UPDATE [6/12/2022 @ 5:25 PM EST) — This expansion is indeed free. It was previously reported that its status was unknown, but Microsoft has since clarified this.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is Microsoft’s longest-running game series ever. With four decades of history under its wings, it’s only fitting that its legacy be celebrated by means of a cargo-sized update. Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition will take to the skies later this year, featuring all-new aircraft both large and small and the long-awaited arrival of helicopters and gliders.
The team over at Asobo Studios has been diligently working on improving the complexity of the sim’s mechanics over the last two years to properly prepare it to handle the arrival of these two new aircraft types.
Taking flight to heights both high and low
With this, players will now be able to ride the wind currents in serenity in an unpowered glider and hover mere feet above the ground of a remote in their helicopter of choice. This will add a whole new level of depth to the gameplay experience of Microsoft Flight Simulator, allowing players to explore its virtual rendition of planet Earth in new ways than before.
In addition to helicopters and gliders, aircraft from different time periods in flying history will also make their grand next-generation debut. This includes iconic birds such as the Airbus A310 and the legendary Wright Flyer; the first heavier-than-air vehicle that achieved sustained flight.
This expanded version of Microsoft Flight Simulator is preparing to take-off in November 2022. This is confirmed to be a fully free upgrade for all players.
With the hangar door for new aircraft types now opened up, no doubt we can now expect a deluge of such birds to enter production throughout various payware studios moving forward.
Leading up to the release of the 40th Anniversary Edition, Microsoft Flight Simulator will be outfitted with various updates throughout the rest of 2022.
