcrafted Airports. Pre-orders are already open.
The graphics is spectacular, Microsoft has recreated the whole Earth using satellite images and aerial photography, together with AI to create 3D buildings and trees from flat images. Weather is simulated in detail, and you can even get real-time weather. The airplanes are simulated in detail, in one of the videos from the developers they said that when you turn on landing lights, you see the Ampere meter move.
You can also fly together with other people, and in the most realistic settings real life air traffic will be available in the simulator.
I started playing Flight Simulator 3.0 back in 1988, and I don’t think I could even imagine backbthen what the game would look like 32 years later…
