Engadget Logo Engadget Japanese version Microsoft flight simulator, Xbox version is lifted at midnight on the 28th. The preview version exceeded expectations

The Xbox Series X|S version of the flight sim "Microsoft Flight Simulator", which has attracted attention from a wide range of people, will be officially available from July 27th. If you pre-install about 100GB, you will be able to play from 00:00 on the 28th in Japan time.

Sim Update 5, a major update for the PC version, will also be distributed at the same time. Speaking of Microsoft Flight Simulator, it is notorious for its high load and heavy processing even on a full-fledged gaming PC of hundreds of thousands of yen, but thanks to the optimization for the Xbox version, the fps (number of drawing frames) depends on the environment. Dozens of percent improvement, RAM consumption is also reduced by nearly 10GB, and changes greatly.

MS Flight Simulator, significantly faster and lighter with the next update. Optimized for Xbox 30% FPS

Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) is Microsoft's longest running game series since 1982. The latest work, which was released on PC in the summer of 2020, uses AI to analyze satellite and aerial photographs, map data from Bing Maps, etc., and reproduces the topography of the entire earth down to a single tree. This is an ambitious project that aims to create "another planet" by combining live data such as weather, wind direction, and flight information from all over the world.

Microsoft flight simulator developer interview. Many plans such as VR and Xbox support, aiming for "another earth"

The pre-download capacity for the Xbox version is about 97GB. It's a dignified size for the latest-generation consoles that have seen an increase in heavyweight games, but even with this, the PC version exceeded 150GB at the time of its release, so after updating and optimizing it, the weight was reduced to "a surprising 100GB". is.

I installed the preview build for media, and there was about 27GB of pre-release day zero patches for this 97GB. Even if you have the official release version installed, you may have to wait a little longer for the final day one patch to download.

The Xbox Series X|S version is not a simple version that matches the game console, but the same multi-platform software as the PC version except that the graphics are matched to the hardware. Since the first "Japan" delivered last fall, the world update that adds landmarks and famous airports around the world every two months, and even third-party mod content, are exactly the same. will move.

This world update is free, but an optional additional download. After installing the Xbox version including the patch, I needed about 16GB more to install all the free additional content and additional aircraft equivalent to Premium Deluxe.

Currently, about 102GB of game data and about 30GB of reserved space are used on the Xbox Series X storage. With just 100GB left after deleting other games, you may need to clean up even more.

Preview first impression

When I actually played the preview version on the Xbox Series X, both the loading speed and drawing speed were surprisingly comfortable. The PC version was a heavy-duty software that required you to sit down and be prepared to fly today, but with the Xbox you can enjoy the fun of flying around the world comfortably and easily.

Since it is a flight "simulator", you can operate from the same pre-flight check and engine start as a real aircraft, but thanks to the abundant assist settings, you can enjoy the feeling of sightseeing flight and riding the wind with just a game pad. Easy to taste.

When you think of flight simulators, the first thing that comes to mind is difficult takeoffs and difficult landing procedures. It is even possible to start from the state of flying in any place in the world, not to mention the assist that takes off without permission at the appropriate timing and angle.

For the Xbox version, the output resolution is 4K for Series X and 1080p for Series S, both drawing at 30fps. Unlike action games, the flight simulator itself doesn't involve violent camera movements, so it doesn't feel like you're forcing it to move at the expense of comfort, and it's more comfortable than a decent gaming PC.

Low fps can only be felt when flying at low altitudes in particularly complicated terrain such as cities, or when the camera is shaken widely. Of course, an expensive gaming PC that can achieve over 60fps is comfortable in that case, but even with the Xbox Series X|S, there is no "feeling of enduring low quality" in normal flight.

(However, this is also a big reason that the Xbox version optimizes the processing more than the current PC version. If so, Sim Update 5 and later can be significantly more comfortable.)

Although the Xbox Series X | S version is limited to 30fps, this is a setting to make the game run as uniformly and smoothly as possible, where the load changes greatly depending on the environment, such as the complexity of the flying terrain and weather effects. If you have a TV with VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) support, you'll enjoy smoother, maximum performance under light loads.

What surprised me was how short the loading time was from selecting the destination, weather conditions, aircraft, etc. from the world map to actually flying.

Although it depends on the settings and environment, even if you use a relatively fast NVMe SSD on the PC, it takes a long time to load. You can fly suddenly in seconds, often less than 20 seconds.

The PC version of MSFS is brought to the Xbox almost as it is, so you can use flight sticks, keyboards, and mice in addition to gamepads.

Since you can use multiple input devices, you can use the gamepad as a stick or throttle, use the mouse to operate the cockpit instruments and switches, or assign various buttons to the keyboard.

One point, if there is something like TIPS about the operation of the Xbox version, it is probably more comfortable to have a mouse. This is because the PC version is based on the premise of using a mouse, and the flight simulator itself is intended to reproduce the very complicated operation of a real aircraft as realistically as possible, so it may be complicated to operate using only a gamepad. Because there is.

Even with a gamepad, pressing the L stick will cause the cursor to appear on the screen, allowing you to interact with any UI menu or buttons on the control panel. It will be easier with .

When in cursor mode with this gamepad, that is, while using the stick to move the pointer instead of the control stick, there is also an AI assist setting that will help you avoid falling.

(This may be a problem only in the preview build, but it may have misunderstood that another device was connected even though only the pad was connected and it was in a "stuck" state where some UI could not be operated. could become

Even in that case, the Xbox buttons and system operations can be used, so I was able to recover by either shutting down the software and restarting, or by resetting the controller to the default in the MSFS operation settings. Even in this state, if you have a mouse, you can continue to operate without restarting. The conditions for reproduction are unknown, but it may be an event that occurs when multiple input devices such as sticks are replaced. )

Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas One Flight Stick (Amazon)

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 (Amazon)

The Elite controller, also known as Oerlikon, allows you to replace the stick axis with a longer one and adjust the resistance, so it is recommended for both smooth and delicate stick operation and the ease of use of the pad.

The price of Microsoft Flight Simulator is 7450 yen for the standard version.

If you already purchased the PC version from the Microsoft Store, the Xbox version is a free download. Alternatively, you can buy the Xbox version and later get the PC version for free. (Microsoft's Cross Buy policy. If you buy the PC version on Steam, you can't get the Xbox version for free.)

Game subscription Included with Xbox Game Pass from day one, subscribers can play at no additional cost. Xbox Game Pass is in the campaign of 100 yen for the first month.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1 Month Online Code (Amazon)

Microsoft Flight Simulator Premium Deluxe Edition (Amazon)