Microsoft Flight Simulator (mainly) hits its landing on Xbox Series X / S

The latest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator released in the summer of 2020 – a particularly harrowing season in a year filled with mandatory self-isolation and worldwide panic. However, there was no better time for an escapism game like Flight Sim to take off from the proverbial tarmac. With incredible technological advancements mapping and rendering the entire world, real-time weather effects and flight traffic patterns are also included! – Players can brave the untamed skies from any track of their choice. The recent console port has been highly anticipated for quite some time, and the graphical and sonic fidelity, now on a television screen, remains unmatched when it comes to simulators. But do the realistic mechanics translate well on the Xbox Series X / S? They do … mostly.

I missed its PC exclusivity, so when I booted up the console version of Flight Simulator for the first time last week, I immediately jumped into training. From taxiing a Cessna 152 onto the runway while maintaining a modest RPM, to entering final approach at an average of 60-65 knots, the expansive user interface and cockpit controls are constant proof of Mental toughness and analog precision. The joystick controls are incredibly responsive and a vast majority of the button mapping you study and use in early lessons, disappointingly, gets lost along the way when you soar into the sky. I can see how insignificant this can be on PC, as the intuition of a mouse allows for incremental adjustments, but applying pressure on a controller can lead to disastrous situations when you least expect it.

A host of assist options help fix annoying flight problems, but I often found that disabling a variety of these sliders made adventures more engaging. Of course, doing this increases the difficulty of successfully staying afloat or landing at potential destinations. In any case, like the swath of pilots who came before, you will spend dozens of hours working through the onboarding process. But if you can emerge from the activity playlist, wings intact, you’ll find that, especially on Xbox Series X / S, Microsoft Flight Simulator is a heavyweight title destined for next-gen games. Loading times, for example, are reminiscent of the Xbox One X; I would pull out my phone and find myself staring at an empty blue bar at the bottom of the screen multiple times. This is not too surprising considering how powerful the photogrammetry technology on display is.

Up close though, the textures are still mediocre (although, an argument to the contrary would question why it would be so dangerously close to any solid structure in the first place!). From above, the world stretches out infinitely. Glowing oceans curve along the incredibly distant horizon, and dense cloud formations obscure the view at tremendous altitudes. Fighting Mother Nature at her worst is always exciting, specifically when violent winds threaten to send you spiraling downward into the bustle of the metropolises below. Make sure to register in your hometown or current real-world location ASAP. While I can’t guarantee you’ll go slow enough or low enough to see your house / apartment, it’s still fun to figuratively “see yourself” in a video game.

In my case, I knew that floating above South Floral Park wouldn’t feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Okay, I’ve made peace with this. Instead, I flew out of JFK International Airport around 10 p.m., the lights from the electric blue runway mingling with rows of gold streetlights. I drove through Queens towards The City That Never Sleeps, the moon barely visible above a slowly approaching storm. Moments like this are pure bliss, and the game has no shortage of stunning views. Almost instantly, I can recognize the appeal of buckling up for an easy flight. Sadly, the pandemic continues as a new strain threatens to restore strict lockdowns. The Microsoft Flight Sim controller mechanics can be frustrating, but the sky-high payoff is worth the effort.

I recommend buying a yoke and stick for optimal play. You can also browse this PC oriented video playlist YouTuber Squirrel for some great, universal tips on how to become a better flier.

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