The Microsoft Flight Simulator team is keeping up a brisk pace this week. Just twenty four hours after the release of the T-38 Talon, the focus has shifted from high-speed trainers to the sprawling landscapes of the American West. City Update 13: California arrives as a significant expansion of the simulator’s “Golden State” coverage, providing a much needed refresh to some of the most frequented flight paths in the world.
California is often the starting point for many simmers, yet several of its key hubs have lacked the high resolution detail found in newer European or Asian updates. By targeting 18 distinct urban regions simultaneously, Microsoft is attempting to create a more consistent experience across the entire state. The developer says that these areas now utilize triangulated irregular network (TIN) surface texturing, which should significantly improve the accuracy of buildings and natural terrain compared to older photogrammetry methods.
While previous city updates often focused on a single metropolitan area, this release covers nearly the entire length of the state. It bridges the gap between the tech hubs of the north and the naval atmosphere of the south. This scale is particularly useful for short-haul virtual airline pilots who frequently fly routes like KLAX to KSFO or KSAN to KSMF, as they will now see realistic urban sprawl throughout their entire climb and descent.
The update is organized into five primary geographical zones, covering a mix of coastal landmarks and inland agricultural hubs.
- San Francisco Bay Area:Â This region sees the most significant concentration of detail, including San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Rafael, Novato, and Fremont. Famous landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Transamerica Pyramid are represented.
- Greater Los Angeles:Â This section includes the second largest city in the United States along with Santa Clarita, Glendale, Inglewood, Long Beach, Anaheim, and Irvine. The developer highlights the inclusion of major sports venues like SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome.
- Northern and Central Valley:Â Sacramento, the state capital, receives a full makeover alongside San Joaquin Valley hubs like Fresno, Modesto, and Visalia.
- The Central Coast:Â Santa Maria and Santa Barbara represent the “American Riviera” with their specific Mediterranean architecture and coastal views.
- San Diego:Â The southern tip of the update features the San Diego skyline, the Coronado Bridge, and the USS Midway Museum.
City Update 13 is available as a free download for all users. To access the new content, you must ensure your simulator is updated to the latest version. The required versions are 1.39.9.0 for MSFS 2020 and 1.6.34.0 for MSFS 2024. Once the base sim is updated, the California content can be claimed through the in-game Marketplace at no additional cost.
If you’re flying in MSFS 2020, you will need to manually update World Update II and World Update X from your in-sim Content Manager for City Update 13 to work correctly. This step is not necessary for MSFS 2024 users.
