Commercial Simulation Systems has published its largest development update to date, breaking months of silence with a detailed look at what is coming next for the CSS 737 Classic family in Microsoft Flight Simulator. It’s a huge update that significantly shakes up the product for MSFS, including new variants, pricing changes, model improvements, a significant systems update, and the first concrete details about the transition to MSFS 2024. Here’s what’s new!
Full 737 Classic lineup arriving soon
CSS confirms that development has been focused on completing the rest of the 737 Classic family. The 737-300 and 737-400, in both passenger and freighter configurations, are now “very close” to release according to the team.
The project has also been rebuilt internally for proper MSFS 2024 compatibility. CSS says the next update will provide a stable native MSFS 2024 version and sets the foundation for a more advanced “CSS 737 Classic V2” that aims to take advantage of the new simulator’s features. All existing customers will receive the new variants for both MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 at no extra cost.
Major changes to pricing and licensing
Surprisingly, a substantial revision to CSS’s pricing structure is also on the way. The current subscription model and the $120 all-variants permanent licence will remain available, but CSS is adding individual purchase options:
- 737-300, 737-400, 737-500 passenger variants available individually for $45 each
- 737-300SF and 737-400SF freighters available as $10 add-ons to their respective passenger versions
- Subscription plans available only via the CSS Launcher
- Customers with an active subscription cannot buy standalone variants until the subscription expires
- Customers who buy a standalone variant cannot later purchase a subscription or the $120 full licence
These changes will roll out with the release of the new aircraft.
The new 737 Classic variants: the 737-300
CSS highlights the -300 as the most widely produced member of the Classic family and confirms support for three engine ratings: 20K, 22K and 23K. Engine type is tied to each livery, and the exterior model features several visual improvements that will also be applied to the existing 737-500.
The aircraft launches with 16 liveries, including Air China, American Airlines, EasyJet, Jet2, KLM, NordStar and Ryanair.
The 737-400
The longest Classic variant will come with two engine ratings (22K and 23K) and features AESI’s freighter conversion for the -400SF. CSS lists 18 launch liveries ranging from Alaska Airlines to Japan Transocean Air, Jetstar Pacific and Nolinor.
Updates to the 737-500
Work carried out on the 737-300 has led to fixes and refinements for the original -500 release. These include:
Exterior fixes:
- Fixed cargo door handle animations
- Removed gaps between exterior model and cabin walls
- Fixed right engine and cargo door rivets
- Fixed small white artifacts appearing in cockpit in external view
- Removed distortion from engine stickers
- Fixed aileron normal maps
Interior fixes:
- Added low-poly nose gear shadow model
- Improved REG/SELCAL plate texture
- Fixed flickering decal at row 23
- Cabin seat headrests are no longer mirrored
- Added material to interior side of cabin doors
Winglets have also become livery-specific through aircraft.cfg, and the aircraft now supports both 18K and 20K engine ratings.
Extensive systems update
Alongside the new variants, CSS is preparing one of its largest systems updates so far. FMS logic, MCP behaviour, VNAV, Autoland, ADF and VOR functions, flap aerodynamics, spoiler drag, sound effects and many avionics indications have all received fixes or tuning.
The long list includes corrections to LEGS page behaviour, DIR TO logic, altitude and speed targets, glidepath guidance, bearings, approach mode indications and several autopilot modes.
The future: CSS 737 Classic V2
CSS says that a full next-generation version of the aircraft is in development. The new model is being rebuilt with photogrammetry and targets MSFS 2024’s feature set. The team plans to share previews in future updates.
All told, this update shows that CSS is paying attention and continues invested on its product. The new variants, the rebuilt MSFS 2024 foundation, the reworked systems and the completely reshaped pricing model point to a project that’s been reorganising itself after a bumpy start. It doesn’t solve every question the community has, but it does show that the developer is trying to realign expectations and rebuild trust.
