First update for the PMDG 737-700 not yet finished, but pop-up displays and EFB are coming

When PMDG finally launched the 737-700 for Microsoft Flight simulator, the team promised a consistent and regular update schedule for the product, roughly estimated to be coming at two-week intervals. The 737 has now been out for nearly three weeks, so clearly that first update is a little delayed. Fortunately, Robert Randazzo has just confirmed that he expects this first update to arrive next week.

To be fair, it’s not like there’s any experience-breaking problem with the launch version of the 737. It actually performs admirably and with excellent stability. But there are always things that need to be tweaked, enhancements to be made, and some necessary fixes to be implemented.

In the latest development update, Randazzo details some of the cool new features coming soon to the 737, even if it’s unclear what will be featured in next week’s update. One of the most awaited is the EFB, a notable omission from the launch version of the 737, now particularly striking after simmers got the chance to experience life with the remarkable EFB in the Fenix A320.

Randazzo reveals that this “PMDG Flight Tablet” is coming along nicely and it’s nearing a stage where it will be ready for testing. It will replace the Boeing-inspired EFB that has been featured in previous incarnations of the PMDG 737, now with a more modern and user-friendly interface that will surely be a nice change over the current FMS Options integration for some of the functionality. This tablet is also set to be included in the upcoming 777 and 747.

Randazzo also took the opportunity this week to preview another welcome change for some simmers, which is the possibility of having some of the 737 displays show up as pop-up windows in MSFS. This can prove to be useful in certain situations, and it’s a breakthrough that was possible for PMDG after getting some help from Aerosoft.

Finally, the 737-600 is also evolving at a steady pace, so we should soon get the first preview images from that variant. This is the shorter version of the PMDG 737, and despite not being the most popular of the bunch, it features some unique performance characteristics. Prepare to see the first preview images next week!

As usual, you can read all about the latest PMDG development update on the company’s forum. Hopefully, next week, we’ll have both the first update to the 737 and a nice selection of shots of the upcoming -600 variant!