Leaked Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Footage Is Visually Breathtaking

erek

erek

[H]F Junkie
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Anyone purchasing this?

"With any luck, Microsoft Flight Simulator could make an appearance on the next-gen Xbox hardware, the recently revealed Xbox Series X, taking full advantage of the more advanced hardware to maintain the PC-level experience while potentially offering players a chance to utilize Microsoft's Project xCloud streaming to enjoy flight on the go – although no official announcements have been made yet. Fans will have to wait and see what the future holds for the next Microsoft Flight Simulator title, which is currently planned for release at some point in 2020, but if these new videos are anything to go on, it's going to be a breathtaking experience.
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https://screenrant.com/microsoft-flight-simulator-2020-leaked-footage-breathtaking/
 
Microsoft is taking down any leaked footage from the alpha...seems like they are serious about their NDA...don't mess with Satya Nadella
 
Dunno if this video contains the latest leaked footage, but it talks about it while showing some FS 2020 footage.




I think that this is a very low quality version of one of the videos that were taken down. The two videos are described as: "There are two videos: one showing takeoff and landing and the other shows off some o the weather tech."

 
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Looks good. Some people are really, REALLY into the flight sim thing. I'm not one of them, but I can appreciate the level of detail and care taken to make the series. I understand some people have rigs that probably could have paid for flight school, to play these things.
 
I remember playing v4 and v5 back in the day and thinking how amazing they looked...v2020 has come a very long ways.
 
The perpetual problem with realistic flight simulators (and a key reason why they have small audiences) is that doing them justice usually requires a significant investment in hardware: a joystick or yoke, pedals, maybe a throttle... you really can't play with just a mouse and keyboard.

If I were a Windows user I'd geek out over it, but I'd have a tough time convincing myself to spend several hundred dollars on peripherals on top of the high-end PC needed to do this justice.
 
Aurelius said:
The perpetual problem with realistic flight simulators (and a key reason why they have small audiences) is that doing them justice usually requires a significant investment in hardware: a joystick or yoke, pedals, maybe a throttle... you really can't play with just a mouse and keyboard.

If I were a Windows user I'd geek out over it, but I'd have a tough time convincing myself to spend several hundred dollars on peripherals on top of the high-end PC needed to do this justice.
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that's what i said 7 or 8 years ago... 10k+ dollars later i'm still saying it.. :p but that's also the difference between a hobby and a game..

to be fare though you really don't need to invest that much money into it if you do it right and do your research. when i first started off i just got a cheapo CH yoke, CH pedals, logitech throttle control and that was only 350 bucks total and haven't had to replace a single part this entire time and mostly used freeware stuff in fs04/p3d/xp10/11 but now i don't even want to think how much money i've sunk into mods/aircraft for xp11, lol. microsofts hamfisted NDA limits what i can say but personally i think how they handle mods/3rd party aircraft is going to be the deciding factor on whether or not FS20 is successful within the enthusiast communities, they better not fk it up but either way we'll have vulkan support in xp11 soon'ish so i'll be happy.


Joust said:
Looks good. Some people are really, REALLY into the flight sim thing. I'm not one of them, but I can appreciate the level of detail and care taken to make the series. I understand some people have rigs that probably could have paid for flight school, to play these things.
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i wish but the reality is flight school and getting a GA license is stupidly expensive and is why GA flying is dying. even the most expensive setups out there and i'm talking the people that build actual cockpits in full detail with all the proper working switches are still cheaper.
 
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Got my father the yoke/throttle/pedals for Christmas.

I can see how someone could easily sink 1000s into this ‘game’.
 
odditory said:
VR support? That would be a mind blower
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Flight sims have been supporting Track IR for well over a decade, and this translated to VR (which just wraps a screen to your face). Which is an improvement, but yes, it will have VR. A flight sim without VR in 2020-2021 would be obscene.
 
I haven't gotten to try a VR headset out yet, but I agree and always thought paired with a flight sim it would be amazing.

As far as FS2020, iirc they said not at release but VR support would definitely be something they're going to add.
 
Are they dynamically generating the landscape based on satellite tech? I can't imagine they are hand crafting it.
 
