The FlyByWire team announced today a major rework on how they’re distributing their outstanding A32NX for Flight Simulator. While the A32NX has until now replaced the default Asobo A320neo, it will be packaged as a separate aircraft from now on.
This change is seen as a necessary step towards two main goals: to reduce compatibility issues every time Asobo updates the default A320 and to prepare the A32NX to be released on an upcoming Freeware section in the MSFS Marketplace, a feature that was previously announced in January.
This new fork is now affecting both the development and experimental branches, with the upcoming stable release getting the same treatment next week.
An important consideration to take into account is the consequences that this change brings to existing liveries and livery creators. With this separation of the A32NX into a separate package, liveries for the default A320neo will no longer work with the new A32NX, and will need to be converted by their creators. The team will also release a simple livery conversion tool very soon, and warned that external programs and tools that recognize the A32NX package may need to be updated to detect the new version.
This seems like a minor inconvenience, especially considering that the A32NX will now be ready to be available on the Marketplace, greatly increasing the airplane’s visibility. And it’s a good sign that FlyByWire continues completely committed to the project, even though they are also working on a freeware recreation of the Airbus A380.
The FlyByWire A32NX is an extremely popular addon for Flight Simulator, and greatly improves the experience of flying the A320neo in the sim. It has much-expanded functionality, comprehensive visual and audio enhancements, and even a very useful EFB. If you haven’t tried it out, make sure to do so throughout the handy installer provided by the team.
