FEBRUARY 24TH, 2022 DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

Posted by: Microsoft Flight Simulator Team

Screenshot by Punkoflyer (Forum)

We are on track to release Sim Update 8 on Monday, February 28th on all platforms. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Beta leading up to this release. We are thankful for the help in improving the build version overall. Stay tuned for more discussion during our monthly Dev Q&A coming next Wednesday, March 2nd at 10:30am PST (1830Z) on Twitch.

– MSFS TEAM –

 

DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP

Click here for the web-friendly version.

 

FEEDBACK SNAPSHOT

Click here for the web-friendly version. To learn more about Accessibility in Microsoft Flight Simulator, click here.

We are working on revamping our Bugs & Issues section to better reflect the top bugs in our Feedback Snapshot. More updates to come!

 

SDK UPDATE

• General:
  • As you know, Sim Update 8 is imminent. Alongside this new release, we will publish three updated Video Tutorials (related to Audio) on Microsoft Flight Simulator’s YouTube channel.
  • We are also polishing the new Documentation Website. Goodbye lite mode, hello darkness! This new design will be more comfortable and we have managed to make it easier to use so you can easily find what you’re looking for.
  • The “How to Make an Aircraft” Tutorial will be online alongside Sim Update 8 with a huge focus on the Modeling section!
• DevMode:
  • We fixed minor issues with the Marketplace 2.0 Sample.
  • We are making good progress to render the game in a separate window. This is the first step towards the creation of preset layouts for each Editor. The struggle to organize your DevMode floating windows shall end soon!
  • Scenery Editor:
    • We fixed the fact that polygons were not saving hierarchy attributes.
  • Visual Effects Editor:
    • We fixed the GravityVector node that was not taking input into account to scale its output.
    • We fixed the fact that you could add nodes in your graph with no FX document opened.
• SDK:
  • We refactored WASM support to allow for easier integration of extensions.

 

3RD PARTY UPDATE

• As of 02/18, we have now approved 235 (+1) third parties into the in-sim marketplace and – so far 136 (+2) have released 927 products on PC (+15) and 628 on Xbox (+14).
• In total, 1,880 products (+41) have already been released in 3rd party stores and the in-sim marketplace. Beyond that, another 536 products (+5) from 3rd party developers are in production (302 announced, 234 unannounced). In total, over 2,416 3rd party products (+48) are either released or are in development.
• Airports:
  • 1380 airports (+8) are either released or are in various stages of development.
    • 1143 airports (+8) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
    • 640 airports (+11) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
    • 126 airports (-1) beyond the released airports have been announced.
    • 111 airports (+1) are not announced, but the dev let us know that an airport is in production.
• Aircraft:
  • 327 aircraft (+5) are either released or are in various stages of development.
    • 105 aircraft (+0) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
    • 72 aircraft (+1) have been released in the in-sim PC marketplace.
    • 46 aircraft (+1) have been released in the in-sim Xbox marketplace.
    • 160 aircraft (+1) beyond the released aircraft have been announced.
    • 62 aircraft (+4) are not announced, but the dev let us know that an aircraft is in production.
• Scenery:
  • 629 sceneries (+35) are either released or are in various stages of development.
    • 554 sceneries (+33) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
    • 126 sceneries (+0) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
    • 16 sceneries (-1) beyond the released scenery have been announced.
    • 59 sceneries (+3) are not announced, but the dev let us know that scenery is in production.
• Mission Packs:
  • 80 mission packs (+0) are either released or are in various stages of development.
    • 78 mission packs (+0) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
    • 8 mission packs (+0) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
    • 0 mission packs (+0) beyond the released missions have been announced.
    • 2 mission packs (+0) are not announced, but the dev let us know that they are in production.

 

MARKETPLACE UPDATE

Click here for a web-friendly version.

There are 34 new and 13 updated products in the Marketplace today. Marketplace updates generally go live on Thursdays between the release of this blog post and 5pm PT.

34 NEW PRODUCTS: 17 ON PC, 17 ON XBOX
New on PC and Xbox ✅	New on PC and Xbox ✅	New on PC and Xbox ✅
New on PC and Xbox ✅	New on PC and Xbox ✅	New on PC and Xbox ✅
New on PC and Xbox ✅	New on PC and Xbox ✅	New on PC and Xbox ✅
New on PC and Xbox ✅	New on PC and Xbox ✅	New on PC and Xbox ✅
New on PC and Xbox ✅	New on PC and Xbox ✅	New on PC and Xbox ✅
New on PC and Xbox ✅		New on PC and Xbox ✅

 

13 UPDATED PRODUCTS: 6 ON PC, 7 ON XBOX
Updated on PC and Xbox ✅	Updated on PC and Xbox ✅	Updated on PC and Xbox ✅
Updated on Xbox ✅	Updated on PC and Xbox✅	Updated on PC and Xbox ✅
	Updated on PC and Xbox✅

 

AIRSHOW INVITATION

We are excited to partner with community members from the Flight Simulator Thunderbirds to host the Wings over the Web Virtual Airshow on Twitch!

