Microsoft Flight Simulator is now available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass, expanding the audience for this game past the PC for the first time.
“In a pivotal moment for the flight simmer community, today we are bringing Microsoft Flight Simulator to Xbox Series X|S giving aspiring pilots the chance to take flight for the first time on a console,” Microsoft’s Jorg Neumann writes. “[Gamers] can expect the same level of depth as the PC version, with the most authentic and realistic flight simulator we have ever created and available to the widest audience ever.”
Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!
"*" indicates required fields
Microsoft Flight Simulator appears to be mostly identical to the PC version of the game on the new Xbox consoles, but Microsoft says it has been optimized for these platforms as well. And all of the add-ons that Microsoft has released on the PC—including the free World Updates, free simulation updates, themed DLC bundles, and aircraft—work on Xbox Series X|S as well.
There are some new additions timed to the console launch, too, including Discovery Flights to impressive locations like the Great Pyramid of Giza and Mount Everest, World Exploration improvements, Flight Training improvements, a new Flight Assistant tool, and the ability to land anywhere, including water.
The big question, of course, is when or if Microsoft Flight Simulator will ever show up Xbox Cloud Gaming. My guess is that it will, but I don’t believe that Microsoft has ever committed to that.