Microsoft Flight Simulator is getting a United States world update and closed VR beta this year

Microsoft Flight Simulator is to receive a new world update focused on the United States and a closed virtual reality beta this year.

Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator Jorg Neumann revealed what’s in store for the game over the coming months in a Twitch stream.

“I would like to announce that our world update two will feature the United States and we will launch this later this year,” he said.

Microsoft is planning to deliver world updates “every two to three months on a rolling basis”, Neumann added.

The game’s first free world update was released on Tuesday. Focused on Japan, it includes an upgraded digital elevation map, high-resolution 3D photogrammetry for six Japanese cities, and six handcrafted local airports.

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Neumann also revealed that players can now sign up for a Microsoft Flight Simulator closed virtual reality beta later this year.

“We are planning to do a closed beta for Microsoft Flight Sim VR starting in late October, early November, somewhere around that time,” he said.

VR support is the “number one” request from the Flight Simulator community and a team has been working on it for over a year.

It will be released alongside the upcoming HP Reverb G2 headset, which has been developed in collaboration with Microsoft and Valve.

The beta will later add support for additional devices beyond Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

“The VR experience on Flight Sim, to me, is the single most immersive experience I’ve ever had in making these types of products,” Neumann said.