Following the Sim Update 1 released a few days ago, the Microsoft Flight Simulator team has just made the Marketplace available for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Additionally, World Update XIX, which aims to enhance the South American countries of Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, is now available for MSFS 2020 & 2024.
My Library Tags
The long-awaited release of the in-sim Marketplace is finally over. Thousands of items from the MSFS 2020 Marketplace are now available in Asobo’s latest simulator, however, many are not “Enabled” by default. Considering the concerns many developers had about their products, the MSFS team has created three different tags that indicate the state of the content shown in “My Library:”
- Not Creator Approved indicates that either:
- The creator tested the content and the item is currently incompatible
- The creator has not yet told the MSFS team whether the content is compatible or not
- Not Available:
- Indicates that the content is owned in MSFS 2020, but it has not been successfully ported to MSFS 2024, and therefore, the product is not available for use
- No Tag:
- Indicates that the creator has confirmed that the item is compatible with MSFS 2024, and therefore, the product is available for use
New In-Sim Currency
“Simverse Coins” was the name chosen by the developers for the new in-sim currency available after this update. Simverse Coins can be used to acquire content in the in-sim Marketplace, and they can be bought either directly in the Marketplace or at select retailers (Simverse Coins purchased at retail will not work for Steam players). Players can choose whether to see prices in Simverse Coins or local currency.
Marketplace Content Tags
Content that has been originally made for MSFS 2020 and has been confirmed by the creator that it works in MSFS 2024 will include an MSFS 2020 logo in the thumbnail image, which allows the player to see that it is not natively made for MSFS 2024.
On the other side, products that have been upgraded for MSFS 2024 by their respective developers will have an “upgraded” tag in the thumbnail. Their respective developers can choose either to provide the upgraded products for free or charge an upgrade price for those who already own the product in MSFS 2020.
In terms of rentals and gifting, the Marketplace does not include gifting or rentals yet. The team wants to make sure the experiences work as expected before enabling those features. These features are expected to be enabled when Sim Update 2 is launched later in April.
World Update XIX for MSFS 2020 & 2024
This long-awaited world update aims to enhance much of the vast Amazon Basin, Caribbean and Atlantic coastlines, and modern cities found in Brazil and its northern bordering countries of Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The Microsoft Flight Simulator team invites flight simmers to explore these diverse regions, reproduced in “exquisite detail” in this world update.
Partnered with Bing Maps, Maxar, and Vexcel to create this update, Microsoft Flight Simulator now features sights ranging from vast dune fields to busy city areas. Various types of recent geospatial data, including aerial photographs, satellite imagery, DEM (digital elevation model) data, and DTM (digital terrain model) data were used to realistically reproduce what South America has to offer.
New Points of Interest & Airports
The latest World Update captures 75 points of interest, such as Fort Diamant in French Guiana, Monte Roraima in Guyana and Brazil, Fort Zeelandia in Suriname, and Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. It also includes four cities in Brazil: Brasilia, Ouro Preto, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo.
Additionally, Gaya Simulations, a MSFS partner, has hand-crafted seven airports, including Brazil’s Foz do Iguacu International Airport (SBFI), Fernando de Noronha Airport (SBFN), Santos Dumont (SBRJ) and Santarem-Maestro Wilson Fonseca International Airport (SBSN); Guyana’s Kaieteur International Airport (SYKA), Suriname’s Zorg en Hoop Airport (SMZO), and French Guiana’s Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni Airport (SOOM).
New Discovery Flights & Challenges
- Three Discovery Flights are now available including northern Brazil’s Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname, and Brazil’s São Paulo.
- Three Landing Challenges are included, one of them at Brazil’s Santos Dumont Airport (SBRJ) with its short runway, another at Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha Airport (SBFN) in a strong wind challenge, and finally the last one at Brazil’s São Paulo–Congonhas Airport (SBSP) located in the heart of the São Paulo metropolis.
- Three Bush Trips were introduced: “Amazon Tour,” which explores the Amazon River from the depths of the Amazon Rainforest to its delta; “Discover Brazil,” which traces a route inland of São Paulo to Brazil’s capital, Brasília; and “Guyana – Suriname – French Guiana,” which explores seldomvisited regions of South America, from highlands to the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean coasts.
New Brazil-Based Content for MSFS2024
Starting on March 17th, the simulator will introduce a helicopter landing challenge at Mirante Dona Marta and a rally race in an F/A-18, both granting a spectacular view of Rio de Janeiro. Furthermore, a low-altitude challenge in an L-39 through the Serra do Corvo Branco, a rugged mountain range in southern Brazil, will be introduced.
Closing Notes
The Microsoft Flight Simulator team encourages their players to check the new update out, ensuring that their simulator is updated to the latest version. The World Update XIX is available for free. Flight simmers are encouraged to submit their Marketplace feedback here. If you would like to read about Sim Update 1, which was released a few days ago, do not hesitate to check out our article.
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