Still have my Warthog HOTAS stick and pedals, so good to go on this. For me, I actually like to do everything a real pilot would do when in a flight sim. Makes it more immersive imho. (I remember playing Megafortress where you had to go through your flight checklist to get your B-52 up and flying while the base was being attacked)
From what I can see, the ground/buildings look a lot better though. No use having a stunningly beautiful sim from up high and the ground is perfectly flat once you get near it. But that's just me. o_O
 
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viivo said:
My fondest memories are of choosing to forego the manual and dive right into Flight Sim 2000, and then sitting on the tarmac for 20 minutes trying to get my plane started.
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I fired up Flight Simulator 95 for the first time and had the same problem. So I immediately went to one of the scenarios in which you start in the air and have to land the plane, I did not perform a controlled landing.
 
NeoNemesis said:
Got my father the yoke/throttle/pedals for Christmas.

I can see how someone could easily sink 1000s into this ‘game’.
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I can't...if your sinking that much money into the game why not just go get your license and fly real planes? Outside of the few individuals who have a disability that would prevent it that is.
 
I'm skeptical. I've seen enough pre-alpha videos from gaming companies where it looks nothing like the production game for me to doubt some of these clips.
 
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kju1 said:
I can't...if your sinking that much money into the game why not just go get your license and fly real planes? Outside of the few individuals who have a disability that would prevent it that is.
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You clearly have no idea how much it costs to do this. Getting your license isn't the same as renting/owning an aircraft, hanger space, and using the facilities at your neighbourhood aerodrome..... Much less fueling it up and getting airborne. Then you can only do this when the weather cooperates.

On second thought, if I'm going to play a flying Sim I'm in an A10 slinging missiles at shit in dcs, not circling la in a Cessna asking for permission to land
 
travm said:
You clearly have no idea how much it costs to do this. Getting your license isn't the same as renting/owning an aircraft, hanger space, and using the facilities at your neighbourhood aerodrome..... Much less fueling it up and getting airborne. Then you can only do this when the weather cooperates.
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:) Oh really? Ok I will bite. Flight training is about 6-10k. National average is around 9k (55 hours at 165/hr). A skilled/competent person can do it in the minimum required time (35 or 40 hours depending on chosen path). The OP I quoted said "I can easily see people throwing thousands into this". Thousands for a game or thousands for an actual skill you could use for the rest of your life. Hmmm....which one would I pick?

But lets ago ahead and cover your points:

travm said:
Getting your license isn't the same as renting/owning an aircraft
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Correct. However I will point out you do not need to own an aircraft to get a license. It does help but its not necessary and in fact a minority of people that get their licenses own from day 1. Most get their license first then later on buy. You do need to rent, which is fairly trivial and more cost effective for most. Rental costs are included in my national average quote above.

travm said:
hanger space
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Irrelevant. Hangars are not required, tie downs are significantly cheaper and most flight schools will use them as will most owners. Hangars in my area go for 400/month, tie downs for less than 1/4 of that. Regardless whatever the plane is (hangared or tie down) it will be included in the cost of the rental.

travm said:
and using the facilities at your neighbourhood aerodrome
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Incorrect, this is in fact part of learning. Learning how to use the facilities at your local airport or aerodrome (of which there is a difference) is fundamental and will be taught to you for no additional charge. Side note: all airports are aerodromes, but not all aerodromes are airports.. But largely irrelevant in this context anyway.

travm said:
Much less fueling it up and getting airborne.
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I am unsure what you are trying to say here. Fueling it is quite trivial and is included in costs at most schools (rater are either wet or dry, most schools/clubs etc rent wet) . Also fueling and getting it airborne are fundamentals in your training. You will learn both on day 1. I guarantee it. If you aren't, go find a new instructor. And neither will cost you a penny more than youre already paying for that lesson UNLESS youre renting the plane dry. Which is actually a pretty good deal.

