MSFS World Update 6 improves Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Microsoft Flight SimulatorThe next big update improves the look of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Called World Update 6, the developers showed off a new trailer during Gamescom’s annual gaming convention. The free update launches September 7 for Windows PC and Xbox.

Boss Microsoft Flight Simulator Jorg Neumann tells Polygon that this particular World Update contains some of the most recent data that has been added to the game.

“We choose a region when we have big data: new satellite data, new aerial data,” Neumann said. “In this case, we have new antennas and satellites starting in 2020, so it is what we call ‘fresh’. And then we often work with him [regional governments] for better elevation data. That helps us a lot with things like mountains. The Alps in particular were a little, you know, a little flat there on the original release. “

Some of the new cities and landmarks showcased during today’s trailer include Basel in Switzerland; Graz and Vienna, Austria; and the recently upgraded airports of Lübeck, Stuttgart, Klagenfurt and St. Gallen.

Originally released for PC a year ago, Microsoft Flight Simulator It recently made the move to Xbox Series X with a surprisingly well-optimized experience. The game is also included as part of the Xbox Game Pass program, which means that millions of gamers have the opportunity to try it out. Global updates are part of the game’s ongoing development and are available to download for free. They include more detailed terrain and high-resolution landmarks created with a combination of photogrammetry and painstaking digital rendering.

Previous global updates have included improvements for areas in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, and the Nordic regions, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Perhaps most popular, Neumann said, is the first global update to feature locations in Japan.

“Japan was not really a [big part of the] flight simulator community, and now I see it, ”Neumann said. “People start building airports. People make airplanes. Now a community of simmering cooks is emerging, and that was exactly the point. [of World Updates]. It was like, hey, look at the flight simulation. Look at your country from above and see if you love it, and maybe you will fall in love with aviation like we did. “

PC gamers with rugged computers are in luck, too. According to patch notes Released on August 19, Global Update 6 will also include “off-screen terrain pre-caching.” That means entire sections of the game’s graphic assets will be loaded ahead of time. The developers say that gamers should expect reduced frame rate drops and levels of detail (LOD) when moving the camera.

World Update 6 was originally scheduled to release on August 24. Xbox Game Studios recently made the decision to delay it until September 7.