Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is shaping up to be a groundbreaking experience, with developer Asobo Studio introducing exciting new features that significantly enhance the game’s realism and interactivity.
One of the most notable additions is the ability for players to exit their planes and explore the world on foot, allowing for a more immersive experience as they stroll through the countryside, walk mountain paths, or watch sunsets in the game’s stunningly detailed recreation of Earth.
Jorge Neumann, the head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, highlighted the significant improvements made to the digital Earth in this new installment. The game now includes enhanced visuals for every airport, additional glider airports, and even detailed simulations of every oil rig and lighthouse globally.
The team has also introduced “hundreds of species of animals” and is simulating every ship on Earth using their transponder signals, adding to the game’s realism. Neumann emphasized that this level of detail marks a new era in gaming, where scale and complexity are being pushed to unprecedented levels.
Another remarkable feature is the game’s capacity to simulate every tree on Earth, using machine learning to accurately identify and plant trillions of trees in real-time. This technological advancement ensures that the virtual environment closely mirrors the real world, down to the species of trees in specific locations.
This attention to detail further enhances the game’s goal of creating a “digital twin” of Earth that players can explore both from the sky and on the ground.
A significant improvement in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is its storage efficiency. Unlike its predecessor, which required a hefty 130 GB for the initial install and up to 500 GB after updates, the new game adopts a thin client architecture that significantly reduces its storage footprint.
Neumann mentioned that the game’s size would be around 50 GB or less, thanks to cloud-based data offloading, while still offering more content and data than before.
Lastly, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 promises a staggering array of activities beyond traditional flying, including aerial firefighting, search and rescue, cargo transport, scientific research, and even hot air balloon trips.
These diverse missions, combined with the extensive selection of planes and other aircraft, ensure that the game will offer a rich and varied experience when it launches on PC and Xbox Series X/S on November 19th, 2024. Players are encouraged to start planning their virtual adventures in anticipation of this highly detailed and expansive simulation.
