Microsoft Flight Simulator has gotten into the holiday spirit by giving the gift of an update to its players, allowing them to finally play the game in a virtual reality mode. As an added bonus, a scavenger hunt with a holiday twist was included in the update as well. These are just a few of the latest changes Microsoft has made to its renowned simulator, which launched to great success earlier this year.
For nearly 40 years, Microsoft Flight Simulator has been one of the most comprehensive sims of its kind that is also available to the public. The developer hasworked constantly over the last four decades to improve and update the game as the hardware it was played on did likewise. This was all done with the singular goal of making Microsoft Flight Simulator as immersive as possible. With that in mind, the developer has now added an update to the game that has the potential to push the title towards a level of realism unlike any it has reached before.
Microsoft Flight Simulator announced on its website that the game's long-awaited VR mode is free and available now to all players. Using supported head mounted displays, players will finally be able to experience what the developers call a "new level" of immersion. Along with this massive addition, many smaller ones were included with the update as well, such as two new training missions and enhanced live weather. There were also many technical issues that were fixed as part of the update.
One addition that seems to be only temporary to Microsoft Flight Simulator is the inclusion a holiday themed scavenger hunt. Eager pilots have been challenged by the developer to locate 12 iconic landmarks in the Flight Simulator world that have all been specially decorated for the holidays. Depending on which updates a player has installed, there could potentially be three bonus landmarks decorated in the world as well. Those who find them are encouraged to tweet their locations to the official Microsoft Flight Simulator Twitter account. Once they are all discovered, the developer will post the locations to its website as well as the game's Twitter account.
As virtual reality technology became more widely used by the public, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before Microsoft incorporated it into its popular flight simulator. For a game that boasts about how comprehensive and realistic it is, VR was a logical next step. The fact that it is free to play and not hidden behind some sort of price wall is also encouraging and could likely lead to more gamers picking up the title, so long as they have the means to play it in VR. This seems to be the dawn of a new, promising era for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is available on PC.
Source: Microsoft Flight Simulator