Microsoft revisits its Flight Simulator series with the web-based Flight Arcade game

Microsoft is showing off some new web-based coding and technologies with today's launch of Flight Arcade during Build 2015. The free-to-play flight sim is meant to show how modern browsers, such as the upcoming Microsoft Edge, can handle high-end 3D graphics.

The game itself lets players take control of planes as they put them through a series of challenges. Players can earn achievements and unlock more planes, missions and levels as they go through Flight Arcade. The site also has some highly technical information on how Microsoft created Flight Arcade, using a combination of WebGL for graphics, the Web Audio API for audio, and the Gamepad API which allows the game to be controlled with a gamepad, joystick or even just a keyboard.

While it's not exactly a full Flight Simulator game, today's launch of Flight Arcade shows that Microsoft still remembers the series that began way back in 1980 (on an Apple II no less). Perhaps the company will release a full successor to the series at some point, but for now this free web game will have to do.

Source: Flight Arcade

John Callaham