June 25, 2024
By Thilo Baer / pcgameshardware.de
Microsoft and Asobo revealed technical details for Flight Simulator 2024 at FlightSimExpo 2024.
It has been known for some time that the Flight Simulator development team will use this year's FlightSimExpo event to deliver the 2024 version. The developers showed off the game's impressive technology through a live stream.
Full 3D world
Microsoft said that all versions of Flight Simulator to date currently include 15 million pilots. There's also good news for them: MSFS2020 will continue to be supported until 2028. However, the focus is of course on its successor, MSFS2024. The goal here is to more accurately represent the real world in the game.
Already at the time of the announcement, ambitious plans were being formulated and the general public was promised “the most ambitious flight simulator ever”. 800 developers are working on creating a “full 3D scene” for Flight Simulator 2024, using Azure AI to create detailed environments with trees, rocks and grass. In MSFS 2020, this problem is still solved using “2D ground textures”. The game world's procedurally generated vegetation spans 30 different biomes.
Ray tracing and more
Real-time ray tracing has become a reality in Flight Simulator, resulting in improved lighting and shadow effects. Ground shadows in particular should be more realistic than in MSFS 2020. Through the new cloud engine, cirrus clouds, i.e. clouds made of ice crystals, can also be simulated at high altitudes. In addition to the changing seasons, the game will also feature the Northern Lights. Dynamic interactions with environmental elements such as grass, plants and water make gameplay more intense.
The physics simulation is also improving. Vegetation is affected by planes, and more emphasis is placed on crafting different textures to make things like balloons feel more realistic to players. Among the changes to gameplay is walking, i.e. the ability to walk around outside the plane. The extended route planner allows you to create a detailed itinerary. What's new is the simulation of global ship traffic and the integration of all oil platforms with helicopter platforms and all sailing airfields. MSFS will also have 500,000 “tall obstacles” in 2024, including antennas, towers, turbines, masts and cooling towers.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is scheduled to release on November 19 for PC and Xbox Series S/X.
(This article originally appeared on the German website pcgameshardware.de.)
