Microsoft Flight Simulator Returns

After 14 years out of the industry, Microsoft is back with a new edition of its popular and long-running Flight Simulator franchise. Thomas Haynes evaluates the American tech giant’s latest offering to see how it stacks up against its predecessors and rivals

The simulator features a real-world weather option which depicts the atmospheric conditions of anywhere on the planet

First released in November 1982, Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the best-known home flight simulator programmes on the market. At 37-years-old, it is the longest-running software product line for Microsoft, predating Windows by three years.

The company’s 12th and final release before its 14-year hiatus was Flight Simulator X, which debuted in October 2006. Just under three years later, the Redmond-based firm decided to close Aces Game Studio, which had been the department responsible for creating and maintaining the platform.