Join us live on May 22 as performers from around the world display breathtaking stunts and precision formation flying in the virtual skies. Featuring performances by the Flight Simulator Thunderbirds and RAAFv Roulettes, this virtual airshow will be an event you won’t want to miss.

Right now there is an open call for airshow acts. If you are interested in performing, whether as a solo act or with a group of simmers, click here to learn more and sign up!

 

TWITCH UPDATE

We stream weekly on Twitch.tv/MSFSOfficial! February 25 is a special holiday in the Philippines that commemorates the 1986 People Power Revolution, a non-violent movement that resulted in the restoration of democracy in the Philippines following 20 years of dictatorial rule. To mark the occasion, Friday’s Fly-In will be over Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines archipelago and home to the capital city of Manila. All are welcome to participate! Click here for more details.

 

COMMUNITY VIDEO

Third-party developer PMDG recently showcased some footage of their next plane for Microsoft Flight Simulator, the highly-anticipated Boeing 737! We know many of you in the community are anxious to see more about this upcoming plane, so check out the video below which showcases both interior and exterior shots of the 737 on the ground and in the skies.

 

SCREENSHOT CHALLENGE

You can now submit your screenshot via Twitter with #MSFSchallenge or the Weekly Forum Post! This week’s screenshot challenge: Color Series – Green

This past week our Screenshot Challenge was “Patterns in Nature“. We were so impressed with your screenshots, we included three extra winners! Here are our runner ups this week:

Screenshot by ScenicAtol37419 (Forums)

Screenshot by akysmile (Twitter)

Screenshot by CapitanBrando57 (Forum)

Screenshot by DaveBGaming (Forum)

Screenshot by illu_kamaz (Twitter)

Screenshot by isaiahnparadise (Twitter)

Screenshot by MartinFromCH (Forum)

Screenshot by Parorng (Forum)

Screenshot by pommes_l (Twitter)

Screenshot by tsujiKa_air (Twitter)

Screenshot by U_Soulful (Twitter)

Screenshot by UnspokenKhan355 (Forum)

Screenshot by ZILLNIAZI17 (Forum)

NEXT DEVELOPMENT BLOG UPDATE – March 3rd, 2022

Sincerely,

Microsoft Flight Simulator Team

Edited February 25, 20224 yr by ChaoticBeauty

🌲’d

So the AN-2 is memory-holed and the Beech 17 Staggerwing has been dropped in for next week instead.

Hopefully this won't have implications for the state of the Staggerwing but considering the appalling state of the Fokker I'm not confident.

Yep, too bad since I was looking forward to the AN-2. AFAIK it is being designed by the same developer as the Junkers and I am quite happy with that one.
The fokker was disappointing indeed. Too bad because I kinda hoped it would be on par with the Junkers.

Hopefully the Staggerwing is a good addon but it doesn't interest me as much as the Junkers and the fokker Tri-motor.

I wanted to buy the Fokker, but in one of AvAngels videos, the single engine version seemed like it barely had the power to take off, and it ended up gradually losing height and crashing into the sea.  I can't buy it in that state.

Edited February 25, 20224 yr by bobcat999

isn't the Staggerwing developed by Carenado for Asobo?

6 hours ago, bobcat999 said:

I wanted to buy the Fokker, but in one of AvAngels videos, the single engine version seemed like it barely had the power to take off, and it ended up gradually losing height and crashing into the sea.  I can't buy it in that state.

I'm surprised OrbX were happy to have their name in the cockpit considering the state it was released in.

Not trying to discredit any of the replies to the topic, but only SIX for a development update (one being the all important pine) with a pending SU right around the corner.  Might it be time for the team to deliver a hotfix for apathy? 

Or does @ChaoticBeauty have other jealous simmers conspiring to reduce response rates?  We all know he has that effect, sometimes....lol (j/k).

Edited February 26, 20224 yr by irocx

3 hours ago, irocx said:

Not trying to discredit any of the replies to the topic, but only SIX for a development update (one being the all important pine) with a pending SU right around the corner.  Might it be time for the team to deliver a hotfix for apathy? 

Or does @ChaoticBeauty have other jealous simmers conspiring to reduce response rates?  We all know he has that effect, sometimes....lol (j/k).

Well, there is not much to say about it really.  Discussion on maybe the most important subject, SU8, is being held in other threads.  What other discussion points do you think are missing from this thread?

Getting rid of the snow on runways and taxiways.. I agree . You cannot see anything. On the ground or from the air.  You're only hope is that you can spot the lights but that varies from one airport to the next..