Microsoft isn’t waiting for its July 23 Xbox Games Showcase to announce some big next-gen gaming news. Indeed, the new Microsoft Flight Simulator game that will get a closed beta later this month will be released PC on August 18, and you can pre-order it now on the Microsoft Store. The game will also be available on Xbox Game Pass for PC on day one, and it should undoubtedly be the biggest game launching on the service since its launch in beta last year.
The digital version of this new Microsoft Flight Simulator game will apparently be exclusive to the Windows 10 Microsoft Store, a surprising move considering the huge success of Halo: MCC and Sea of Thieves on Steam. However, Microsoft has teamed up with Aerosoft to release physical versions of the game at European stores. As for the digital version of the game, there will be three different editions to choose from:
- The Standard Edition ($59.99) that will also be free with Xbox Game Pass for PC will include “20 highly detailed planes with unique flight models and 30 hand-crafted airports.”
- The Deluxe Edition ($89.99) includes all content from the Standard Edition plus “five additional highly accurate planes with unique flight models and five additional handcrafted international airports.”
- The Premium Deluxe Edition ($119.99) will include everything from the game’s Standard Edition plus “10 additional highly accurate planes with unique flight models and 10 additional handcrafted international airports.”
Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of Microsoft’s oldest gaming IPs, with the first game being released in 1982. This new game will leverage Bing Maps data to include over 2 million cities and various environments affected by realistic traffic and weather. We know that the game is also being developed for Xbox consoles, though there are still no details about an Xbox One or Xbox Series X release.
If you’re already an Xbox Game Pass for PC subscriber, you can already pre-download the game’s Standard Edition on your PC. The subscription service is also just $1 for your first month, while the introductory price of $4.99/month still applies to everyone else.
