Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 arrives with a “full digital twin” of Earth
Machine learning generates the closer-up ground in this very big sequel.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is out today (Xbox/PC, Steam), and it packs in a whole lot of simulation. It’s hard to imagine topping the 2020 version, which contained the entire world, at scale, 3D modeled and able to be flown over. It had real-time weather and rather detailed physics. You could theoretically fly a helicopter back to your high school football field and land on it, like 15-year reunion royalty. What could come next?
A lot, including a world simulation that Microsoft repeatedly describes as Earth’s “full digital twin.” There are few, if any, real “reviews” up yet, given the size of the game and seemingly late access for reviewers. As such, I offer up all the notable things packed into this latest release so that those with flight sticks, patience, and a desire to get way up yonder can decide whether to take off.
It’s a whole lot smaller, at least on first install. The 2020 version would take about 130GB on first grab (or 90GB if you manually loaded in 10 DVDs), but 2024 is “around 30” gigabytes, according to Asobo CEO Sebastian Wloch, who spoke with TechRadar. This should also be a major boon to those playing on Xbox, where space is more constrained.