Microsoft Flight Simulator has been the best thing to push my computer further. This might seem odd for a game that focuses primarily on flying solo around empty skies, but Asobo's new version of the iconic franchise is technically innovative and ambitious. Asobo streams in precise city data and real-time weather effects to the screen. It's still a fun game, but Flight Simulator requires more from your CPU than most AAA games.
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The new version for Xbox Series consoles will be available on Game Pass tomorrow. In fact, it's the first Microsoft game for Xbox Series consoles that won't run natively on any Xbox One model at all, though an xCloud version is also coming to mobile and will eventually hit older Xbox consoles as well. As with my PC, I have been using a preview build from Microsoft on my Series X for a few weeks. It is the best workout I've seen so far.
Microsoft Flight Simulator offers players the opportunity to fly a variety aircraft around a beautiful rendered model of the planet. There have been some changes to the tutorials. The missions are shorter and should be easier to learn. Also, the commands have been made easy to use on the Xbox controller. Although the flight model can be made as complex as the PC version, there aren’t many Xbox-compatible flight sticks.
Flight Simulator runs at a 4K resolution with 30 frames per second. Overall, the Series X was more stable than my i5 6600K/GTX1080 rig five years ago, but it is less stable now. It is not perfect. You can see the frame rate drop to 30 in dense areas such as downtown Manhattan. The LG CX OLED TV is capable of variable refresh rates, so you won't feel tearing or stuttering if the frame rate fluctuates above or below 30.
The graphics settings are comparable to those you would get on a top-of-the-line gaming PC. You can see the game's stunning visuals from high up, but the effects of the ground are more noticeable. This is due to the way photogrammetry streaming technology works. If you fly fast into Manhattan or Shinjuku some skyscrapers might not be loaded in memory at once. There were also some amusing glitches, such as cars driving on the Thames in London rather than on the Tower Bridge.
My colleague Tom Warren spent time testing the Series S version. The results were impressive for a small $299 box. It runs at 1080p, with reduced graphics effects and draw distances. However, the game delivers a solid Flight Simulator experience, and it will be the most affordable.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is now much more advanced than its predecessor. "World updates" allow for further expansion of the photogrammetry data across the globe. The Xbox version also has all of this, with the latest Nordics update, which includes hand-rendered points of interest and airports across Scandinavia, Iceland and Finland. (It's also worth noting that the PC version is getting a further update this week that Microsoft promises should dramatically improve performance across the board -- stay tuned for how that works in practice.)
The Xbox version is a bit too similar to the PC version, sometimes with a clunky cursor-driven interface. It is a bit conspicuous that there is a graphic settings menu, where you can only turn HDR on or off. It's better not to do too much than to make too little: What matters is that you have a great flying experience with the hardware available.
As I have played Microsoft Flight Simulator with the Xbox Series X, it doesn't seem like Asobo has missed much. It's an amazing technical accomplishment, and it's well worth checking out on Game Pass tomorrow.
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