Microsoft Flight Simulator is Finally Available in VR
Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the games that was built to achieve three primary goals:
- Accuracy
- Realism
- Authenticity of flight
If you enjoy playing this game, you will be happy to learn that you can easily access Microsoft Flight Simulator’s virtual reality version on your VR headset for PC. The great news was announced by the head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, Jorg Neumann. This is after years of requests from enthusiasts and fans as well as monthly teases.
The company finally decided to give their clients what they want after listening to feedback from gamers. To enjoy this new version, all you have to do is download the latest Microsoft Flight Simulator update. This will deliver the most immersive and deepest virtual flight experience with a wider field of view and a combination of controllers to fly within the game.
It is the same experience you will enjoy playing in VR online casinos, such as Vulkan Casino. This is bound to take gaming to a whole new level. To ensure that the update reaches as many VR players as possible, Microsoft has the free update compatible across a wide range of supported devices. These include:
- A majority of Windows Mixed Reality Headsets (including HP Reverb G2)
- HTC headsets
- Oculus Valve
The update is also delivering a winter makeover. This is where the game’s real-time weather simulation will include ice and snow. From the words of the head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, it is clear that there will be real-time snow as well as true-to-life ice coverage that will cover the entire planet. This is bound to make the game a lot of fun to play. In the past, flying over the North Pole when playing this game was a little bit underwhelming. This is because the terrain was only filled with water, and there was no ice in sight. The update will take care of this giving you a more life-like experience as the weather conditions come to life.
Additionally, the latest patch also comes with a new training mission. One allows you to land and take off with the Airbus A320neo. You get to take part in the Airbus landing challenge to see how well you will perform after the training. The other is a holiday scavenger hunt that comes with festive lights that adorn more than 12 landmarks around the globe.
You can uncover 3 bonus ones depending on the update you will install. Furthermore, this update also includes several tweaks, fixes, and optimizations as well as free liveries. Rufus and Sam liveries for Aviat Pitts Special S2S are examples of what you will encounter. The game will also present an Aviators club livery available for all thirty planes at no cost. Alpha and Beta testers also get access to test pilot livery for the 30 planes. These deliver a heightened level of immersion to the simulator.
Setup and Floating VR Menus
Virtual Reality support is just a click away on your device. It starts with a shortcut conveniently located in the top-level menu of the game. When you turn on VR, it beams the game’s bifocal feed to the VR system you are running in the background. This will immediately overtake the desktop’s feed with a full-screen preview. Keep in mind that it is not possible to reduce the size of the screen or its pixel density. You will also not have the freedom to alt-tab this screen. It simply means that you will have to play with the screen as it is.
You can, however, increase the frame rate if you wish. There are several steps you need to follow to make this possible, and these include:
- Making sure that your graphic drivers are updated to the latest version.
- Reducing the graphics setting found under VR Graphics options.
- Render Scale- this delivers the biggest impact on the framerate, specially for persons who are using higher resolution headsets.
- Reducing traffic setting in the VR traffic options. This is mostly deactivated by default in VR.
Note that there are times when the framerate may be unstable after you switch to VR. This is because there are 2 graphic settings in the sim. One is for VR, and the other is for the desktop. Switching between the two modes can switch the setting dynamically, which can impact performance briefly.
Additionally, it is important to note that you should not take Microsoft Flight Stimulation and tap directly into VR after the first boot. While the game will not tell you this, but gamers need to align two crucial button functions manually for VR’s sake. The first is to switch into and out of virtual reality on the fly. The other is to centre your VR perspective. The second option is required when you are starting the game. This way, your headset will not point in the wrong direction when it comes to toggling. However, if you are not toggled, you can lock the game up by enabling VR.
Improvements that Come with the Update
In addition to offering a realistic flight experience, there are various other improvements that have been made possible with the upgrade. The table below highlights some of the changes the game has.
Closing Thoughts
Microsoft is not yet done with updates in regards to Microsoft Flight Simulator. The game will have its next huge content update on 28th January 2021. This is bound to add some new points.
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