Microsoft Flight Simulator is currently the flight sim of choice for enthusiasts with its collection of lovingly recreated planes, but those looking for something a little more sci-fi in nature have a new option for exploring the skies: the iconic Pelican from Halo is coming to the game. Following hot on the heels of Microsoft Flight Simulator’s Top Gun Maverick update, Microsoft have announced that a new add-on featuring Halo’s Pelican dropship is available right now.
Microsoft Flight Simulator allows players to fly around in a highly detailed recreation of the real world, with a vast array of cloud computing and AI systems streaming in data to improve the simulation, including replicating time-of-day and weather conditions in real-time. Widely regarded as a technical showcase at launch for its visual fidelity, Flight Simulator also features realistic and highly detailed recreations of cockpits from a variety of planes, ranging from jet airliners such as the Airbus A320neo to ultralight planes such as the Top Rudder Solo 103, which joined the game as Microsoft Flight Simulator’s first official paid DLC early last year. An official update earlier this year featured content from Top Gun: Maverick, including the film’s F/A 18-E Super Hornet jet fighter and several challenge missions.
The new add-on featuring the Pelican, an iconic combat ship from Microsoft’s premier sci-fi shooter Halo series, marks the first time a fictional video game aircraft has been featured in Microsoft Flight Simulator. In a trailer shown at the Xbox and Bethesda showcase, the Pelican was shown off with footage of a highly detailed cockpit and a stunning shot of the ship reaching the very edges of the Earth’s atmosphere. The game’s focus has been on realism thus far, with players using Microsoft Flight Simulator to track hurricanes thanks to the game’s highly advanced real-time weather technology. However, it seems that players will now be able to break from that sense of realism and enjoy something a little more unreal by unlocking the Pelican.
Unlocking the Halo Pelican in Microsoft Flight Simulator
Like many other planes featured in Microsoft Flight Simulator, Halo’s D77-TC Pelican is available by downloading the free add-on through Flight Simulator’s in-game Marketplace. Once downloaded, the D77-TC Pelican can be chosen from the Aircraft Selection menu in the World Map. Most Flight Simulator players will already be familiar with this menu, having already used it to select different planes for their globe-trotting sightseeing trips. However, the Pelican can’t be flown in some of Flight Simulator’s modes, such as Landing Challenges, which are typically tailored for certain aircraft.
In a Screen Rant interview with Flight Simulator head Jorg Neumann, it turned out that finding the balance between realism and the over-the-top action of Top Gun: Maverick proved to be an interesting discussion for the team. While the team went for “straight realism” in the case of the Super Hornet jet fighter, players will no doubt be eager to see how they might be able to break Flight Simulator’s simulation from the cockpit of a highly advanced combat dropship from the future. While the Pelican add-on is available now, Microsoft has also teased new content, including new historical aircraft and helicopters, coming to Flight Simulator in a 40th Anniversary Edition update in November this year.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is available now on PC and Xbox Series X|S.