travm said:
Then you can only do this when the weather cooperates.
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And your point is? How often does the weather NOT cooperate? Especially if you take it one step further and get your instrument rating. Then you can fly in stormy weather. The question of the weather cooperating is one of pilot skill and proficiency (assuming you have an IFR cert). If you have a VFR only cert (most people start with this), its just a matter of meeting regulatory minimums for visibility and cloud ceilings and you comfort for winds. Minimum VFR conditions are 1 mile visibility and clear of clouds in the USA (class G airspace during the day 14 CFR 91.155). I will allow that lots of areas have *slightly* higher minimums of 1 mile and 500' below the clouds,. But effectively this means the lowest ceiling is either 501' or 1001' depending on your area for VFR flights. This might not make sense practically but regulations do not need to. So in summary even for VFR pilots there is a lot of leeway in determining if the "weather is cooperating" and thus pilots are expected to utilize good judgement.

In summary this is a vague statement that seems to be rather disingenuous considering general aviation aircraft fly in all sorts of conditions all the time...

travm said:
You clearly have no idea how much it costs to do this.
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Now...as to my credentials. I am a certified professional pilot and flight instructor. I have actually taught this subject to numerous people. Most of my students have paid around $6,000 in total for their licenses as costs in my area are actually below the national average. A few paid considerably more since they had issues learning and were considerably slower. But every student I have taught has passed on their first check ride. Every flight review I have given has increased the knowledge and safety of the pilot receiving it.

I have well over 10 years of aviation experience. I have owned 3 different aircraft and flown dozens of different types of aircraft. I've taught students, flight tested aircraft after modifications/repairs, ferried aircraft across the country, flown for charities, and done aerial photography/surveys amongst other things.

So yes when someone says they expect to throw thousands (and not qualify it with how many thousands) into a game that simulates something I do on an almost daily basis I question the motivation and say "But why not do it for real?". And maybe their answer is they don't want to or they can't or they really meant just two or three thousand. Whatever that's fine, but I feel like I am in a good position, given my experience, to point out that they could spend that money on a life skill and have WAY more fun with it. And its not like that 6-10k is upfront. Some people spread that out over 2-3 years, some do it in 90 days. Its highly individual. I just had a college student who saved every penny she earned since she was a little girl and ~65 days after our first lesson (she was very good) she's now a private pilot.

So now do you want to have a real conversation about how the game isn't anything like flying a real plane? I used to play these extensively until I got my license. Now I might use them out of curiosity or if the local approved sim is busy to test fly an instrument procedure for an unfamiliar airport. They have their uses, but not thousands of dollars worth (to me anyway).

P.S. Its a good way to get over a fear of heights. ;)
 
I'll stick to sims. $1000 for a chair, pedals and hotas vs , I quit reading the post at 10k. If you know what it cost, then clearly there is some other element in this you aren't grasping.

I would love to fly an actual plane, but I'm much happier with my boat, and I can pull it to the lake with my truck. If I had a pilots license, I would have neither. $
 
travm said:
I'll stick to sims. $1000 for a chair, pedals and hotas vs , I quit reading the post at 10k. If you know what it cost, then clearly there is some other element in this you aren't grasping.

I would love to fly an actual plane, but I'm much happier with my boat, and I can pull it to the lake with my truck. If I had a pilots license, I would have neither. $
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$1000 isn't "thousands". Its a thousand. I quoted a person who said they could see someone throwing thousands at a game. As in multiple. Big difference. At the very least read this:

So now do you want to have a real conversation about how the game isn't anything like flying a real plane? I used to play these extensively until I got my license. Now I might use them out of curiosity or if the local approved sim is busy to test fly an instrument procedure for an unfamiliar airport. They have their uses, but not thousands of dollars worth (to me anyway).

I also have a Jon boat ;). I fish extensively when I am not in the air. I used to do ALL of that on a meager govt salary. Id pay $50 bucks for the game and treat it like any other game but spending thousands? Boggles my mind on why anyone would do that for a game. Real life is much more fun.

Lets put it this way: Would you spend thousands on a boating simulator?
 
