It’s taken a few extra weeks compared to its siblings, but the wait is over: PMDG has just released the High Detail Update for the 737-800, completing a visual overhaul of the entire 737NG fleet that’s been rolling out since the 737-700 launched back in April.
The delay, according to PMDG founder Robert Randazzo, came down to sheer volume. The 737-800 carries roughly 90 liveries in the Operations Center, and every single one of them had to be updated to match the new model. That’s a significant lift, but the upside is that everything goes out at once: the updated aircraft and all the refreshed liveries are available now through the PMDG Operations Center 3.0.
As with the 737-600, 700, and 900 before it, the 800’s High Detail Update is a thorough rework. PMDG describes improvements across operating access panels, ground equipment, gear bays, lighting, and textures throughout the model, bringing it in line with the standard the studio says they always wanted for the NG family. A paint kit for livery artists is also being prepped for release later today, pending a final review.
Alongside the 800 update, PMDG has pushed minor updates to all four NG variants, bundling in bug fixes, efficiency improvements, and stability work. One area of note for Xbox users: PMDG says this update cycle includes changes to improve the stability of the Navigraph data update process on Xbox, which has been a known friction point.
Microsoft Marketplace customers should be aware that the Marketplace version is going through intake now. Randazzo estimates it will likely land on the 21st, 26th, or 28th of May, though the upcoming US Memorial Day holiday weekend may slow things down a bit.
The 777 also gets a tune-up
The 737 wasn’t the only aircraft getting attention this week. PMDG has also rolled out a minor update across the full 777 fleet, focused on quality-of-life improvements and some loose ends from the previous release cycle. Most notably, the update addresses oscillation behavior in the AFDS that appeared following the significant fly-by-wire systems overhaul in late March, and includes the same Navigraph stability improvements for Xbox users. OC3 customers can grab this now; Marketplace users will follow the same intake timeline as the 737 updates.
The DC-6 is coming to MSFS 2024
Buried in Randazzo’s forum post, and arguably the most interesting bit of news for fans of classic aircraft: the PMDG DC-6 Cloudmaster is now in beta testing for MSFS 2024, built as a native 2024 product. We’ve been tracking this one for a while, as PMDG had previously flagged technical blockers that had held the DC-6 back.
PMDG is being clear about the scope of this update: it’s about extending the product’s lifespan on the new platform, not adding features or reworking the aircraft. What you get is the DC-6 you know, built using the native MSFS 2024 tools.
For existing DC-6 owners, it will be a free update. For those who haven’t picked it up yet, it will also be available as a fresh purchase directly for MSFS 2024. If you’ve been curious about the four-engined piston classic but haven’t taken the plunge, Randazzo also pointed to PMDG’s DC-6 tutorial series on YouTube as a good starting point.
