Flight Simulator 2024 Everything We Know So Far

Alright simmers, let’s go over everything we know about the upcoming Flight Simulator 2024

Flight Simulator 2024 Release Date

Although we don’t have any official answer other than the name itself being Flight Simulator 2024 – we try to speculate. I will say with the previous version of Flight Simulator last released in 2006 it’s rather hard to statistically work it out however let’s break it down. Microsoft announced at E3 in June 2019 that they had been making a new Flight Simulator called Microsoft Flight Simulator, it was then released in August of 2020. So just under a year from the announcement to the release date, Microsoft announced on their FAQ about Flight Simulator 2024 that they have over 500 developers actively working on the title as well.

check out one of my more recent articles covering it here as we’re slowly approaching the release

Flight Simulator 2024 Release Date

Now here is where it gets interesting Microsoft announced its next generation of Flight Simulator “Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024” on the 11th Of June 2023 – See where this is going!

Okay, so when will it come out? Well, it takes time to build one of the best simulation games but assuming a similar time frame one would say August 2024, however, I’m thinking we might see it sooner. They made a point to say over 500 people are actively working on the title, my guess is around April to June 2024.

What we know so far

• What is it? It’s the upcoming installment in the Microsoft Flight Simulator series.
• When will it be released? 2024 (My guess is April – June 2024)
• On which platforms can I experience it? Xbox Series X/S and PC & Xbox Cloud
• Who is developing it? Asobo Studio and published by Xbox Game Studios
• Is this a DLC or a Pack? No this is a completely standalone Simulator
• Is it backward compatible? With rare exceptions, almost all add-ons are compatible with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
• Will marketplace purchases carry across? Add-ons acquired through the in-simulator Marketplace in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will not require repurchase.
• How many people are making it? Over 500 developers across a wide range of teams

You can see the full list of the official FAQ Here

Career Mode

Get ready to soar to new heights in Flight Simulator 2024! While it’s not official just yet, all signs point to an exciting addition beyond the usual extras. Brace yourself for the anticipation of a career mode, a game-changer that promises to elevate your virtual flying experience.

Picture this: The trailer teases a captivating emphasis on missions and activities, hinting at the possibility of a groundbreaking career mode. Imagine kicking off your aviation journey as a novice student, embarking on thrilling tasks like crop dusting and air rescue missions. This isn’t just your typical virtual airline scenario – it’s an immersive experience seamlessly integrated into the core of the game.

Flight Simulator 2024 could be your ticket to a dynamic progression, starting from humble beginnings and working your way up to more challenging and prestigious assignments. Keep your eyes on the horizon for updates, as this potential career mode promises to redefine the way you navigate the virtual skies. Stay tuned for an adventure that takes flight simulation to unprecedented levels of excitement!

New Failure and Wear & Tear System

Your aircraft is about to tell a story of its own. Witness blown-out tires, and leaking engine fuel and oil, with captivating animations of dripping liquids. Maintenance becomes a crucial part of your journey as you step into the hangars to keep your flying machine in top-notch condition. This will undoubtedly link in with the failure system inside of the simulator, adding more to the realism of the simulator.

Personally, I’d hope to see an animated crew opening cowling doors on the engine and servicing your aircraft in real-time, only time will tell what this can truly entail. It’s something a lot of developers have added to their aircraft in recent times but yet something we’ve seen in a default simulator setting from Microsoft.

Deeper and wider avionics systems

Alright, buckle up fellow aviation enthusiasts because what I’m about to share has got me on the edge of my seat – and I bet it’ll have you reaching for the popcorn too! We’ve seen flight simulators work their magic with some impressive aircraft like the Fenix A320 and PMDG 737, tackling complex systems with finesse. But hold on to your aviator hat because there’s a missing piece in the puzzle.

Now, call me a dreamer, but could this be the subtle nod we’ve all been anxiously waiting for? We’ve flown the smaller birds, but when it comes to the heavyweights like the A350 and A380, Flight Simulator has left us wanting. But guess what? Rumor has it that developers are cooking up some serious add-ons for these mammoth Airbus beauties, and here’s the kicker – they might just spread their wings simultaneously with the grand release of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

Picture this: You, in the cockpit of an A380, cruising the virtual skies with every system humming in sweet harmony. It’s not just a flight; it’s a symphony of aviation perfection. The thrill of taking command of these giants might just become a reality sooner than we think.