Joust said:
Looks good. Some people are really, REALLY into the flight sim thing. I'm not one of them, but I can appreciate the level of detail and care taken to make the series. I understand some people have rigs that probably could have paid for flight school, to play these things.
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I am one of those flight sim junkies. 👍

This looks absolutely great, I cannot wait.
 
kju1 said:
$1000 isn't "thousands". Its a thousand. I quoted a person who said they could see someone throwing thousands at a game. As in multiple. Big difference. At the very least read this:

So now do you want to have a real conversation about how the game isn't anything like flying a real plane? I used to play these extensively until I got my license. Now I might use them out of curiosity or if the local approved sim is busy to test fly an instrument procedure for an unfamiliar airport. They have their uses, but not thousands of dollars worth (to me anyway).

I also have a Jon boat ;). I fish extensively when I am not in the air. I used to do ALL of that on a meager govt salary. Id pay $50 bucks for the game and treat it like any other game but spending thousands? Boggles my mind on why anyone would do that for a game. Real life is much more fun.

Lets put it this way: Would you spend thousands on a boating simulator?
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Different strokes for different folks, but there are people that spend "thousands" on games like MMOs, World of Tanks/Ships/whatever the pay to play game is trendy.

People like what they like.
 
kamxam said:
Still have my Warthog HOTAS stick and pedals, so good to go on this. For me, I actually like to do everything a real pilot would do when in a flight sim. Makes it more immersive imho. (I remember playing Megafortress where you had to go through your flight checklist to get your B-52 up and flying while the base was being attacked)
From what I can see, the ground/buildings look a lot better though. No use having a stunningly beautiful sim from up high and the ground is perfectly flat once you get near it. But that's just me. o_O
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What pedals do you use and what do you recommend?
Also is your warthog stock or modded?
 
Joust said:
Not in SC are you? I'd totally lay $6k for a license. What's the annual maintenance cost on that?
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Nope, I am based in MD this year. SC should have similar rates. The minimum you spend is up to you on a yearly basis. Whatever you want to fly you fly. if youre < 40 your minimum cost is ~$100 every 5 years for a medical exam (less if you go basic med and combine it with your regular physical), and another whatever charts you need. Rough guess (because I haven't totaled it up) my 'fixed' non plane owning costs just to keep ready to fly is probably around $200-$300 yr. I fly fairly often so my expenditure is higher but really there is no regulation saying thou shalt fly x number of times in a year. Only regulation is if you want to carry passengers do you have to do some landings...and those can be accomplished right before ;). Of course there's a difference between the minimum required and what's both safe and proficient but that varies by person.

If you want PM me and I can give you a rundown of the process and field any questions you might have. I did a quick google search and theres lots of schools and clubs in SC. In Greenville it looked like the going rate for a 172 was about 145/hr which I thought was a bit high. Saw roughly the same in Myrtle Beach but those are 141 flights schools so I expect them to be a bit above average in terms of cost. You can get by with less hours (35 vs 40) and its structured learning vs 161 which is unstructured.

Darunion said:
I don't get my flight license for the same reason I don't get my stunt drivers training. I am a pussy and I like to have simulated dangerous fun in a game instead. :D
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Perfectly acceptable reason. But flying is safer than driving a car, just less forgiving of mistakes.
 
kju1 said:
I can't...if your sinking that much money into the game why not just go get your license and fly real planes? Outside of the few individuals who have a disability that would prevent it that is.
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My father is 67 with a heart condition that prevents him from ever flying a plane. Further to that, it costs like 12-14k for a pilots licence in Canada and then you have to buy or rent an airplane.

kju1 said:
$1000 isn't "thousands". Its a thousand. I quoted a person who said they could see someone throwing thousands at a game. As in multiple. Big difference. At the very least read this:

So now do you want to have a real conversation about how the game isn't anything like flying a real plane? I used to play these extensively until I got my license. Now I might use them out of curiosity or if the local approved sim is busy to test fly an instrument procedure for an unfamiliar airport. They have their uses, but not thousands of dollars worth (to me anyway).

I also have a Jon boat ;). I fish extensively when I am not in the air. I used to do ALL of that on a meager govt salary. Id pay $50 bucks for the game and treat it like any other game but spending thousands? Boggles my mind on why anyone would do that for a game. Real life is much more fun.

