The newest Microsoft Flight Simulator was one of the biggest games released last year, both in terms of its scope and its reception. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is the fastest-growing entry in its series, having accumulated more than two million users as of December, and developer Asobo Studio has continued to update the experience for those sticking with it. Today, it announced real-time snow as a new feature.
Last month, Microsoft Flight Simulator added VR support across all major headsets in a free update. This was one of many updates outlined by a roadmap released in November, which promises there will be an overhaul to the contents of the United Kingdom for its in-game Earth on January 28. However, snow was not mentioned in this roadmap, which suggests the developers were holding onto it as a sort of holiday surprise.
The addition of real-time snow was unveiled in an official post by the development team meant to celebrate the new year, though its minute-long trailer focuses more on the aesthetic of snow in Microsoft Flight Simulator than it does the mechanics behind it. There are a number of shots that depict planes flying over landscapes as they cleanly transition into their snowy counterparts, showcasing covered trees, buildings, and even frozen bodies of water.
The game does have weather effects, which players used to their advantage by flying into Hurricane Laura using Microsoft Flight Simulator last August, but today's "Let It Snow" trailer does not show live snowfall changing the map. It does offer viewers the chance to see different environments with blankets of white covering green expanses in multiple stages, so presumably the promise of real-time snow will offer some impressive visuals.
At the very least, this update adds another element of realism to the simulation. Microsoft Flight Simulator was one of the best multiplayer games of 2020, and a big reason for this is the full-scale planet that fans could explore at their leisure which was during a time when many places were under lockdown due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the occasional visual glitch, it's hard to say Asobo has not succeeded in bringing the Earth to life more than any previous entry in the series. With more updates planned to bolstering the immersion further, it's impressive to look at how well Microsoft Flight Simulator has performed even before it releases on Xbox Series X/S this summer.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is available on PC, and releases for Xbox Series X/S in summer 2021.
Source: Microsoft Flight Simulator