This game comes as a successor to the 2006 Microsoft Flight Simulator X, a return in the series after being absent for nearly 14-year, which includes the six years of development for the game. After announcing the game in E3 2019, the game finally released on August 18, 2020, for Microsoft Windows, as well as a virtual reality version of the game, was released in December of the same year. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is the first in the franchise to have a VR release as well as a console release. It has been officially confirmed that Microsoft Fight Simulator 2020 will be releasing for Xbox Series X and Series S very soon. Read along to find more about Microsoft Flight Simulator Xbox Series X/S Release Date.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Features
The developers at Asobo studio have made sure that the Microsoft Flight Simulator has a map that is very similar to the topography of the entire Ear. This was made sure by using the data from Bing Maps and by using Microsoft Azure’s artificial intelligence. By using this AI, it was possible to generate three-dimensional representations of Earth’s features. And by using their cloud computing to render and enhance visuals, and also use real-world data to generate real-time weather effects and real-world air traffic. They have even used a physics engine to provide realistic flight control surfaces and have over 1,000 simulated surfaces, as well as realistic wind modeled over hills and mountains. Not everything is accurate to the real world, as the developers had to handcraft some of the region-specific updates. The gameplay even includes new features like landing challenges and helper features. There are even features where pilots can photograph animals from the air.
Since its release, the game received wide critical acclaim, praised for its graphical fidelity. Critics even called this game the safest way to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. This game even become many of the reviewer’s favorites and called it the most aesthetically pleasing game of 2020. The game also had criticisms, such as for long loading times and inaccuracies in the rendering of some buildings, landmarks, and objects. Some Pilots even pointed out the game’s unrealistic aerodynamics. Even after that, the game was able to win the Best Sim/Strategy Game at The Game Awards 2020.
Microsoft Flight Simulator Franchise
Microsoft Flight Simulator, also called in short MSFS, is a series of flight simulator game series. This 38-year-old franchise one of the longest-running, best-known, and most comprehensive flight simulator game series in the market. This is also one of the most successful products from Microsoft other than the regular enterprise-focused application portfolios. In fact, Microsoft Flight Simulator can be considered the longest-running PC video game series of all time. It was Bruce Artwick who began the development of Flight Simulator in 1977. Artwick’s company, Sublogic, initially made the game for personal computers. In 1981, Artwick was approached by Microsoft’s Alan M. Boyd in the hope of creating a definitive game. This definitive edition will have a graphical difference from the older 8-bit computers such as the Apple II to new 16-bit computers, such as the IBM PC. Bruce agreed to this, and in the following year, Artwick’s company licensed a version of Flight Simulator for the IBM PC to Microsoft, which marketed it as Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.00.
In the year 2009, Microsoft closed down Aces Game Studio, which was the one creating and maintaining the Flight Simulator series, and handled that to Dovetail Games in 2014 to port the Gold Edition of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator X to Steam and publish it as Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition.
Microsoft Flight Simulator Xbox Series X/S Release Date
On E3 2021, Microsoft announced the Microsoft Flight Simulator Xbox Series X/S Release Date as of July 27th. The game will be available on Xbox Game Pass. this is the first next-gen-exclusive game from Xbox Game Studios. In the event, Microsoft revealed the gameplay trailer for Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X, promising very similar gameplay as the PC version in 4K. Also Read: Fallout 5 In E3 2021: Is An Announcement Possible?
