Microsoft Flight Simulator is only a few days away now. The game officially launches on August 18 via Steam and through the Windows Store. Xbox Game Pass members will also have day-one access on PC. Ahead of launch, Microsoft released a trailer detailing the planes and airports in the game, rendered in real time. It also showed the differences between each version of the game.
We’ve known for awhile that this is beautiful game, but the new Microsoft Flight Simulator trailer confirms it. Showing off highly detailed models rendered in real-time at 4K, the trailer shows that the 127 GB install size is worth it. It also shows just how expensive Microsoft Flight Simulator is.
The standard, $60 version of the game comes with 20 planes and 30 airports (you can find the detailed breakdown below). Deluxe is $30 more for five additional planes and airports, and Premium Deluxe is an additional $30 for five more planes and airports. Of course, marketplaces like ORBX will sell additional models, but Microsoft Flight Simulator has a built-in marketplace, too. If you’re a budding creator, Microsoft is even accepting applications for the program.
The game is also expensive from when it comes to computing resources. The ideal configuration is a second generation Ryzen 7 or ninth generation i7 paired with a RTX 2080 and 32GB of RAM. Microsoft also recommends a 50 Mbps download speed, as Microsoft Flight Simulator will stream in map data in real-time. According to Microsoft, you can get by with less — a Ryzen 3 with a GTX 770 being the minimum system specs — but the game clearly demands a hefty rig.
Planes, planes, and more planes
The standard version of Microsoft Flight Simulator includes a good mix of propeller, dual-propeller, and commercial aircraft, as well as some low-capacity jets. The only proper jet, the Cessna Citation Longitude, is reserved for the Premium Deluxe version. The airports are similarly well-dispersed, though the more expensive versions have a few more interesting locations. Of note, there’s the Cairo International Airport in Egypt and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands. You can find the full breakdown of available content below. It will help to set your expectations for when the game touches down next week.
