Microsoft Shares New Information Regarding Upcoming MSFS2024, Boeing 737 MAX Previewed
Microsoft/Asobo took to their blog page earlier today to share more information regarding their highly-anticipated Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (MSFS2024), a sequel to MSFS2020. Furthermore, a preview video of the default Boeing 737 MAX, which will be released alongside the sim, has also been shared. Starting today, the simulator platform is available to pre-order on PC (Windows 10/11 and Steam) and Xbox Series X|S.
Table of Contents
A New Website
Microsoft/Asobo has launched a new webpage revealing a whole bunch of information regarding MSFS2024. A summary of everything new that is coming with the simulator has been shared along with a bunch of screenshots and FAQs. Furthermore, pricing information and everything included in the standard, deluxe, premium deluxe, and aviator editions are also available on the page.
Furthermore, a new blog post shared by the Asobo team gives an in-depth look into what all is new with the latest installment in the Flight Simulator series.
Returning from FSX or Flight Simulator X is “Career Mode” where you can literally launch your career in the world of MSFS2024. You gain experience in flying and completing “missions”, build your reputation in your field, and complete certification courses to gain access to a range of “activities” such as Medevac, Remote Cargo Ops, Aerial Firefighting, Search & Rescue, and much more.
This new system will mimic the experience of real-world pilots in their journey from the start of their aviation careers. You can start your career anywhere in the world and your lessons will be at that location. The first job you get can also be anywhere in the world.
“You will start as a rookie pilot and meet a mentor who will explain to you how the career works and guide you through the very first steps in the career.” – David Dedeine, CCO Asobo Studio
New elements like pre-flight procedures, logging flight plans, and choosing from a vast list of objectives have been introduced. Career advancement is tracked through a certification tree where you can learn the ropes and earn the skills to fly various airplane types. You can even earn money to start your own business or “airline” so to speak and with your personally-owned aircraft, you will be responsible for everything, cost-wise, that can impact your aircraft’s warranty.
Challenge League and World Photographer
You can now complete certain challenges and compete against other “pilots” in the new Challenge League mode. Or you can expand your skillset in dozens of “Activities” ranging from Rally Races and Precision Landings to Low-Altitude challenges and more. With World Photographer you can travel across the planet and “visit” vistas, and famous landmarks, and record them in a logbook. You can even test your skills and creativity with unique photo challenges.
Improving the Earth
Massive new changes have been introduced to better capture the planet in the world of Microsoft Flight Simulator. The detail of the virtual environments has been increased by a factor of 4000. The ground will no longer just be a “smooth” field, it will now feature rocks, stones, gravel, grass, etc. in 3D and will interact with your aircraft and affect landings and take-offs. Sky and atmospheric lighting have also been tweaked to better capture accurate temperatures for all light sources.
New cirrus cloud types have also been introduced to MSFS2024 and will now accurately simulate the highest levels of the Earth’s atmosphere. Dynamic weather has also been improved; density has been increased to make storms and other weather effects more realistic. There is also real-time ship tracking and you will see cargo ships move across the world as you would in real life. The team also worked with partners such as Frontier (creators of Zoo Tycoon and Planet Zoo) to introduce many wildlife species that bring the world to life.
Less Space
The team has also planned another big area of improvement which is the installation size. Despite streaming the majority of the world from the cloud, MSFS2020 has installation sizes easily reaching 1TB or more. Using the latest Cloud Streaming technology, installation sizes have shrunk down to almost 30GB in MSFS2024. It streams the higher detailed areas of your flight path as you go along.
It will be highly optimized for a player’s experience. If you fly over a large international airport, the highest quality version won’t be needed and hence won’t be downloaded. Only a low-to-medium quality mesh will be downloaded and the highest quality will be streamed if and when you are closer.
MSFS2024 will also feature a “soft-body” simulation for hot-air balloons. These balloons will be simulated across 6,400 surfaces for realistic interactions with heat density. When the heater goes on, the air heats up inflating the massive balloon. Banners are also simulated and will flap in the wind. Parachutes are also featured and the Cirrus Vision Jet will have a parachute system that can be deployed when needed.
It’s in the details
MSFS2024 will launch with a huge list of diverse aircraft. The aircraft won’t just look good but will also feature excellent care and attention to various systems. You will be able to go through an entire pre-flight procedure (planning, briefing, weather reports) and then execute all that “on some of the most detailed cockpits and avionics systems that we’ve ever seen in a flight simulator”.
