{"id":5003,"date":"2020-07-13T20:28:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-13T20:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/blog\/microsoft-flight-simulator-takes-off-august-18-in-three-editions-for-pc\/"},"modified":"2020-07-13T20:28:00","modified_gmt":"2020-07-13T20:28:00","slug":"microsoft-flight-simulator-takes-off-august-18-in-three-editions-for-pc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviancetechnologies.com\/blog\/microsoft-flight-simulator-takes-off-august-18-in-three-editions-for-pc\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Flight Simulator takes off August 18 in three editions for PC"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Microsoft Flight Simulator takes off August 18 in three editions for PC<\/h2>\n

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One of Microsoft\u2019s iconic games, the rebooted Microsoft Flight Simulator, will take off on August 18 in three digital editions for PC, the company said Monday. It will be free for those who own Microsoft\u2019s Game Pass for PC, and is available for pre-downloading beginning today.<\/p>\n

Microsoft\u2019s Flight Simulator comes in three separate editions: the $60\u00a0Standard Edition<\/a>Remove non-product link<\/span><\/a>, the $90\u00a0Deluxe Edition<\/a>Remove non-product link<\/span><\/a>, and the whopping $120\u00a0Premium Deluxe Edition<\/a>Remove non-product link<\/span><\/a>, all of which will be available when the game launches. Game Pass for PC subscribers will receive the Standard Edition for free.<\/p>\n

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Microsoft\u2019s new version of Flight Simulator<\/em> aspires to be a photorealistic view of the world, with accurate weather, including clouds, as well as terrain that models the real world. Microsoft said that over 1.5 billion buildings will make an appearance, plus 2 trillion trees, and roads, mountains and rivers and more. There will be live traffic on roads, real-time weather patterns, and even animals, Microsoft promises.<\/p>\n

All this will take a toll on your PC. For one thing, the base game requires 150GB of storage on your hard drive. The minimum system requirements include a Core i5-4460\/Ryzen 3 1200, with an Nvidia GTX770\/Radeon RX 570. Microsoft isn\u2019t saying what the recommended specs are for a fulfilling gameplay experience, but it\u2019s probably much more. PCs with integrated graphics likely won\u2019t cut it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Microsoft Flight Simulator promises an ultrarealistic view of the skies, but with a serious hit to your available storage.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What differentiates the three editions? Planes and airports, allowing aspiring pilots to tickle that collector\u2019s itch. Flight Simulator<\/em> taps Bing Maps\u2019 view of the world, complete with streets, airports, buildings, and everything else the mapping software offers. That includes a massive 37,000 separate airports, from rural strips to major international sites, that developer Asobo Studios tweaked to include them inside the game. Microsoft is promising periodic content updates that presumably will add even more.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s those airports that help define the different editions. It\u2019s fine if you want to land at New York\u2019s JFK, as that airport is part of the base game. But if you wanted to visit PCWorld\u2019s office in San Francisco, you wouldn\u2019t be able to land at San Francisco International Airport\u2014that airport is reserved for the Premium Edition.<\/p>\n

The new airports are \u201chandcrafted,\u201d presumably rendered at higher resolution.<\/p>\n

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Likewise, the premium editions will include an expanded roster of aircraft, all the way from two-seaters to a Boeing 747. (The latter is included in the base game, though specialized aircraft like the 787-10 Dreamliner are reserved for the Premium Edition.) Pilots can opt to scale from full manual controls to full assist, where the simulator takes over.\u00a0<\/p>\n