Microsoft Flight Simulator launched just a few days ago on PC, but when is the game coming to Xbox? An Xbox One version of the game is currently in development, but the PC version was developer Asobo Studio’s main priority. Microsoft Flight Simulator leverages a lot of insane technology to recreate the entire planet down to the last detail, and the game requires powerful PC hardware to get the most out of its expansive feature set. The Xbox One port likely requires some additional optimization, which is why it didn’t release simultaneously with the PC version.
Microsoft Flight Simulator Xbox Release Date
There is currently no release date for the Xbox One version of Microsoft Flight Simulator. The PC version of the game released on August 18, 2020, but the Xbox version is coming at a later date. Most of Microsoft’s major titles release simultaneously on PC and Xbox, but Microsoft Flight Simulator joins Gears Tactics as a PC-first title that will come to Xbox sometime in the future.
Speaking to Windows Central, Asobo Studio lead software engineer Martial Bossard shared some information about the Xbox One version of Microsoft Flight Simulator. “We are having to have the best visuals on every single platform, and it’s another layer of optimations.” The Xbox One version of the game will reportedly not have any cut features or functionality either. “We’re doing the work to have a better experience on the Xbox family,” Bossard continued. “Then we will improve the PC version at the same time.” Both versions of the game have been in development alongside one another, and the Xbox version has provided a solid hardware configuration for the team to target during development. Now that the PC version has been released, it’s time for the Xbox One version to prepare for takeoff.
Will Microsoft Flight Simulator Come to Xbox Series X?
With Microsoft’s next-gen console looming on the horizon, it’s hard not to wonder whether Microsoft Flight Simulator will debut on the Xbox Series X. A Series X version of Microsoft Flight Simulator has not been announced, but given Microsoft’s track record with updating and enhancing games like Gears 5 and Forza Horizon 4 for their next-gen machine, a Series X enhanced port of the game seems inevitable. Of course, the team still has to complete the Xbox One version of the game first, but it could launch simultaneously on Xbox One and Xbox Series X if the console version releases after the Series X hits store shelves.
Is Microsoft Flight Simulator on Xbox Game Pass?
Like every first-party Microsoft title, Microsoft Flight Simulator is on Xbox Game Pass. The PC version of the game can be purchased for full price via Steam or the Windows Store, but Xbox Game Pass for PC members can download the game as a part of their subscription. The same will apply to the console version of the game whenever it launches on Xbox One. If you’re subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you can download both the Xbox and PC versions of the game as a part of your subscription.
