Microsoft Flight Simulator World Update XII: New Zealand takes flight and is available now! The jewel of the southwestern Pacific, born of volcanic fire and hewn by the sea and sky, New Zealand is globally renowned for its breathtaking vistas from Aoraki/Mount Cook, the country’s highest mountain at 12,218 feet above sea level; to the Milford Sound, a spectacular fjord that novelist Rudyard Kipling called the eighth Wonder of the World; Auckland’s needle-like Sky Tower, one of the highest structures on the planet; and the Bay of Islands, a group of 144 islands and numerous small peninsulas and inlets. World Update XII: New Zealand features seven new cities created using high-resolution photogrammetry data and triangulated irregular network modelling: Auckland Christchurch Hamilton Nelson Queenstown Tauranga Wellington There are also 62 handcrafted points of interest to experience from the air, nine handcrafted airports, and 10 missions that explore the country’s myriad sights, test their skills, and bask in the majesty of New ...

by Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator Explore the diverse beauty and expansive mystique of the world’s second largest country Canada is filled with a plethora of sights to explore from the air: magnificent urban architecture, wave-battered northern coastlines, and vast sweeps of tundra, glaciers and towering peaks. Microsoft Flight Simulator’s World Update XI invites simmers to explore this massive, diverse country, presented in the highest resolution and fidelity yet! In creating World Update XI: Canada, the Microsoft Flight Simulator team processed troves of its latest geospatial data, including digital elevation models, satellite imagery, and aerial photography. Complementing the data, models and imagery, the update highlights 12 urban regions enhanced with the latest photogrammetry data and features 87 hand-crafted points of interest.

This morning, Xbox announced that Microsoft Flight Simulator can now be streamed via Xbox Cloud Gaming.  Starting today, Microsoft Flight Simulator is available on Xbox One and on other supported devices thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming, powered by custom Xbox Series X hardware. Some of the great benefits of accessing Microsoft Flight Simulator via Xbox Cloud Gaming include that Microsoft Flight Simulator can now be played on Xbox One at up to 1080p resolution and 30fps, can also be played beyond the console on supported mobile phones, tablets and lower-spec PCs. Standard controller inputs from Bluetooth controllers such as Xbox Wireless Controller for cloud gaming are supported.   For more information about Microsoft Flight Simulator’s launch on Xbox Cloud Gaming check out the full blog post on Xbox Wire,

Put on your pilot hat and get ready to fly as World Update VII: Australia is now live in Microsoft Flight Simulator! A country known for being as diverse as it is beautiful, the latest World Update showcases a bunch of jaw-dropping natural formations and modern man-made wonders – now enhanced with exceptional graphic improvements. With 94 custom crafted points of interest (POIs) and 16 new activities, there’s plenty to do Down Under. Additionally, Xbox ANZ have unveiled a limited-edition amenity kit, providing travellers with all the essentials they may need in flight and upon landing. Passengers can get their hands on one of the three bespoke amenities packs up for grabs by following the official Xbox ANZ Twitter ...

by Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator It has been an amazing journey since we launched Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC. The core flight simmer audience embraced the new experience immediately and with Xbox Game Pass for PC, a new audience of PC gamers was attracted who had previously never played a flight simulator before. In July 2021, we launched Microsoft Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X|S and welcomed millions of console players to the flight simulation experience. We introduced new features such as Discovery Flights, expanded tutorials, Flight Assistant, Map Labels, and Land Anywhere, that are aimed to assist newcomers to successfully enter the world of Microsoft Flight Simulator. This release brought numerous improvements to the sim including significant performance gains that benefitted the PC audience as well. And the launch was just the beginning. Throughout the past 14 months, we delivered major monthly updates: six World Updates and ...

by Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator Our vision is to continuously improve and expand Microsoft Flight Simulator on a regular basis. This month, the virtual world of Microsoft Flight Simulator is getting its next major update by focusing on the marvellous regions of Austria, Germany & Switzerland. Renowned for its glorious mountain ranges, ubiquitous castles and stunning vistas, this region comes to life with World Update VI. Our latest World Update contains new aerial imagery, high-resolution elevation maps and several brand-new 3D cities in Germany, Basel in Switzerland, Graz and Vienna in Austria. The update drastically enhances the visuals of these three countries and the beautiful mountain-ranges of the Alps. The team has also hand-crafted over 100 well-known locations (points of interest, or POIs) and several airports including Lübeck, Stuttgart, Klagenfurt and St. Gallen. The update also includes new discovery flights, landing challenges and bush trips that take simmers across this beautiful region of our ...

by Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator In a pivotal moment for the flight simmer community, today we are bringing Microsoft Flight Simulator to Xbox Series X|S giving aspiring pilots the chance to take flight for the first time on a console. From light planes to wide-body jets, you’ll test your piloting skills against the challenges of real-time weather including accurate wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, rain, and lightning – all in a dynamic and living world. With the power of satellite data from Bing Maps and cloud-based AI using Azure, you’ll travel the entire planet in amazing detail with over 37 thousand airports, 2 million cities, 1.5 billion buildings, real mountain ranges, roads, trees, rivers, animals, traffic, and more. Simmers can expect the same level of depth as the PC version, with the most authentic and realistic flight simulator we have ever created and available to the ...

Microsoft Flight Simulator will be opening the skies to millions of new pilots on Xbox Series X|S this Wednesday. To celebrate this momentous launch, Xbox has created a limited-edition range of carry-on luggage for those aspiring pilots to game on-the-go. Get ready to satisfy your wanderlust from the comfort of your own home and have the ultimate travel kit ready to take with you as soon as you can! At one time or another we’ve all wished we could simply pick up our gaming setup and take it somewhere with us. Now, in partnership with Australian luggage brand, July, your Xbox Series S can be transformed into the ultimate portable gaming hub. The exclusive range of suitcases include; an Xbox Series S, a monitor with a magnetised magic cover, international charging kits, and a cables bundle to power your console. Another room in your home, at your friend’s house, a hotel room, absolutely ...

by Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator In September, we shared our vision for continuously improving Microsoft Flight Simulator by bringing meaningful updates to the simulator on a regular basis. The virtual world in Microsoft’s Flight Simulator is getting its latest major update, one with a focus on Europe’s Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Renowned for its natural splendour and architectural wonder, this region has been rendered in its most realistic fidelity yet in World Update V: Nordics. Simmers can take to the northern European sky and explore vast fjords, riveting urban vistas, domineering peaks, and centuries-old iconic castles from within the cockpit. World Update V: Nordics includes improvements in detail of broad swaths of landscapes, enhancements to regional architecture, improved data for 100 airports and 78 carefully ...

by Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator Microsoft Flight Simulator is Microsoft’s longest running franchise with a history of 38 years, and we are proud to announce that the latest entry is the fastest to grow to over 2 million pilots. This was possible thanks to the incredible community of fans, real-world pilots, flight enthusiasts, and virtual travellers who have embraced the new simulation since its arrival on August 18 and made it the biggest game launch in Xbox Game Pass for PC history. On behalf of the entire team, a huge thank you to all the fans who have taken to the skies and are exploring our world while discovering the magic of flight with us. The community have piloted more than 50 million flights and have logged more than 3.5 billion miles flown to date – the equivalent of flying 19 times roundtrip from the Earth to ...

Microsoft Flight Simulator has a rich history as Microsoft’s longest running franchise, and we are proud to announce we are celebrating the simulator’s biggest launch in 38 years. Just over two weeks ago, Microsoft Flight Simulator launched. Thanks to the incredible support of our community of fans, pilots, flight enthusiasts and virtual travelers, we have had more than one million unique players take to the skies. Additionally, Microsoft Flight Simulator was the biggest game launch in Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta) history. On behalf of the entire team, we’d like to express our gratitude to all the fans who have begun to explore the world and the magic of flight with us. It’s been wonderful to see the reactions to Microsoft Flight Simulator from the community, who have flown more than 26 million flights and logged more than 1 billion miles flown to date – the equivalent of flying around ...