As promised, Microsoft Flight Simulator has launched today World Update 17, focusing on the United Kingdom and Ireland. This free update, available to all Microsoft Flight Simulator owners, brings enhanced detail to the virtual representation of these regions.
The release marks the second time the UK has been featured in a world update, following World Update 3 which was released over three years ago. This new iteration aims to further refine and expand upon the previous enhancements, while also adding Ireland to the mix for a more complete coverage.
World Update 17 is the result of collaboration between the Microsoft Flight Simulator team and partners including Bing Maps, Gaya Simulations, and iniBuilds, whose work on the new aerial imagery, cities, POIs, and airports can be seen in this update. It’s the biggest World Update yet!
Key features include:
- New or improved photogrammetry for 16 cities:
- Bristol, Brighton, Greater London, Heathrow, Leeds-Bradford, Liverpool, Newcastle-Sunderland, Welling, and Wembley in England
- Cork, Dublin, and Cliffs of Moher / Liscannor in Ireland
- Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland
- Cardiff in Wales
- Gibraltar
- 79 new points of interest (POIs)
- Five newly handcrafted airports:
- Farnborough Airport (EGLF)
- London Stansted Airport (EGSS) in England
- Cork Airport (EICK) in Ireland
- Sumburgh Airport (EGPB) in Scotland
- Cardiff (EGFF) in Wales
- Eight new activities, including discovery flights, landing challenges, and bush trips.
As with previous world updates, the goal of World Update XVII is to continue to refine the simulator’s global scenery, reaching previously covered areas with new and improved assets or going into the regions for a more significant overhaul. Hopefully the next World Update will focus on the latter!
If you’re interested in learning more about how the Microsoft Flight Simulator team created this update, as well as gaining further insights into the behind-the-scenes work and the future of the platform, keep an eye out for our exclusive interview with Jorg Neumann, which we will publish later today!
World Update 17 is available now for free via the MSFS Marketplace for all Microsoft Flight Simulator users.
