Shortly before the Christmas holidays, the developers are behind Microsoft Flight Simulator released a new free update for the latest platform. It introduced virtual reality to those with high-end machines, and it also added real-time snow effects around the world. On Monday, the team released a lavish new trailer showcasing their virtual snow machine, and it looks nothing short of magical.
Flight Simulator uses more than two petabytes of Bing Maps imagery, including satellite and photogrammetry, to create a realistic simulation of the entire planet’s surface. But that kind of data can only be captured clearly on sunny days. The restriction has effectively locked the world up in an endless summer since the game was launched in August 2020. The team from Asobo Studio now has a way to map virtual snow on top of the summer landscapes. It’s a remarkable technical achievement, and it makes the already beautiful game so much more inspiring to watch.
The next step will of course be to add autumn colors to the card. Asobo could add it with one of four or five world updates or three major simulation updates promised during 2021, all of which are free to owners. The next major update will give the UK more details. Microsoft Flight Simulator will also launch for the Xbox Series X this summer.