Microsoft Flight Simulator revealed at E3 2019, arrives in 2020

By Sean Endicott
last updated

Flight Simulator is back, and its trailer was captured in glorious 4K using Azure AI.

What you need to know

  • Microsoft Flight Simulator is making a return in 2020.
  • On the Xbox E3 2019 stage, Microsoft showed off a trailer for the upcoming sim.
  • There's no confirmed release date yet, but the game will land in Xbox Game Pass on day one.
  • The world was constructed with over 2 petabytes of data.

If you grew up in the 90's, you may have spent countless hours in Microsoft's Flight Simulator. Now, Microsoft Flight Simulator has returned with scenic city skylines, cascading mountains, and striking aircraft. The series was always known for its realistic flight simulation and looks, and that trend continues with this upcoming title.

The world premiere at E3 2019 shows everything from smaller prop planes to commercial-grade airliners soaring through the sky. Looking out of your cockpit shows a dynamic range of environments including cityscapes at night, pouring rain, and tropical islands.

Microsoft Flight Simulator will be available as part of Xbox Game Pass on day one. There isn't a confirmed release date yet for Microsoft Flight Simulator, but the trailer's description states that it will arrive in 2020.

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Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com (opens in new tab).

11 Comments
  • Just wow. I have fond memories of older versions. I can remember creating a 4 engine 737 and taking off from the Toronto Airport. The 2 engine wasn't powerful enough. Although, I never could get it to land there. Crashed every single time. 😎
  • This was probably the first PC game I actually played properly. Or rather...tried to play properly. So happy.
  • Yeah, I tried. I think that my crappy PC then didn't help. I remember sometimes crashing even before the lag of graphics caught up.
  • AWESOME!!! This is great news, can't wait to play.
  • They NEED to add VR to this !
  • Omg, didn't think of that, but that would be a killer feature.
  • Yeah, driving (or piloting) goes well with VR. Wish Forza Horizon 3 - Hot Wheels Expansion had VR support...
  • @Penther. Agreed, VR would be absolutely mind blowing.
  • A true surprise! A very pleasant one. Looking forward to it. Kudos MS!
  • Surprisingly excited for this
  • I couldn't tell from the article but is it only for Xbox or for pc also? I still have my pc joystick collecting dust. It would be nice to be able to use it again.