The 737 MAX 8 avionics package will be one of those along with the 787/747 that we already have. Another exciting addition is the 747-400LCF or Dreamlifter that Boeing developed to aid the manufacturing process of the Dreamliner. Working Title’s co-founder, Christopher Burnett, also states that they partnered with Boeing to accurately recreate the aircraft and the B744’s avionics.
The new flight planning tool in MSFS2024 will support flight plans and briefing from small VFR paths up to larger, more complicated flights. You can even use all the tools that airline dispatchers use for their long commercial flights.
Boeing 737 MAX Previews
A preview video of MSFS2024, most likely in its beta stage, has been shared on the YouTube channel XP72. The video details the start page, selecting an aircraft, selecting a spawn location, the new walkaround mode, the new ATC interface, and lots more so let’s get right into it.
The video starts with XP72 on the home page of the new sim which in itself has been redesigned and is more simplified in my opinion but also has more options to choose from right from the get-go. The different modes seen are the “World Photographer” mode, “Activities” mode, “Career” mode, “Challenge League”, “Free Flight” which is currently “World Map” mode in MSFS2020, and of course the in-sim Marketplace.
Selecting “Free Flight” brings us to the world map which is very similar to what we have currently but simplified quite a bit. The coloring is also much different. The user then quickly jumps to a 737 search query and the 737 MAX is selected. XP72 then quickly spawns into his airport of choice and we see a new loading animation into the airport. Whether it was edited or not, the sim seemed to load up quite quickly.
We quickly jump into the new walkaround mode going around the aircraft carrying out checks and inspections and removing the pitot, engine, and other covers off the aircraft. The modeling and texturing aspects of the 737 seem to be done very well. XP72 says in the video we can expect quality similar to that of the current iniBuilds A320neo V2 we currently have.
XP72 then jumps into the cockpit to perform a cold and dark startup of the MAX 8 and perform a flight. He also mentions that Microsoft has invited several streamers to take a look at the full MSFS2024 game which is currently in the beta state. A future video will be posted with more details surrounding the entire game.
Most switches needed for getting from A to B are functional in the aircraft. He performs a yoke check and we can see that the animations for the flight controls are quite smooth. The FMC seems to be quite accurate to Boeing aircraft, although XP72 did encounter a bug where he just couldn’t enter the departure procedure. The landing gear bays have been modeled, as has the entirety of the airplane been modeled to a great level of detail.
The flight model in the new MSFS2024 has been entirely updated and is completely different from what we are used to. XP72 says that the rudder handling and ground feel are very different on the take-off roll and pulling back on the yoke, he could instantly feel a huge difference. Upon asking Asobo, they said that the flight model has been built from the ground up. The clouds, ground textures, and lighting have also been changed and improved from the previous installment.
XP72 then comes around for a landing into the KFLL (Fort Lauderdale Airport) and mentions that the ground effect is quite different and the twitchiness you feel with the pitch is now gone. It is much smoother now. Furthermore, he also mentioned that MSFS2020 planes will be compatible with MSFS2024 but developers of the products, especially aircraft devs will need to take advantage of the latest changes with substantial updates.
Microsoft also announced that starting today pre-orders for the latest simulator are now available. As was the case with MSFS2020, MSFS2024 will also launch in a variety of editions and on PC Game Pass. All pre-orders will receive the De Havilland Canada CL-415 firefighting aircraft to use instantly in MSFS2020 (it will of course also be available in MSFS2024).
The Standard Edition is priced at EUR80 and will feature 70 aircraft including the Boeing 737 MAX 8, Airbus A330, Airbus A330-743L Beluga XL, Airship Industries Skyship 600, Airbus A400M Atlas, and the FlyDoo Hot Air Balloon. The Deluxe Edition is priced at EUR110 and will feature 80 aircraft and 155 airports, and the Premium Deluxe Edition is priced at EUR140 which will have 95 aircraft.
There is also a new Aviator Edition which will have everything included in the Premium Deluxe Edition along with the 30 planes that have been released in the MSFS Marketplace which is now a total of 125 aircraft. This edition is priced at EUR220.
MSFS2024 is shaping up to be an amazing simulator and a worthy next installment in the fan-favorite Flight Simulator series from Microsoft. Mr. Neumann explains that all the new changes were the result of carefully listening to community feedback and wishes. The passionate community of MSFS was embraced and became the guiding principle in the creation of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
“We are making this new simulator for the community, and we are working directly with the community and it is through this fantastic collaboration that MSFS 2024 is able to take flight simulation to the next level,” Neumann shares.
With all the new flight model enhancements, much smaller installation size, the multitude of high-quality default aircraft, innovative new Career System, unique new modes, activities, and challenges, we are quite excited to try out the new MSFS2024 when it launches on November 19, 2024. Exactly 60 days from the time of writing.
