World exploration hits new heights
MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR Series X/S, PC
THE original Flight Simulator, released in 1982, set the tone for decades of flight sims. The scratchy cockpit, with endless dials and a narrow window through which to watch the world float by, was a game for would-be pilots and 1980s dads in the midst of a midlife crisis. Forty years on and, after a brief hiatus, Microsoft Flight Simulator returns to the skies – only now, with the series reaching consoles for the first time, the aerial escapism is for everyone, not just Top Gun fans.
This flight simulator is not what it seems. Flight sim? Try world sim. Beneath the wings there’s a near-photorealistic global sandbox of the entire Earth, created by French developers Asobo Studio with satellite imagery, real-world mapping and weather data. The result is a stunning digital double of our entire planet, which can be flown around in real time. A world that bristles with billions of roads, buildings, cities, sunsets, islands, deserts, lakes… you name it, it’s here, rendered in glorious detail. What’s more, it’s a world that keeps on growing with regular patches.
Released on PC last year it is also, without doubt, the toughest test yet for Microsoft’s next-generation series of consoles. Even on highspec PCs, it was a challenge to run as smooth as an ace pilot’s landings – so just how well do the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S do?
As the duo platform’s first title to leapfrog the Xbox One series of consoles, this is a rare next-gen experience. The first thing to note is the relatively low frame rates – the Series X, the flagship machine, targets 4K resolution at 30 framesper-second (FPS), whereas its affordable counterpart bags 1080p resolution at 30fps. Don’t worry, though – this is a flight simulator and, as such, its pedestrian pace doesn’t ask too much of that frame refresh rate. So aside from minor frame drops and some rare stutters in low altitude in built-up areas, flight was sans turbulence.
As expected, the Series X graphically overpowers the Series S, with clear visual differences and, at moments, it even rivals the fidelity of a top PC. The latter struggles when extreme weather is in play (apt for a flight sim) but, crucially, when you’re cruising up high, the wow factor remains. Everything looks as it would when you shoot a glance out the window of a plane during take-off or landing, whether you’re spying the snow-capped Andes, cruising across the hotspots of southern France or flying in moonlight over the glistening ocean off the New Zealand coast. On cloud nine in your living room? You’re on.
If you wish to dive deep into the cockpit, all the dials and difficulties of real-life flight, from altitude to air speed, are here, with tutorial flights that leave no instrument unlearned. The controls are flightstick-and-throttle-compatible too and accessible with a controller scheme that will be easy to pick up for those with a basic understanding of flight. The menus are a drag, though, with many still using an annoying cursor-style set-up.
Some may argue that Microsoft Flight Simulator isn’t so much a game as an experience, and while flight challenges and a global scoreboard add a sprinkle of competitive spirit, that’s not really the point here. This is all about the journey and even if some of the sights may not sparkle as brightly as they do on PC, the whole world really is in your hands.