While Microsoft Flight Simulator is not for everyone, the fact that the franchise has existed since 1982 is a testament to its exceptional quality and the multi-decade loyalty of its passionate community.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) is the first title in the series to take full advantage of cloud computing, which has resulted in a multitude of benefits for the community and developers, including but not limited to:
Due to its availability on Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft Flight Simulator is playable not only on Windows PC and 9th generation consoles (Xbox Series X and S) but also on Tablets, Various Smart TVs, Internet Browsers, Mobile Devices and, most importantly, to fans of Xbox Game Studios, 8th generation consoles such as Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X, making it one of the most widely available simulation games in history.
Due to the power of Microsoft Azure, the skies have never been more alive, with players able to experience dynamic real-time weather and simulated air traffic, which fills the skies and runways with digital copies of real-world aircraft following their actual flight path.
What makes this all the more impressive is the speed at which dynamic weather updates, with many players having followed (and flown through) digital copies of real-world hurricanes and tropical storms and monitoring the storm’s progress and severity in real-time.
Due to the sheer amount of photo-realistic textures and the massive variety of models present in Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020), it weights in at a hefty 2 petabytes (2048 terabytes), meaning there is no way anyone could physically download the entire game, due to it taking over 16.5 years to download at the global average download speed (30 Mbps).
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) has a startling amount of DLC, and much of it is rather expensive; however, Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) is not a game in the traditional sense, and the DLC is not required for a casual player to enjoy all that Microsoft Flight Simulator has to offer.
Rather, each DLC release is likely to appeal to a certain demographic, who are more than willing to spend a few dollars to fly a certain aircraft model, much the same way real-world hobbyists will spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on their chosen pastime.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) DLC are targeted at niche audiences and requires a huge investment of development time due to the expert nature of their audience. As a result, they are priced accordingly.
While Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) is “serious business”, there is always room for a little fun, and like most games in 2023, it has seen a few crossovers, including but not limited to Halo Infinite (Pelican), Top Gun Maverick (Free Expansion DLC), and most curiously the late eccentric billionaire Howard Hughs (The Spruce Goose).
As a first-party title, Microsoft Flight Simulator will remain part of Xbox Game Pass indefinitely, something which has proven to be a huge boon for Microsoft Flight Simulator, with over 10 million players accessing the game on a wide variety of devices from current-gen consoles and high ending gaming PCs, to decade-old low-end laptops and mobile phones, something which would not be possible without Xbox Game Pass and its comprehensive support for Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud).
In late 2022, Microsoft Flight Simulator introduced gliders and helicopters to the long-running flight simulator for the first time as part of the 40th Anniversary Edition upgrade, which was made freely available to all players and offers a variety of new ways to take to the skies and experience the majesty of God’s creation in all of its wonders.
Alongside the introduction of gliders and helicopters, players could also access the Spruce Goose. This plane is famous due to having flown only once, and despite having been created for use as a troop transport in WW2, due to production delays it would not be ready until late 1947, missing the end of the war by over two years.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) is a simulation video game developed by Asobo Studio and published by Xbox Game Studios, it was released on 18 August 2020 and retails for $59.99+.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) is available on the following platforms: PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) remains in active development, with free and paid updates being released several times yearly.
The following peripherals are officially supported:
Microsoft Flight Simulator is rated PEGI 3+ and contains no offensive content.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) is an excellent flight simulator and, without a doubt, the most comprehensive and visually impressive flight simulator in history; however, it is predominantly a simulator and is unlikely to appeal to those looking for a more arcade-like experience such as Project Wingman and Ace Combat 7.
