Asobo Studio heeft Sim Update 5 uitgebracht voor Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. De update brengt een reeks technische verbeteringen, maar de grootste blikvanger is de toevoeging van ondersteuning voor de PlayStation VR2.
VR en performance upgrades
Met de nieuwe VR2-support kunnen spelers de cockpit nu volledig in virtual reality ervaren op PS5. Daarnaast richt de update zich sterk op prestaties, met onder andere:
- Fixes voor AMD Radeon RX 9000-serie GPU’s
- Algemene performance-optimalisaties
- Verbeterde stabiliteit
Verbeteringen aan Career Mode
Ook de Career Mode krijgt een flinke upgrade:
- Alle carrièrepaden zijn nu direct vrijgespeeld
- Diverse quality-of-life verbeteringen
Een belangrijke toevoeging is het nieuwe ATC-queue systeem, waarbij verzoeken van spelers prioriteit krijgen. Daarnaast zijn ground services betrouwbaarder gemaakt, zodat problemen met één service niet langer de rest beïnvloeden.
Meer toegankelijk en soepeler
Met deze update lijkt Asobo Studio vooral in te zetten op toegankelijkheid en gebruiksgemak, zonder de sim-diepte uit het oog te verliezen.
Beschikbaarheid
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is beschikbaar op PC, PS5 en Xbox Series X/S.
Met Sim Update 5 wordt de ervaring niet alleen stabieler, maar ook een stuk meeslepender – vooral voor VR-spelers.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Sim update 5 patch notes:
Technical Polish
- Performance Improvement: Optimization in SU_05 improves frame rates and reduces stuttering, especially in large cities and complex airports.
- AMD Hardware Fix: We have implemented a fix for visual glitches on AMD Radeon RX 9xxx series cards, ensuring exposure levels remain consistent across all hardware architectures.
Virtual Reality
- PS VR2 Launch: Arriving as a free update for all PS5 owners of MSFS 2024.
- VR-Specific HUD: Simmers can now toggle the HUD off specifically for VR while keeping it on for 2D play.
- Tooltips Display: Tooltip cards in VR are now positioned closer to the switches you’re looking at, reducing eye strain and “floaty” UI.
Career Mode Improvements
- Heavy & VTOL Unlocked: Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) content as well as all “Heavy” aircraft specializations are now available.
- Smarter Dispatching: The sim leverages more information to check for runway lights at night and runway length requirements before sending simmers on a mission. Search & Rescue and Banner pickup zones have also been reconciled with vegetation information.
- New ATC Queueing System: Ensures that the player’s requests take priority. Simmers no longer have to wait up to several minutes to get a landing clearance because an AI plane is repeating its taxi instructions.
- Reliable Ground Services: Even if one service (like catering) is unavailable, the rest of the ground crew (baggage, fuel, jetway) will now function correctly to keep players on schedule.
- Mission Spawning: Additional parking spot tests and assignments fallback to ensure simmers do not spawn on parking stands that are too small anymore, or on parking spots that are unusable because of obstacles.
UI Improvements
- Aircraft Selection: Aircraft variation types are now visible in the aircraft selector.
- Controller Support: Improved interaction feedback when using sliders or menus with a controller.
- Sim Rate Feedback: Sim rate is now conveniently displayed under the mini-map.
- Graphics Settings: New Global Rendering Quality page.
- Flight Interface Settings: New Air Flow Visualization section.
Aircraft & Avionics
- Avidyne IFD540/550: Pilots can now fly the legendary Cessna 172 Skyhawk (Classic) equipped with the Avidyne stack as a high-fidelity alternative to the standard GNS units.
- Weather Radar API: The platform now allows aircraft developers to provide authentic weather radars including the tilt function.
- Aircraft Improvements: Numerous improvements were made to the aircraft fleet.
