Following its PC debut in mid-2020, Microsoft Flight Simulator now takes flight on the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles. We are, of course, before one of the most important launches of the desktop platform this year – waiting for Halo Infinite-. While the news of Flight Simulator We detail them in our analysis of the computer version, it is also true that the console experience deserves your own impressions.
Why? Contrary to what many might think, Microsoft Flight Simulator proposes a very different experience on Xbox Series X | S. The reason, obviously, has to do with the mechanics adapted to a traditional control console. The flight simulator has always been distinguished by its playability on computers since its first installment, the one that amazed so many in the distant 1982. However, this time we will forget the keyboard, mouse or any certified accessory for a flight simulator.
So in these impressions we will focus primarily on two key components. The already mentioned gameplay with controller and graphics, which was one of his most interesting and surprising points on PC. Before continuing, you should know that Microsoft Flight Simulator will be available from July 27th on Xbox Series X | S. You can buy it individually in physical or digital format, or enjoy it through Xbox Game Pass.
Enjoying Flight Simulator with a traditional command
Do not forget that Flight Simulator is, above all and true to its name, a flight simulator intended for a niche of people. I mention the above because, due to its availability on consoles, some who are not familiar with the franchise might think that they will find themselves with a casual experience in the style Ace Combat or other similar titles whose learning curve is relatively easy. Flight Simulator it’s something else entirely.
Microsoft has retained each and every playable feature that is present on PC. That is, those elements initially so complex that allow us to take control of an aircraft. Instead of reducing the difficulty of achieving a balanced experience through a controller, Asobo Studio, the team behind the project, opted for dedicate controller buttons to essential mechanics to sustain a journey from start to finish. Anything that is not strictly necessary is left out of the controller’s default settings.
Ok yeah in Flight Simulator From a computer it was already possible to connect an Xbox controller and, in fact, the distribution of the buttons is the same that we now find on consoles. The point is that, having a keyboard and mouse at their disposal, surely very few people resorted to the simplified proposal of the traditional controller. The reality is that on a keyboard you can access secondary functions faster than, despite being dispensable, on more than one occasion you’re going to miss the command.
The clearest example is the access to the menus during the flight. On a keyboard you can enter specific sections from a single key, while on the remote it will be necessary to display a main panel and then navigate around it until you find the parameter you want to use or adjust. Maybe on a long trip where the aircraft can keep itself in the air there is no problem, but the situation changes if you are in a small plane and any carelessness can result in a disaster.
The solution to the previous problem? Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X | S too allows you to create shortcuts by combining buttons. You have total freedom to assign them according to your needs. In my case, the first shortcut configured was to activate the active pause, with which the movement of the aircraft is frozen to take captures from multiple angles with the help of the “Showcase” camera. The simulator lends itself a lot to taking screenshots due to its stunning scenery, but I’ll talk about this later.
If you are one of the people who will try Flight Simulator for the first time, my recommendation is that in the initial configuration you choose the easy mode in all parameters. Also, of course, that you complete all the flight tutorials in the main menu. In them you will learn the behavior of aircraft and the basic concepts of a flight. Be patient, at first it will seem complicated by so much data that you have to keep an eye on on the instrument panel, but with practice it will become an extremely fun experience. Once you’ve mastered the skies in easy mode, you can start climbing difficulties.
A state-of-the-art visual spectacle
Visual performance was one of the biggest doubts – and concerns – about Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X | S. In PC it was necessary to have a next generation graphics card – an Nvidia RTX 3000, for example – to really observe a graphic section that leaves anyone with their mouths open. Fortunately, on Xbox Series X, which was the version we had a chance to test prior to launch, the game looks great most of the time.
The simulator displays a resolution 4K and a variable refresh rate that reaches the 60 FPS. Although there are no drawbacks in the first category, I cannot say the same with the second. In scenarios with a higher level of detail there are considerable frame drops at certain times. They are not constant, yes, but they are quite evident. The version we tested is a build preliminary, so possibly these inconveniences will be corrected with a patch.
Regarding the graphic quality, Flight Simulator lives up to a state-of-the-art experience. However, this only happens in the main cities of the world, which is normal. Cities such as New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Paris, London, Rio de Janeiro and Cairo, among others, have a overwhelming level of detail. The above also applies to popular natural landscapes. It is palpable that in these scenarios manual improvements were made to beautify the staging.
I mention “manuals” because Flight Simulator uses photogrammetry, artificial intelligence and bing maps to generate your scenarios. Others, as I already explained, are modeled by hand. It is thanks to the large amount of data that the Microsoft search engine has that practically you can travel all over the world. It should be mentioned that due to the enormous amount of information in Bing, it would be impossible to store it on a console or computer. That is why the maps are downloaded and generated in real time while you are flying.
And speaking of data, you’d better start making space on your Xbox Series X | S storage unit; the simulator weighs almost 100 GB not including additional content that is available for free. All highly recommended, by the way.
Flight Simulator it is an unmissable experience
If you have an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, Flight Simulator it is a title that you cannot miss. Even though the learning curve might be tough for some at first, spending a few hours learning the necessary concepts will always pay off. Venturing into the virtual skies of various parts of the world becomes, in many moments, a contemplative and even relaxing experience. You will spend a lot of time taking captures, planning trips and contemplating endless urban and natural landscapes.