A third-party developer team makes an F-15 Eagle add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator. DC Designs lists a release window in January on its website; YouTuber Obsidian Ant has already tried and says it could be ready for consumers as soon as January 18th. You can watch his test flight above and on YouTube.
The F-15 add-on comes with four variants of the iconic fourth-generation tactical fighter jet, including the F-15C (air superiority), D (combat trailer), E (Strike Eagle) and I (a variant introduced by the Israeli army is used). While virtual pilots will be able to pick up and load weapons, it is not clear whether you will be able to actually fire the guns or unleash other types of payloads. Since the game does not even show a crash animation, I will not hold my breath.
While the F-15 is capable of reaching Mach 2.5 (about 2000 km / h), developers of the add-on say it Microsoft Flight Simulator currently has a barrier to prevent it. Polygon reached out to Asobo Studio to find out more about it. Regardless, developers say there’s nothing stopping players from reaching speed when the barrier is removed, but if my experience with virtual reality is an indication – it’s nasty on an Intel Core i7 laptop with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 and 32 GB RAM – it’s best to do this only at high altitudes.
I mentioned how Microsoft Flight Simulator creates a completely different kind of landscape in the sky. It uses real-time weather data to simulate cloud formations, and the results are simply staggering. In an F-15 you will be able to explore the clouds much more effectively.
While Microsoft Flight Simulator this summer on the way to Xbox Series X, it’s not yet clear how third-party add-ons like this will move to the new console. Obsidian Ant adds that this will not be a ‘study level’ simulation of what it’s like to actually pilot a fighter jet. For that, flight sim fans will want to stick to platforms like DCS World.