Performance

Ah Yes, Microsoft Flight Simulator has always been notorious for being a monster of a game to run, for a good reason. With all the complex simulations going, rending all the scenery and traffic it can take a toll on your CPU, and from Flight Simulator 2020 we saw flight simmers stocking up on RAM too. Asobo knows the performance was less than ideal for Flight Simulator 2020 and in fairness, since its release it really is performing much better but not perfectly.

Roumers from the inside dev team that we can’t confirm – so I’ll say it’s speculation at the moment. Claim that Microsoft Flight Simulator is running some of its original code from 2008. Code from the original Flight Simulator X, while working with new and old code can and will cause bugs, and slow and unoptimized performance which is what we’re seeing.

This isn’t just any simulator; it’s the embodiment of excellence in gaming and performance. Packed with fresh code, cutting-edge technologies, and enhanced CPU multithreading, it’s set to redefine the benchmark for simulator games.

Load times

It doesn’t end there though, what about the wait times – Once you’ve got a few nice add-ons installed – the standard wait time to get into the simulator can be around 10-15 minutes. Elevating user experience takes center stage in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, with a key focus on optimizing data management. A significant architectural shift involves harnessing the power of Cloud streaming to create a lean client.

Picture this: When you launch into the simulator, only the essential textures, meshes, and map data are downloaded, eliminating needless bandwidth consumption and preserving valuable disk space. It’s not just a technical upgrade; it’s a strategic move towards a seamless, efficient, and immersive flying experience. Stay tuned for a simulator that not only soars through the virtual skies but also streamlines your journey with smart data management

Scenery and Terrain

We’re going to see a large chance with the Scenery and terrain that’s in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, although Microsoft Flight Simulator was amazing when it came out and it still is. There were plenty of bugs of large skyscrapers randomly in small towns or trees over runways – Smooth rock face mountains and small details that weren’t being rendered quite right in the simulator. From the FAQ Section of Flight Simulator 2024, we can see we’ll see an improvement in the following areas

• Static World
  • Improved ground details 
  • 3D tessellated ground materials 
  • Enhanced 3D trees with greatly increased diversity 
  • Improved cliffs 

Although it isn’t much to go off directly, if we look back at the trailer of Flight Simulator 2024 – we can start to paint a picture of what it’ll look like. With tree branches moving about from the helicopter hovering above them – to the detailed rocks as a helicopter rescues someone. We’ve got a lot to look forward to.

Traffic

One of the biggest downfalls of Microsoft Flight Simulator was its traffic, I liked Orbit and Pacific Airlines more from FSX than what we had with Microsoft Flight Simulator. Well gone are the blank hybrid-style aircraft and finally we’re going to see “Accurate live air traffic” which includes Models and liveries.

• Living World
  • Animal herds and migrations 
  • Worldwide live ship traffic 
  • Accurate live air traffic (models, liveries) 
  • Improved vehicle traffic 

Not only this but we’ll see hopefully better use of Animals – before we saw animals are more of what I thought was a cool trick. Now it seems like we might have some real use cases of animals – depending on seasons we might see certain animals near airfields. One thing I’m hoping for is Bird strikes, it’s a real issue and a common big one in aviation. We’ll also see improved Vehicle traffic, hopefully, we’ll see smooth turning, and maybe more emergency services at night with flashing lights.

Dynamic World

Finally for what I think was a big oversight on Asobo half – we’ll now have full seasons as well, not only that but we’ll get to experience the beautiful Aurora Borealis. Weather is also seeing a overhaul (So I suspect) but we’ll be seeing Tornados and larger storm cells now. We get a slight glisp of this during the trailer where a storm chasing DA40 has a glimbal mounted camera on the front of the aircraft.

Conclusion

Overall we’re freshly into 2024 and hopefully around the corner before we start getting some more official information from Asobo Studios. So far it’s looking like that Flight Simulator 2024 is going to be the best simulator game of the century. As we hear more and find out more about the game I’ll keep you updated as I dive deeper into the game