The Xbox release of Flight Simulator will bring new particle effects, new tutorials, POI labels, and much more

MSFS is coming to Xbox next month, and with it will also come a series of new features and improvements that even PC players will be able to appreciate!

Jorg Neumann, head of Flight Simulator, spoke this week about some of the new things to come to MSFS, during an Xbox Games Showcase event. During the Flight Simulator segment, Jorg detailed 5 new additions to the sim that will help newcomers get to grips with the whole experience, while maintaining the depth and realism that simmers love. With the Xbox release, the team is aiming to make it easier for new users to learn how to fly, without dumbing down the actual depth of the simulation.

The first new feature will be the inclusion of 10 Discovery Flights, which are designed to get people familiar with an airplane, lightly touching the controls while a flight instructor takes most of the responsibility. These Discovery Flights will take place in some of the world’s most famous places, such as Mount Everest, Rio de Janeiro, New York, or the Pyramids in Egypt. It will be a quick way to get into a plane in a stunning location of the world, a first look into the incredible world of Flight Simulator!

Secondly, another world-discovery feature: an option to enable labels on POI’s will be added. These labels will be visible on the world map and also during flights. This way, people will learn more about the world around them. Famous places, rivers, mountains, and more will then be easily identifiable, so you don’t miss a thing when trying to enjoy the world below.

A third new addition is the inclusion of new tutorials. The initial release of MSFS for PC had only 8 lessons, but with the Xbox release this number will go up dramatically, to 22. These will be shorter ones, easier to get in and out, and will include a scoring system so you can have a better idea of how you fared during these lessons. Similarly to the scoring system in the Landing Challenges, this will be a great motivation to keep improving your skills!

A fourth new feature will be the introduction of a Flight Assistant, which will enable you to relegate piloting tasks to him/her. An example that Jorg provided was a situation where you are flying over New York and want to appreciate the scenery below while heading to Brooklyn Bridge. By asking the new Flight Assistant to go there, you can release the controls of the aircraft and appreciate the spectacular landscape below. The Flight Assistant will also be able to land the plane or recover from emergencies.

Finally, Jorg also introduced a new Land Anywhere feature, which will enable you to land wherever you wish. Some of the default planes will be upgraded with floats and skis, so you can easily touch down on water or snow.

With these 5 new features and improvements to Flight Simulator, the development team hopes to make it easier for the new Xbox audience to get familiar with the experience of flight in MSFS, taking advantage of all the great things the sim has to offer.

In the Xbox trailer, you may have noticed another small but definitely very cool visual enhancement that will soon come. Particle effects will be greatly improved, especially water particles, snow and smoke effects.

Flight Simulator is coming to Xbox Series S|X on July 27th, hopefully with a PC update to arrive at about the same time with many of the new features.

And remember, the freeware Top Gun: Maverick expansion is also coming later in the year!