In their first developer stream of 2025, the team behind Microsoft Flight Simulator provided us simmers with an in-depth look at the progress of MSFS2024, and addressed community feedback, bug fixes, and upcoming updates. Hosted by Jayne, the Senior Community Manager, the stream featured the most important people from the development team, including Jorg Neumann (Head of MSFS), Sebastian Wloch (CEO of Asobo Studio), Martial Bossard (Executive Producer at Asobo), and Chris Burnett from Working Title. The team discussed the current state of the simulator after its rough takeoff and their flight plans for the journey ahead.
Launch Reflections and Lessons Learned
The team acknowledged the challenges faced during the launch of the new simulator, particularly issues with the Content Delivery Network (which brings the streamed content to our home cockpits) and a higher-than-expected number of bugs. Jorg Neumann proposed that the team had fixed over 32,000 bugs since launch, with thousands more being addressed in upcoming updates and fixes.
Key Updates and Fixes
The stream was heavily focused on addressing community feedback, with the team looking into specific issues and their solutions:
Memory and VRAM Optimization
The team is working on optimizing VRAM usage, particularly for users with lower-end hardware (Check out our ultimate simulator PC building guide!). Improvements to the rolling cache system are also in progress, which will help reduce streaming issues, especially for Xbox users.
VR Improvements
VR users can expect significant updates in Sim Update 2, which is going to fix some rendering issues, UI problems, and differences between the two eyes. The team is also exploring „quad views“ for VR headsets, though this feature is still in early development.
ATC Enhancements
The team is addressing regressions in ATC functionality compared to MSFS2020. Fixes for issues like pauses in frequency transmissions and unrealistic climb and descend calculations are planned for Sim Update 2. Long-term plans include adding more realism to ATC, such as better handling of airspace transitions and more detailed departure/arrival procedures.
Career Mode Updates
The development team of MSFS2024 is working hard to make all first-party aircraft compatible with career mode. They are also improving the mission filtering system, allowing players to find missions based on aircraft type.
New specializations and features for career mode are being considered, with input from real-world aviation organizations.
Marketplace and Add-ons
The Marketplace is undergoing significant updates to improve backward compatibility and streamline the process for developers to submit content. The team is aiming for a February 18th release, though this date may shift depending on testing results.
The eagerly awaited download feature for scenery and aircraft is also in development. This feature will allow users to store content locally and reduce streaming issues.
World Updates and Local Legends
The team is scaling back the frequency of World Updates and Local Legends aircraft releases to focus on quality and bug fixes. The next World Update, Brazil, is planned for March 11th.
The Cessna 185 Skywagon, a “make good” plane, will be released with Sim Update 1, while the CAP-4 aircraft will be released with the Brazil update.
Whats Next?
So what can we expect next? First of all, the Sim Update 1 is set to launch in mid-February with numerous bug fixes and the brand new Cessna 185 Skywagon – a six Cessna like we all love capable of carrying up to six passengers. Flight simmers will soon be able to explore a new part of the world with even more attention to detail with the release of the 19th World Update for Brazil.
The second Sim Update is already planned for the end of April, and its focus lies on the announced VR and Air Traffic Control improvements.
The team plans to hold another developer stream in early March to provide further updates and address additional community questions. For now, simmers can look forward to many improvements and new content in the coming months.
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