Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020 video game)

Microsoft Flight Simulator (colloquially known as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020) is an amateur flight simulator developed by Asobo Studio and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is an entry in the Microsoft Flight Simulator series which began in 1982, and was preceded by Microsoft Flight Simulator X in 2006. The game is a return of the series after a 14-year absence, with development beginning six years prior to its release. It was released on August 18, 2020, for Microsoft Windows, with a virtual reality (VR) version released in December of the same year—the first in the series to see a VR release. It is also the first game in the series to have a console release, with it being released on the Xbox Series X and Series S on July 27, 2021.
Flight Simulator simulates the topography of the entire Earth using data from Bing Maps. Microsoft Azure's artificial intelligence (AI) generates the three-dimensional representations of Earth's features, using its cloud computing to render and enhance visuals, and real-world data to generate real-time weather and effects. Flight Simulator has a physics engine to provide realistic flight control surfaces, with over 1,000 simulated surfaces, as well as realistic wind modelled over hills and mountains. Some places are handcrafted, introduced in region-specific updates. To augment its realism, the Azure AI also incorporates real-time elements like natural weather and real-world air traffic. The gameplay includes new features like landing challenges and helpers, as well as safaris where pilots can photograph animals from the air. A distinct difference from the other entries is the game does not display any scenes of destruction.
The game was released to critical acclaim, with praise for its graphical fidelity, cited by critics as the "safest way to travel" during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several reviewers also placed it on their favourites' lists and called it the most aesthetically pleasing game of 2020, though there was criticism of its loading times and inaccuracies in rendering of some buildings. Pilots also noted the game's unrealistic aerodynamics. It won Best Sim/Strategy Game at The Game Awards 2020.
Category:Video Games