Microsoft/Asobo took to their blog page earlier today to share more information regarding their highly-anticipated Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (MSFS2024), a sequel to MSFS2020. Furthermore, a preview video of the default Boeing 737 MAX, which will be released alongside the sim, has also been shared. Starting today, the simulator platform is available to pre-order on PC (Windows 10/11 and Steam) and Xbox Series X|S.
Table of Contents
A New Website
Microsoft/Asobo has launched a new webpage revealing a whole bunch of information regarding MSFS2024. A summary of everything new that is coming with the simulator has been shared along with a bunch of screenshots and FAQs. Furthermore, pricing information and everything included in the standard, deluxe, premium deluxe, and aviator editions are also available on the page.
Furthermore, a new blog post shared by the Asobo team gives an in-depth look into what all is new with the latest installment in the Flight Simulator series.
Returning from FSX or Flight Simulator X is “Career Mode” where you can literally launch your career in the world of MSFS2024. You gain experience in flying and completing “missions”, build your reputation in your field, and complete certification courses to gain access to a range of “activities” such as Medevac, Remote Cargo Ops, Aerial Firefighting, Search & Rescue, and much more.
This new system will mimic the experience of real-world pilots in their journey from the start of their aviation careers. You can start your career anywhere in the world and your lessons will be at that location. The first job you get can also be anywhere in the world.
“You will start as a rookie pilot and meet a mentor who will explain to you how the career works and guide you through the very first steps in the career.” – David Dedeine, CCO Asobo Studio
New elements like pre-flight procedures, logging flight plans, and choosing from a vast list of objectives have been introduced. Career advancement is tracked through a certification tree where you can learn the ropes and earn the skills to fly various airplane types. You can even earn money to start your own business or “airline” so to speak and with your personally-owned aircraft, you will be responsible for everything, cost-wise, that can impact your aircraft’s warranty.
Challenge League and World Photographer
You can now complete certain challenges and compete against other “pilots” in the new Challenge League mode. Or you can expand your skillset in dozens of “Activities” ranging from Rally Races and Precision Landings to Low-Altitude challenges and more. With World Photographer you can travel across the planet and “visit” vistas, and famous landmarks, and record them in a logbook. You can even test your skills and creativity with unique photo challenges.
Improving the Earth
Massive new changes have been introduced to better capture the planet in the world of Microsoft Flight Simulator. The detail of the virtual environments has been increased by a factor of 4000. The ground will no longer just be a “smooth” field, it will now feature rocks, stones, gravel, grass, etc. in 3D and will interact with your aircraft and affect landings and take-offs. Sky and atmospheric lighting have also been tweaked to better capture accurate temperatures for all light sources.
New cirrus cloud types have also been introduced to MSFS2024 and will now accurately simulate the highest levels of the Earth’s atmosphere. Dynamic weather has also been improved; density has been increased to make storms and other weather effects more realistic. There is also real-time ship tracking and you will see cargo ships move across the world as you would in real life. The team also worked with partners such as Frontier (creators of Zoo Tycoon and Planet Zoo) to introduce many wildlife species that bring the world to life.
Less Space
The team has also planned another big area of improvement which is the installation size. Despite streaming the majority of the world from the cloud, MSFS2020 has installation sizes easily reaching 1TB or more. Using the latest Cloud Streaming technology, installation sizes have shrunk down to almost 30GB in MSFS2024. It streams the higher detailed areas of your flight path as you go along.
It will be highly optimized for a player’s experience. If you fly over a large international airport, the highest quality version won’t be needed and hence won’t be downloaded. Only a low-to-medium quality mesh will be downloaded and the highest quality will be streamed if and when you are closer.
MSFS2024 will also feature a “soft-body” simulation for hot-air balloons. These balloons will be simulated across 6,400 surfaces for realistic interactions with heat density. When the heater goes on, the air heats up inflating the massive balloon. Banners are also simulated and will flap in the wind. Parachutes are also featured and the Cirrus Vision Jet will have a parachute system that can be deployed when needed.
It’s in the details
MSFS2024 will launch with a huge list of diverse aircraft. The aircraft won’t just look good but will also feature excellent care and attention to various systems. You will be able to go through an entire pre-flight procedure (planning, briefing, weather reports) and then execute all that “on some of the most detailed cockpits and avionics systems that we’ve ever seen in a flight simulator”.
The 737 MAX 8 avionics package will be one of those along with the 787/747 that we already have. Another exciting addition is the 747-400LCF or Dreamlifter that Boeing developed to aid the manufacturing process of the Dreamliner. Working Title’s co-founder, Christopher Burnett, also states that they partnered with Boeing to accurately recreate the aircraft and the B744’s avionics.
