Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s first major post-launch update, Sim Update 1 (SU1), will not be arriving on February 18 as initially anticipated. The development team confirmed in this week’s Development Update that they are taking additional time to ensure a polished release, though they have not yet specified a new launch date. A further update is expected in next week’s blog.
A shift from the initial plan
The February 18 release date was mentioned as a tentative target by Jorg Neumann in last week’s Developer Livestream. At the time, Neumann stated that the team was committed to delivering a well-refined update, adding that if they determined more time was needed, they would not hesitate to push it back. He also suggested that a February 25 release was possible if extra work was required, though it remains unclear whether that will now be the case.
Ongoing beta and possible further testing
In the meantime, beta testing for SU1 continues, with the most recent Beta 1.3.13.0 released just days ago, addressing various issues. Given the decision to delay the final release, it is possible that another beta build could be introduced to further refine outstanding issues.
Development update: bug-fixing efforts in full swing
Alongside the announcement of SU1’s delay, this week’s Development Update provided a deeper look into the extensive bug-fixing efforts currently underway. The latest list of top-reported bugs highlights several ongoing problems, many of which are being targeted in SU1 and SU2:
- Performance & VRAM Issues: The top-voted issue remains a VRAM-related FPS performance problem, which is still being worked on for SU2.
- LOD & Texture Problems: Reports of blurry textures, aggressive LOD behavior, and detail loss continue to be significant concerns.
- VR-Specific Bugs: EFB malfunctions, toolbar disappearing, and clickspot failures when returning from the menu are all under active development.
- Career Mode Issues: Problems such as flap speed errors affecting scoring, excessive wind turbulence, and missing night missions are getting fixes in SU1 and SU2.
- Aircraft-Specific Bugs: Several aircraft have significant outstanding issues, such as pressurization system failures and complete functionality breakdowns, which are also being tackled for SU1 and SU2.
What’s next?
With the delay, MSFS simmers will have to wait a little longer for SU1’s final rollout. However, the ongoing beta and transparency from the development team indicate a strong commitment to refining the experience before pushing the update live. Next week’s Development Update should provide more clarity on when to expect SU1’s final release—and whether another beta version will be introduced in the meantime.
