At The Game Awards 2020, after winning the award for Best Sim/Strategy game, Microsoft formally confirmed that its ambitious, next-gen sim, Microsoft Flight Simulator would release on Xbox Series X|S in 2021. This news is exciting for Xbox fans, but it’s also good news for those of us playing the sim on PC. That’s because it also marks the beginning of a new chapter for the PC version of Microsoft Flight Simulator: running with DirectX 12 support.
Asobo Studios, the developers behind Microsoft Flight Simulator, confirmed a while ago that DirectX 12 support for Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC would only come when the Xbox version of the sim was ready. Now that we know console players will gain access in summer 2021, you can mark your calendars for that much-anticipated upgrade.
Microsoft Flight Simulator made the rounds across the net this year, not just because of its status as a major release, but also because it quickly made a name for itself as a notoriously demanding game to run on anything less than mid-spec hardware. While Asobo has made several improvements to the game’s performance with various patches since launch (and continues to do so), the real gains are expected to come when DirectX 12 is fully implemented.
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Series business
Initially, Microsoft Flight Simulator was revealed as a release for both PC and Xbox One consoles. However, Asobo has opted to focus exclusively on the new Series consoles. Again, considering how demanding the PC version is, this isn’t a surprise. That said, take into consideration that this is coming to Xbox Series S, a system with notably less horsepower than something like a PS5 or Xbox Series X, and is focused primarily on 1080p gaming. If Asobo can successfully get that version to run, then DirectX 12 support for PC should be very exciting.
Microsoft Flight Simulator will swoop onto Xbox Series X|S in summer 2021, alongside the DirectX 12 upgrade for PC.
