Microsoft Flight Simulator Xbox Series X|S gets July 27 release date

What you need to know

• Microsoft Flight Simulator is launching on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles on July 27, available for standalone purchases or via an Xbox Game Pass subscription.
• The Xbox console release features the same virtual globetrotting as the acclaimed PC version, leveraging cloud technologies, satellite imagery, mapping data, and artificial intelligence.
• The game won't be releasing on Xbox One consoles, despite initial teasers in 2019, now requiring the latest generation systems.

Microsoft Flight Simulator witnessed its PC revival last year, using satellite imagery and artificial intelligence, scaling up an ambitious 1:1 digital double of the entire globe. The game proved a technical showcase for Microsoft's cloud empire, with ultra-realistic simulations for aviators and stunning virtual vistas to explore. Microsoft also announced the game with plans for an Xbox release, mostly recently confirming a summer 2021 window for the console port.

Microsoft has announced an imminent launch for Microsoft Flight Simulator, eyeing a July 27, 2021, release date on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. The news comes via the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase event, where the company debuted a new trailer for the title via a live broadcast, as a part of E3 2021.

The latest entry in the Microsoft Flight Simulator series made its debut last summer, earning widespread acclaim for its ground-breaking, cloud-backed sandbox. The game utilizes satellite imagery via Bing Maps, coupled with detailed photogrammetry, creating an authentic replica of almost every inch of the globe. That accuracy spans the world's largest cities, down to the single tree, all generated on the fly via the cloud, using real-world data.

Microsoft Flight Simulator launched with hefty system requirements, even pushing the best graphics cards to the limit at launch. That's seen the focus shifting to its Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. These latest generation devices pack improved processing power, speedy solid-state drive (SSD) storage, among other hardware advancements, both supporting more demanding games for the years to come. However, that's seen plans for its Xbox One version, first announced at E3 2019, seemingly abandoned.