PMDG has just released its latest aircraft, the Boeing 777-200ER, for both Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024. This release brings not just a new aircraft, but also some news about improvements coming to the 777 series as a whole, as detailed in a recent forum post.
The PMDG 777-200ER
After the release of the highly anticipated 777F and 777-300ER, PMDG now brings us the shorter passenger variant of the 777. The aircraft features all of the expected high detail from PMDG, both inside and out. This means high-resolution PBR materials and textures for both the interior and exterior, as well as very high fidelity systems, including navigation, autopilot, electrical, hydraulic, and many more.
General Improvements
One complaint from many early buyers of the 777-300ER was with the sounds. In fact, you can read all about it in Patrik’s first impressions article. Robert Randazzo, CEO of PMDG, has assured simmers that their complaints have been heard. The new 777-200ER features new and greatly improved sounds for everything except the engines, as recordings for these are still being made.
This comes thanks to a new sound production team that has worked over the past year to take recordings of the real aircraft. Despite not being included in this wave of new sounds, the engines have still received attention, as Robert mentions that the existing engine sounds have been refined to improve them in the meantime. The new engine sounds will slowly be added to the aircraft in future updates over the coming months.
Apart from the sounds, the development team has also worked on further improving the aircraft’s simBrief integration. When importing flight data, users will now have the option to also load winds and forecasts. For weight and balance, a new weight and balance app in the EFB, which also features simBrief integration, shows many new details related to the aircraft’s load within the envelope; this performance data can then be sent to the FMC.
What’s Coming to PMDG’s Other Products
The forum post mentioned above also mentions some details about what’s coming to PMDG’s other aircraft, including the other 777s. For the 777F and 777-300ER, these aircraft are currently being converted to work in MSFS 2024, which, Robert states, will take some time. The DC-6 will receive an update for MSFS 2024 compatibility, which is about to enter beta testing, and the 737NG series is next to start work on its MSFS 2024 conversion.
Pricing and Where to Buy
The PMDG 777-200ER is available on PMDG’s store for $77.72 USD, and it is very likely also coming to the MSFS marketplaces very soon. Buyers will have to go through an installation process that’s a bit different from previous PMDG releases. Instead of downloading an installer, the aircraft will be installed directly from PMDG’s operations center. If you’re interested in more PMDG news, check out one of our previous development update articles here.
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