Microsoft Flight Simulator News

Public beta testing for the upcoming Sim Update 15 continues with two new builds released to opt-in community testers this week. On Monday, we released test build 1.37.15.0, and on Wednesday we released test build 1.37.16.0 which added a small number of other changes.

Please note that we are aware that the .15 test build introduced a bug that is preventing third-party add-on aircraft which use WASM from functioning correctly on Xbox. We are working to have this issue resolved in the next beta build. We are also carefully tracking feedback from Xbox testers who have reported that performance and stability has decreased in .15 compared to the previous .13 test build.

Last week, third-party developer Just Flight released the PA-38 Tomahawk for both PC and Xbox. This add-on plane has been receiving great reviews from simmers thus far, and yesterday our Community Manager SeedyL (a licensed pilot who completed his real-world PPL training on a Tomahawk) hosted a livestream on Twitch with developers Martyn and Mark from Just Flight to demonstrate the features of this single engine GA plane. In case you missed it live, you can watch the VOD on Twitch here.

– MSFS Team

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Yesterday, our panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial plus special guests from Working Title and iniBuilds appeared on our latest Developer Livestream. If you missed catching it live on Twitch, you can watch the replay on YouTube here:

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In addition to answering dozens of questions from the community, some of the other highlights from the broadcast include:

• Overview from Working Title on the improvements to the G3X avionics coming in Sim Update 15 (SU_15)
  
• Presentation from iniBuilds about the Airbus A320neo V2, a free aircraft for all players on all platforms launching alongside SU_15
  
• Announcement of City Update VII: European Cities II which includes updated scenery for:
  
  
  
  • Barcelona
    
  • Madrid
    
  • Monte Carlo
    
  • Nice
    
  • Porto
    
  • Stockholm
    
  
  
  
• Announcement of Local Legend 16: Short Sc.7 Skyvan ("The Flying Shoebox") by developer iniBuilds
  

Both City Update VII and Local Legend 16 are targeted for release on May 28.

Also announced during the livestream was an update on the Sim Update 15 release date. While we had previously revealed a tentative launch date of April 30, we now think an additional week of development time is necessary. This will be the last Sim Update for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) prior to the launch of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 later this year (but not the final Sim Update for MSFS2020 ever -- SU_16 is planned for early 2025), so the team really wants to make sure SU_15 in an excellent state before we release it.

In Marketplace news, the team feels like they have the backlog under control and can now begin accepting new developers into the Marketplace. We have a very lengthy list of pending applications and can't approve all of them at once, so in order to help us prioritize the developers most desired by you, the community, we are asking for your feedback. Please see this thread on our forums where you can share your feedback on which developers you would most like to see added to the Marketplace.

– MSFS Team

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On Tuesday, we launched two new releases!

• City Update 06: Southwest Germany is a FREE download from the in-sim Marketplace that enhances the scenery in Germany's Baden-Württemberg state. Please see this page for more information.
  
• Local Legend 15: Dornier Do 31 is available from the in-sim Marketplace for USD $14.99. You can learn more about this experimental VTOL plane from Germany here.
  

Also earlier this week, we released a new Xbox-only pre-release test build for simmers enrolled in the optional Sim Update 15 public beta. This build (1.37.13.0) improves performance and stability on Xbox Series X|S consoles. PC players enrolled in the beta will not receive this new build as the changes are for Xbox only.

There was also a small update released to all simmers earlier today. This release includes updated navdata (AIRAC cycle 2404)  plus improvements to over 150 airports submitted by community volunteers participating in the ongoing World Hub closed alpha test. You can read the full details on our forums here.

Our next Developer Livestream is coming up next week on Wednesday, April 24th at 10:30am PDT (1730 UTC). Don't miss this chance to hear our regular panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial answer questions from the community and discuss future updates coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator. We are currently reviewing all the pre-submitted questions from the community and will ensure the most common topics are addressed by our panel. If you missed the opportunity to pre-submit a question, don't worry! As always, we will also be taking questions live from Twitch chat during the stream. The livestream will be broadcast on our official Twitch channel, so please follow it to be notified when we go live if you have not already done so.


Finally, if you follow @MSFSOfficial on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, you may have noticed that we've been running an MSFS Madness tournament over the past three weeks where you, the community, voted for your favorite aircraft in a series of head-to-head matchups. From a starting field of 64 aircraft from the Standard, Deluxe, Premium Deluxe, Game of the Year Edition, and 40th Anniversary Edition, plus every Local Legend, Famous Flyer, and Expert Series aircraft, voters selected the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner as the winner! We hope everyone who participated enjoyed MSFS Madness! You can see the entire tournament bracket with the community's choices in each round below.



– MSFS Team

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[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

This latest update invites Microsoft Flight Simulator aviators to experience the allure of the cities of southwest Germany’s Baden-Württemberg state.

Southwest Germany is the latest exciting enhancement to Microsoft Flight Simulator’s immersive global experience with City Update 06. This update focuses on the Southwest German state of Baden-Württemberg, the nation’s third largest state in both population and area. The Microsoft Flight Simulator team and its partners selected seven cities that best represent this diverse and vibrant region of Europe: Mannheim, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Esslingen, and Kehl in Germany, and the French city of Strasbourg, which lies just across the border from Kehl. The update also features Friedrichshafen Airport, Baden-Württemberg’s third largest airport.

Baden-Württemberg is one of Europe’s most geographically diverse regions. The state encompasses the famed Black Forest, rivers such as the Rhine, the Danube (including its source), and the Neckar, several lakes including Lake Constance, and rich farmland and vineyards. Its cities rank as some of the most prosperous and vibrant in all of Europe and include a juxtaposition of modern architectural marvels and centuries-old historic monuments.

Continue reading about City Update 06!

This week, we're pleased to share an updated Development Roadmap which you can find below. A few highlights include:

• City Update 06: Southwest Germany and Local Legend 15: Dornier Do 31 are both releasing next week on April 17!
  
• Sim Update 15 and the Airbus A320neo (V2) are tentatively targeted for a full release on April 30.
  

Speaking of Sim Update 15, last Friday we released a new test build to those players enrolled in the optional public beta. You can find the release notes for this build on our forums here. Once again, we would like to thank everyone participating in the pre-release test for your timely feedback and bug reports. If you would like to join the public beta test, you can find instructions (for PC/MS Store, PC/Steam, and Xbox Series X|S) here.

Our next Developer Livestream is scheduled for April 24th at 10:30am PDT (1730 UTC). If you would like to pre-submit a question for our panel, please complete the form at this link. We will accept submissions until April 16th at 8:00am PDT (1500 UTC). Once the form is closed, our team will collate all your submissions to ensure the panel addresses the most frequently-asked questions from the community. As always, the livestream will be broadcast on our official Twitch channel, so please follow it to be notified when we go live if you have not already done so.


– MSFS Team

Click here to continue reading the Development Update!