The new flight planning tool in MSFS2024 will support flight plans and briefing from small VFR paths up to larger, more complicated flights. You can even use all the tools that airline dispatchers use for their long commercial flights.
Boeing 737 MAX Previews
A preview video of MSFS2024, most likely in its beta stage, has been shared on the YouTube channel XP72. The video details the start page, selecting an aircraft, selecting a spawn location, the new walkaround mode, the new ATC interface, and lots more so let’s get right into it.
The video starts with XP72 on the home page of the new sim which in itself has been redesigned and is more simplified in my opinion but also has more options to choose from right from the get-go. The different modes seen are the “World Photographer” mode, “Activities” mode, “Career” mode, “Challenge League”, “Free Flight” which is currently “World Map” mode in MSFS2020, and of course the in-sim Marketplace.
Selecting “Free Flight” brings us to the world map which is very similar to what we have currently but simplified quite a bit. The coloring is also much different. The user then quickly jumps to a 737 search query and the 737 MAX is selected. XP72 then quickly spawns into his airport of choice and we see a new loading animation into the airport. Whether it was edited or not, the sim seemed to load up quite quickly.
We quickly jump into the new walkaround mode going around the aircraft carrying out checks and inspections and removing the pitot, engine, and other covers off the aircraft. The modeling and texturing aspects of the 737 seem to be done very well. XP72 says in the video we can expect quality similar to that of the current iniBuilds A320neo V2 we currently have.
XP72 then jumps into the cockpit to perform a cold and dark startup of the MAX 8 and perform a flight. He also mentions that Microsoft has invited several streamers to take a look at the full MSFS2024 game which is currently in the beta state. A future video will be posted with more details surrounding the entire game.
Most switches needed for getting from A to B are functional in the aircraft. He performs a yoke check and we can see that the animations for the flight controls are quite smooth. The FMC seems to be quite accurate to Boeing aircraft, although XP72 did encounter a bug where he just couldn’t enter the departure procedure. The landing gear bays have been modeled, as has the entirety of the airplane been modeled to a great level of detail.
The flight model in the new MSFS2024 has been entirely updated and is completely different from what we are used to. XP72 says that the rudder handling and ground feel are very different on the take-off roll and pulling back on the yoke, he could instantly feel a huge difference. Upon asking Asobo, they said that the flight model has been built from the ground up. The clouds, ground textures, and lighting have also been changed and improved from the previous installment.
XP72 then comes around for a landing into the KFLL (Fort Lauderdale Airport) and mentions that the ground effect is quite different and the twitchiness you feel with the pitch is now gone. It is much smoother now. Furthermore, he also mentioned that MSFS2020 planes will be compatible with MSFS2024 but developers of the products, especially aircraft devs will need to take advantage of the latest changes with substantial updates.
Microsoft also announced that starting today pre-orders for the latest simulator are now available. As was the case with MSFS2020, MSFS2024 will also launch in a variety of editions and on PC Game Pass. All pre-orders will receive the De Havilland Canada CL-415 firefighting aircraft to use instantly in MSFS2020 (it will of course also be available in MSFS2024).
The Standard Edition is priced at EUR80 and will feature 70 aircraft including the Boeing 737 MAX 8, Airbus A330, Airbus A330-743L Beluga XL, Airship Industries Skyship 600, Airbus A400M Atlas, and the FlyDoo Hot Air Balloon. The Deluxe Edition is priced at EUR110 and will feature 80 aircraft and 155 airports, and the Premium Deluxe Edition is priced at EUR140 which will have 95 aircraft.
There is also a new Aviator Edition which will have everything included in the Premium Deluxe Edition along with the 30 planes that have been released in the MSFS Marketplace which is now a total of 125 aircraft. This edition is priced at EUR220.
MSFS2024 is shaping up to be an amazing simulator and a worthy next installment in the fan-favorite Flight Simulator series from Microsoft. Mr. Neumann explains that all the new changes were the result of carefully listening to community feedback and wishes. The passionate community of MSFS was embraced and became the guiding principle in the creation of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
“We are making this new simulator for the community, and we are working directly with the community and it is through this fantastic collaboration that MSFS 2024 is able to take flight simulation to the next level,” Neumann shares.
With all the new flight model enhancements, much smaller installation size, the multitude of high-quality default aircraft, innovative new Career System, unique new modes, activities, and challenges, we are quite excited to try out the new MSFS2024 when it launches on November 19, 2024. Exactly 60 days from the time of writing.
