Skip to main content

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is coming to consoles

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 will be making its way to consoles soon, according to the game’s developer.

The game, released on PC on August 18, is the latest in a long line of releases of the popular flight simulator dating back to the first version in 1982. The game has been known for pushing graphics and processors due to its realism and scope, which has mostly relegated it to release on PCs.

Recommended Videos

A few months ago, Xbox head Phil Spencer said that the game was being targeted for release on the Xbox Series X, but there wasn’t much talk about it after that. Now, Jörg Neumann, the head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, said that the game is indeed being developed for consoles.

“We are dedicated to come to Xbox (console), we’re working really hard to make this happen. We don’t have a timeline quite yet, but we are working full speed. Because we know it’s important,” he said on the Major Nelson podcast.

There are plans to bring the game to both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X console, and Neumann said that the company has been getting a lot of requests for that very thing. He said the game already works with an Xbox controller, and that controls would be “totally doable.”

Flight Simulator is one of the longest-running series of simulators in the gaming world, and the last five were all voted simulator of the year, Neumann said on the podcast, so he felt a lot of pressure to deliver a good product.

The game uses a complete 3D model of the world with a combination of Bing, topographical maps, and Artificial Intelligence.

The game, which is typically played with multiple monitors and a flight stick, can seem intimidating and also technologically restrictive. However, Neumann told The Verge that that isn’t the case.

“We basically tried to make this an accessible simulator,” Neumann says. “Some people are speculating that you need some sort of supercomputer to run it. That’s definitely not the case. There are some pretty modest video cards and PCs. And I think it’s very similar on Xbox where there’s an entire spectrum between Xbox One and Xbox Series X. There’s continued optimization regardless, but Xbox is certainly reinvigorating our optimization efforts, is probably the best way to say it.”

Jon Silman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Death Stranding connects to Xbox for 5th anniversary
Sam Porter Bridges and Fragile holding their foreheads together.

Kojima Productions made a surprise announcement Thursday that Death Stranding Director's Cut is now available on Xbox Series X/S, as well as Windows PC, just one day ahead of the game's five-year anniversary.

"It is my pleasure to finally announce that Death Stranding Director’s Cut will be delivered to Xbox players. I would like to thank all the fans who have stayed connected with us as well as everyone in the Xbox community who have been patiently waiting," Kojima told press (as reported by IGN)."Kojima Productions (Death Stranding) will continue to connect more and more players around the world, so please stay tuned."

Read more
Gears of War: E-Day: everything we know so far
The two protagonists of Gears of War: E-Day.

Microsoft and The Coalition have opted to take the Gears of War franchise back to its roots with Gears of War: E-Day, a prequel that will follow beloved characters Marcus Fenix and Dominic (Dom) Santiago during their first fight against the invading Locust horde. This new mainline entry will feature everything fans have come to love about the series alongside fresh experiences only achievable on the newest hardware.

Of course, some players may be disappointed to hear that the next game isn't Gears 6 — but there's good news on that front. Fans eager to know what happened after the conclusion of Gears 5 can rest easy knowing that the team isn't abandoning that storyline.

Read more
The best games on Xbox Game Pass right now (November 2024)
Key art for Hi-Fi Rush.

As the Xbox Game Pass program has grown, so has our list of the best games on Xbox Game Pass. After the launch of the Xbox Series X, Microsoft has doubled down on Game Pass, and now offers well over 350 games on that console alone. To help you through option paralysis, we rounded up the top games on Microsoft's subscription platform.

Many titles are available on Xbox and PC, and some even have cross-save support. Most of the games are available for streaming on mobile, too, as long as you have Game Pass Ultimate. The Game Pass library is also constantly changing, so check out our monthly guide for addition and removal announcements.

Read more