Weekly Recap

We have good news! Sim Update 5 Public Beta officially begins tomorrow, February 13th, and will be available for Xbox, PC, and Steam users at this time. This beta is an opportunity for those who would like to help test and shape the update ahead of release, and we appreciate everyone’s continued enthusiasm and patience as we kick things off.

As a reminder on how to join: for Xbox and PC (Microsoft Store) users, start by completing the sign-up here. Once registered, install and open the Xbox Insider Hub on your PC or Xbox, navigate to Previews, and select Microsoft Flight Simulator Beta. Choose Join, then under Manage, select Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 – Sim Update 5 and save your selection. After registration completes, restart your PC or Xbox to refresh the Microsoft Store and begin downloading the update. You’ll see your group name update to reflect the current Sim Update flighting.

Steam users can opt into the beta by opening the Steam Library, right-clicking Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, selecting Properties, and navigating to Betas. From the dropdown menu, choose flight_sim_beta – Sim Update 5, and Steam will handle the update automatically.

The forums for viewing release notes, reporting feedback, taking surveys, and posting any noted regressions will open tomorrow once the Beta is underway.

In other news, we’re also introducing a new way to connect with fellow simmers through Airport of the Day on Discord. Every 24 hours, a new airport is selected as a shared destination, giving the you an easy, low-pressure way to fly together, hop into voice chat, and cross paths in-sim.

We are also excited to continue expanding our in-person B.A.R. events. An upcoming event is planned for Dallas, Texas, with another new B.A.R. event coming to Melbourne, Australia. Scroll down for full event details if you’re interested in attending! We encourage you to RSVP as soon as possible so the event coordinators and properly plan their activities.

Thank you again for your patience, feedback, and ongoing support. We’re excited to kick off the Sim Update 5 Public Beta and can’t wait to hear what you think. See you in the skies.

Check out this week’s NEW and UPDATED releases for both the MSFS (2020) and MSFS 2024 in-sim Marketplaces.

Explore Products

Community Fly-In Friday

This week we are celebrating Valentine’s Day by having a romantic flight over Paris, known throughout the world as the “City of Love”! All skill levels are welcome to fly along with us.

See Event Details

Highlights from last week’s Community Fly-In

Last week’s event gave flyers the option to choose between two separate flights, celebrating some major sporting events that have recently taken place. The first being a flight for the Super Bowl, and the second to celebrate the opening of the Winter Olympics in Italy!

“It was a “cool” flight with real weather!” – Newspawnz (Forums)

“A great flight again. I like flying with live weather and real time if possible, and I had wanted to figure out the Skyship for some time.” – Orbitbold (Forums)

Here are some screenshots from the Fly-In:

Screenshot by IceManDBB

Screenshot by RayGausman

Weekly Flight Inspiration

The world is a big place! If you’re looking for ideas about where to fly this week, check out our Community Managers’ recommendation here!

Yesterday marked National Foundation Day in Japan, a public holiday observed annually on February 11th. Why not take the opportunity to go and visit the country yourself this week by exploring the scenery from our recently released World Update 20 free update?!

upcoming Community Events

B.A.R Community Meetup – Dallas: Join the Bravo Alpha Romeo (B.A.R.) community for our first North American in-person meetup, hosted in Dallas at the C.R. Smith Museum, an aviation-focused museum open to the public.

This is a small, relaxed, community-led gathering for flight simulation and aviation enthusiasts to connect in person, share ideas, and spend time around aviation history.

This meetup will include:

A community development briefing / update covering what’s happening across the flight simulation ecosystem
Short Presentation for attendee’s
Time to explore the C.R. Smith Museum at your own pace
A group photo near one of the museum aircraft display
A few fun surprises during the event
Optional plane spotting afterward at Founders Plaza, if open at the time
Optional casual food meetup nearby following the event

RSVP for Dallas Here

B.A.R. Community Meetup – Melbourne: February 25 – Enjoy a cold beverage over aviation and sim chat. Community-run, not an official Microsoft-run event, food and beverages available for purchase.

RSVP for Melbourne Here

Regular Community Fly-Ins: If you’re looking to join in with group flights, or even host your own, the best place to begin is via our dedicated Forum category. With a whole host of groups organising regular events, there’s something for everyone! Find more details here.

Community Video

“Ready for real-world airline flying…without a 3-hour commitment?” In this video by Easyjetsimpilot, he explores 5 real-world airline routes that may be perfect for you if you still want to fly a heavy aircraft but on a shorter route!