Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Launch Date Confirmed, PC Version Available For Preorder

Of all the video games that have been announced for PC gamers in the last year, easily one of the most anticipated is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. We've been following the development of the game very closely with its highly detailed aircraft, airports, and integration of software used by pilots in the real world. The Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 team has now announced something that will have fans counting the days until the official launch.

The official launch has been confirmed for August 18 on PC, and it will be on Xbox Game Pass for PC during the beta. The game is available for preorder right now. The Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise launched in 1982, 38 years ago, and is one of the longest-running PC game franchises out there. Flight Sim 2020 is hands-down the most detailed and complex entry in the franchise to date.

The game world is populated with incredible details, and the highlights are as follows:

• Vivid and Detailed Landscapes – Immerse yourself in the vast and beautiful world that is our planet with more than 1.5 billion buildings, 2 trillion trees, mountains, roads, rivers and more.
• A Living World – Earth is vibrant and ever-changing and so is the world of Microsoft Flight Simulator which includes live traffic, real-time weather and animals.
• Highly Detailed Aircraft – Hone your pilot skills in a variety of aircraft from light planes to commercial jets with comprehensive flight models. Every aircraft includes highly detailed and accurate cockpits with realistic instrumentation.
• New Checklist System – From pro to beginner, scale your level from full manual to full assist with interactive and highlighted instrument guidance and checklist.
• Dynamic Weather – The new weather engine enables users to switch on the live weather mode to experience real-time weather including accurate wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, rain and more.
• New Day & Night Engine– Experience flight at any time of day or year allowing for night VFR, visual flight rules, navigation.
• Aerodynamic Modeling- A state-of-the-art physics engine with over 1,000 control surfaces per plane allows for a truly realistic experience.

Developers also confirmed with the announcement of the launch date that there will be three editions of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Standard Edition will sell for $59.99 with 20 aircraft and 30 handcrafted airports. The Deluxe Edition will sell for $89.99 and will include everything from the Standard Edition along with five additional aircraft and five additional international airports.

The Premium Deluxe Edition includes everything in the first two versions, along with ten more aircraft and ten additional handcrafted airports. Fans can preorder any of the versions here. The closed beta for the game kicks off July 30, which doesn't give much time for the game to exit beta before it launches a few weeks later.