Microsoft Flight Simulator: Update brings discovery flights and more

With the publication of the Microsoft Flight Simulator is also a 27.6 GB update on Xbox Series X / S and PC landed. The new functions, the gaming experience should make more accessible.

• Discovery flights, location labels for better orientation (POI)
• Anti-stable and auto-trim wizards
• Flight wizard toolbar during the flight that allows you to quickly create a flight plan to reach nearby airports and pois
• Updated cockpit interaction model with informative tooltips
• Additional chassis types to land everywhere
• Improved training flights
• Cross-play and cross-save between PC and console

Performance

This update contains significant performance improvements to make the gaming experience even more smoother.

• Improved multi-core support for the CPU
• Better use of memory and GPU
• Faster charging times
• Ruckler were significantly reduced

Discovery flights

Discovery flights were originally inspired by those who wanted to fly in one of the trailers. Discovery flights bring players to the most beautiful places in the world, including impressive places like the great pyramids or the Mount Everest or pulsating cities such as Naples or Rio de Janeiro, and in optimal weather conditions, so that you can fly in peace and view the sights. Using the Activity tab in the pause menu you can quickly switch between the places. Two additional discovering flights are included in all world updates available for free on the marketplace in the game.

Improvements in the World Heritage

The world map now also contains satellite images, map labels and the names of the most important special objectives to make the exploration of the world (and even finding your own home) as easy as possible. This feature has been extended to the flight experience itself, and players can now activate the POI labels during a flight so that they can understand the spatial relationships between cities, mountains and other landmarks. In the "Assistances" menu, there is a new area where the captions for all POIs displayed on the screen or only for the POI, show the camera with the camera.

Activities updates

Land challenges are now graduated. Do not forget to download the world updates on the marketplace that contain additional land challenges and bush trips.

Training flights

The training flights were revised to make them easier to digest. Each of the 22 flights focuses on a specific topic, starting with basic handling, landing and start, VFR navigation to learning flying a commercial aircraft such as the Airbus 320Neo. The training flights are provided with context-related voice output, evaluation and a note to give feedback and advice for learning progress.

Flight wizard / new assistant

The flight assistant is a new UI panel that is available via the toolbar in free flight and discovery flights. It makes it possible to quickly get KI help during the flight:

• Select nearby Pois or airports and set them as a destination to get directions.
• The Ki is up to the control so that you are flying to the selected destination.
• When players use an Xbox controller, you can temporarily enable KI flight control when switching the "Cursor mode" on the screen (see below) to interact with menus or cockpit instruments.
• Players can delegate radio traffic to the Ki so they can interact with the air traffic control.
• Players can quickly activate auto trim and anti-stable help.

GAMEPAD navigation / cursor

If players use an Xbox controller, you can use the left stick to control a cursor on the screen to navigate through the menus, world map and cockpits. To access the cursor control during the flight, click on the left stick button on the controller to switch from the flight control to the "Cursor mode". An extended area around the cursor is used to select the interactive element that is closest to the cursor center, which is revealed and easier to use. With the right stick you can scroll through the pages and quickly switch the options. The cursor parameters are available in the Options / General Options / Accessibility menu.

Cockpit interactions

The new interaction system "Lock" has been added:

• By default, but can be reset to "Legacy" under Options / General Options / Accessibility.
• Tooltips now display the instrument name, instrument values, and controls (dynamically, depending on the device used).
• With the cursor or middle pointer of the camera, players can mark any interactive cockpit instrument.

As soon as it is highlighted, players can interact with the instrument:

• If it is a simple instrument (buttons, switch with 2 positions), you can operate it by tapping the Xbox Controller A or the left mouse button. If it is a complex instrument (buttons, levers ...), you can activate it by tapping Xbox Controller A or holding the left mouse button.

Once an instrument has been selected:

• Primary (Xbox Controller A / Left Mouse Button), Secondary (Xbox Controller X / Right Mouse Button) or Tertiary (Xbox Controller Y / Middle Mouse Button) use interactions.
• Increase / reduce the instrument (Xbox Controller LT / RT or Mouse Wheel).
• Use the gestures (left stick of the Xbox controller or mouse movements).
• Unlocking the instrument (Xbox Controller B or release the left mouse button).

Accessibility / ScreenReader

The menus of the Microsoft Flight Simulator have added a text-to-speech function (first only in English). This feature can be called up during the onboarding process for new users or activated via Options / General Options / Accessibility for Existing Users. This feature is still in development and does not cover all screens or options yet, but it should allow users to navigate to the most important menu screens required for the start of a flight. Microsoft is actively involved in making the narrator more comprehensively, and intends to add additional functions in future updates.

Liverien

Two new Livery sets are available Aviator Club Xbox and Livery 01.

KNOWN PROBLEMS

Complete list of the current known problems.