Microsoft’s longest running franchise made its big return last summer when it established itself as a tech juggernaut on PC. It was so jaw-dropping it wasn’t clear if it could even make a safe landing on console. Thankfully, while it’s missing on Xbox One, Microsoft Flight Simulator has finally dropped the landing gear and navigated to Xbox Series X|S as one of the few next-gen exclusives since the new consoles launched.
Microsoft Flight Simulator’s standard edition is available for £59.99 on the Xbox Store or available as part of your Xbox Game Pass subscription. The Deluxe edition of the game is available for £79.99 and includes additional aircraft and enhanced airports in Spain, the USA and other countries. The Premium Deluxe edition is available for £109.99 and includes even more aircraft and enhanced airports around the world. Each edition is available to purchase at a discount if you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber.
In times where global travel isn’t possible Microsoft Flight Simulator allows players to travel anywhere across the world. The game takes advantage of Microsoft’s Bing satellites to recreate and stream the entire globe into the game. This revolutionary tech means you can take a flight anywhere, from the sublime sights of nature, to the never-ending buildings of cities, to your very own house.
Asobo Studio’s world-class tech doesn’t just recreate our planet on a macro level, the game is also dedicated to recreating the granular, micro details that make our globe what it is. The team have gone in and redesigned several airports by hand to recreate them as accurately as possible. Cockpits and wildlife have also been handcrafted for maximum immersion.
The simulation also includes some highly impressive weather effects, even going so far as mirroring real life weather patterns. If there’s a storm in real life, you can go to visit it. A beautiful day/night cycle is also present. But if you want to cater your flight a little more, you can turn on settings to give yourself the weather and aesthetics that suits the mood.
If you’re not a proficient flyer and just want a laid-back wander to the world’s most beautiful places, Flight Simulator includes difficulty options to reduce any nuances or complex controls that come with a hardcore simulation like this.
Microsoft Flight Simulator received widespread critical acclaim when it launched last year. It received a 91 on Metacritic, a review aggregate site. You can look forward to our thoughts of the game in our upcoming review, where we’ll delve into the game running on Xbox Series X|S consoles.
Game Description:
Microsoft Flight Simulator is the next generation of one of the most beloved simulation franchises. From light planes to wide-body jets, fly highly detailed and stunning aircraft in an incredibly realistic world. Create your flight plan and fly anywhere on the planet. Enjoy flying day or night and face realistic, challenging weather conditions.
