Microsoft Flight Simulator is getting DirectX 12 support and its first official military jet
The Game of the Year Edition is coming in November, and will be free for existing owners.
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Microsoft Flight Simulatoris pretty great. “A seismic moment for PC gaming,” we said in our89% review, that’s both “a simulator for people interested in flight, and a magical virtual tourism portal for people interested in peering into the Mir Mine in a prop they’re controlling with a pad.” That’s an important point: “Serious” flight sims are great if that’s your thing, but they’re often about as accessible as The Iliad—not a great thing when all you really want to do isbash around inside a hurricaneor try to land at the bottom of a terrifyingcosmic rift.
On November 18 that already-excellent journey through the digital clouds will be updated to the Game of the Year Edition, which will add five new aircraft to the lineup including the game’s first military aircraft, eight new airports, and new missions, tutorials, an updated weather system, new photogrammetry cities (Helsinki, Freiburg im Breisgua, Brighton, Derby, Eastbourne, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Utretcht), and “early support” for DirectX 12.
The planes:
And the ‘ports:
Information on 545 airports in the US that were missing from the original Flight Sim release will also be added in the GOTY edition.
“This new edition celebrates all the positive feedback, reviews and awards garnered, but it is also a ‘Thank You’ to our fans—new and old—that have made Microsoft Flight Simulator such a phenomenon,” Microsoft said. It also confirmed that all the content in the Game of the Year Edition will be offered to existing owners as a free update.
Microsoft Flight Simulator: Game of the Year Edition is one of several things that Microsoft has cooking over the final three months of the year:Age of Empires 4is coming on Oct 28,Forza Horizon 5will arrive on November 9, andHalo Infiniteis set for launch on December 8. Amidst all that, on November 15, Microsoft will also hold a livestream to mark the 20th anniversary of the original Xbox and Halo: Combat Evolved, both of which debuted on November 15, 2001. Microsoft said that no new games will be announced during the stream, but I imagine there will be at least a few surprises in store.
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We’re celebrating 20 years of Xbox and getting ready for 20 more.Join us: https://t.co/rCs1ntqIsN pic.twitter.com/TwlLUrvhnPOctober 19, 2021
Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill.Lotsof Henry Cavill.
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