Microsoft Flight Simulator has just received the first iteration of another major update to the platform, Sim Update 14. Now under beta testing, this update brings a bevy of changes that touch seemingly every area of the simulator, from the multiplayer experience to the ATC, avionics, and much more.
One of the most notable changes in SU14 is an attempt at addressing the multiplayer visibility issue that had players vanishing from each other’s sight. To robustly test this fix, the beta has split the flighting and GA users onto distinct servers, temporarily rendering the players in the beta and those on the public version invisible to each other. All beta participants are now also hosted on the US-East server, which may cause some latency issues for those outside the region.
The ATC system also sees a number of improvements, such as the vectoring that has received numerous bug fixes ensuring correct clearances and new vector assignments as needed by the user. Additionally, a new flight plan assistance setting has been introduced to help users request the ATC to prioritize their flight plans over the prevailing conditions. This setting, termed “Active” by default, allows a more user-driven approach to runway and approach assignments, a departure from the previous condition-driven model.
General bug fixes haven’t been overlooked. The update addresses an array of issues from ATC voice mix-ups in localized languages, performance optimizations for lengthy flights, to crash fixes across the title, enhancing the overall simulator stability.
Navigation and Traffic updates also include enhanced ATC phraseology, bringing a more realistic communication experience. Weather improvements, like more accurate snow and ice coverage in live weather and fixing the wind reading from malformed METAR, are other notable changes.
Under the hood, the avionics have seen substantial updates, particularly within the Garmin G3000 / G5000 and G1000 Nxi systems, addressing issues that could corrupt the flight plan among other things. Aircraft-specific fixes spread across a variety of models like the Boeing 787-10, Boeing 747-8i, Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny”, and Daher TBM 930, ensuring a more accurate and bug-free flying experience with these aircraft.
A very visual change that will not go unnoticed for many is the updated sky colors. Following a topic we wrote about a few days ago, MSFS should now exhibit more realistic sky and lighting, thanks to a more accurate mapping of wavelengths onto RGB values for ozone layer scattering and sun color. It’s a fix that has been provided by the community for a few weeks and is now making its way to the base platform.
Sim Update 14 promises to be another substantial step forward, addressing many community-reported issues while adding new features and improvements. As players dive into the beta, feedback will be instrumental in shaping the final release of Sim Update 14, so don’t hesitate to share your experience with the MSFS team. And remember: it’s a beta, so problems are sure to arise somewhere. Don’t go in if you don’t know what you’re getting into.
The final and “stable” version of Sim Update 14 should be available for all users before the end of the year.