Lets put it this way: Would you spend thousands on a boating simulator?
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Cost $500 for just the yoke/throttle/peddles. If he decides to get the chair, the 3 monitor setup and all of the other peripherals you'd be looking at an extra 2-3 thousand minimum.

You're criticizing someone for a hobby on a forum where people pay a thousand plus for video cards that are 20-30 percent better than the one they paid thousands for a year earlier.
 
NeoNemesis said:
My father is 67 with a heart condition that prevents him from ever flying a plane. Further to that, it costs like 12-14k for a pilots licence in Canada and then you have to buy or rent an airplane.



Cost $500 for just the yoke/throttle/peddles. If he decides to get the chair, the 3 monitor setup and all of the other peripherals you'd be looking at an extra 2-3 thousand minimum.

You're criticizing someone for a hobby on a forum where people pay a thousand plus for video cards that are 20-30 percent better than the one they paid thousands for a year earlier.
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I didn't criticize, I said I didn't understand, absent some disability (which your father has), why someone would go that route vs not doing it in real life. I did qualify my statement by saying I understood some people physically cannot or do not want to or will have valid reasons...jeez.

Also no shit you need a play to fly...and owning or renting is the only way aside from borrowing from a friend lol. I like how everyone brings that up like its some impossible thing.

Got some stats on the costs in Canada? My research shows 12-14k CAD which is roughly 9-10k...
 
Now there can't even be a discussion about a flight sim without someone going on a diatribe about getting a pilots license instead? lol

Racing games? Go rent a sports car. FPS? Go to the shooting range or go play paint ball.

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People spending thousands of dollars on flight sims like this aren't flying around in it with a Cessna.
 
Indeed. Now it is late and maybe I misread something, but 6-8K is a lot for a flight sim. $2K PC, $1K monitor, $1K HOTAS/pedals (top of the line) and if you want to invest in VR, another $1K. Adds, probably $2K. That is around $7K and obviously, you can play other games or even find said PC useful for work type stuff. But that will last many years and account for hours of entertainment. $6-9K just covers getting a license. Then account for the time, the cost of renting a plane, fuel costs, keeping qualified and whatnot. Some people simply don't have time for that. Much easier to plan 2-3 days in advance to play a flight sim at 11PM because you don't need to get up early tomorrow.
 
kju1 said:
I didn't criticize, I said I didn't understand, absent some disability (which your father has), why someone would go that route vs not doing it in real life.
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Because flying in real life is boring AF and takes tons of time. Not to mention dealing with paperwork and airspace permits. Besides I listened to a few air traffic controller recordings and about 90% of the time I can't decipher wtf they are saying. Of course there is no air traffic control at small airports but still.
I'd rather have fun with zero risk while disregarding all rules in the book, and then some. (I darn well hope the game doesn't force you to obey rules)
I agree though that spending thousands on it is needless and unrealistic. I have a $30 set of pedals from 1997 and a $50 stick from about 2007 and it is more than enough to enjoy a flightsim for me. That's a much lower barrier to entry than anything real. Besides where I live even $6000 is prohibitively expensive. (That's about the local price for a PPL license)
 
seanreisk said:
I like WWI and WWII flight sims. I might buy it when you can shoot things.
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my hope is that after all this is finished they attempt to bring back the Air Warrior series those were the games i grew up playing, also remember my dad yelling at me many times for leaving the computer online(dialup) while i was at school because i wanted to see how high up i could get the B17 since there was no actual limit, instead it just decreased your rate of climb and air speed the higher up you went. it took 8 hours to get to 70k ft, leaving aol on for 8 hours back then... expensive lol. lots of yard mowing and dishes but was totally worth it.
 
sirmonkey1985 said:
my hope is that after all this is finished they attempt to bring back the Air Warrior series those were the games i grew up playing, also remember my dad yelling at me many times for leaving the computer online(dialup) while i was at school because i wanted to see how high up i could get the B17 since there was no actual limit, instead it just decreased your rate of climb and air speed the higher up you went. it took 8 hours to get to 70k ft, leaving aol on for 8 hours back then... expensive lol. lots of yard mowing and dishes but was totally worth it.
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I don't get it, it was an always online game in dial up times? Why did you need to leave it online?
 
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