This week’s Screenshot Challenge winner is Forum user Parorng! If you’re interested in participating in our weekly Screenshot Challenges, check out the details in the Community section below!
Yesterday, our panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial plus special guests from Working Title and iniBuilds appeared on our latest Developer Livestream. If you missed catching it live on Twitch, you can watch the replay on YouTube here:
In addition to answering dozens of questions from the community, some of the other highlights from the broadcast include:
- Overview from Working Title on the improvements to the G3X avionics coming in Sim Update 15 (SU_15)
- Presentation from iniBuilds about the Airbus A320neo V2, a free aircraft for all players on all platforms launching alongside SU_15
- Announcement of City Update VII: European Cities II which includes updated scenery for:
- Barcelona
- Madrid
- Monte Carlo
- Nice
- Porto
- Stockholm
- Announcement of Local Legend 16: Short Sc.7 Skyvan (“The Flying Shoebox”) by developer iniBuilds
Both City Update VII and Local Legend 16 are targeted for release on May 28.
Also announced during the livestream was an update on the Sim Update 15 release date. While we had previously revealed a tentative launch date of April 30, we now think an additional week of development time is necessary. This will be the last Sim Update for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) prior to the launch of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 later this year (but not the final Sim Update for MSFS2020 ever — SU_16 is planned for early 2025), so the team really wants to make sure SU_15 in an excellent state before we release it.
In Marketplace news, the team feels like they have the backlog under control and can now begin accepting new developers into the Marketplace. We have a very lengthy list of pending applications and can’t approve all of them at once, so in order to help us prioritize the developers most desired by you, the community, we are asking for your feedback. Please see this thread on our forums where you can share your feedback on which developers you would most like to see added to the Marketplace.
– MSFS Team
Development Update
Development Roadmap
Feedback Snapshot
Click here for the web-friendly version of the Feedback Snapshot.
- No update this week.
SDK UPDATE
Asobo
- No update this week.
Working Title / MSFS Avionics Framework
- No update this week.
Marketplace
Featured Release
We are pleased to highlight the PA-38-112 Tomahawk from developer Just Flight, available now for both PC and Xbox!
Following on from their popular PA-28R Arrow III, PA-28R Turbo Arrow III/IV and PA-28-161 Warrior II for Microsoft Flight Simulator, Just Flight’s in-house team has developed this highly detailed simulation of the PA-38-112 Tomahawk following comprehensive, hands-on research with a real-life Tomahawk, G-BNKH, based at Goodwood Aerodrome with SportAir.
An already popular aircraft with the community, Just Flight is excited to bring you this incredibly detailed rendition of the Tomahawk into Microsoft Flight Simulator, complete with fully accurate systems functionality, high quality modelling and texturing, realistic wear and tear, a plethora of customisation options and an immersive sound set recorded from the real aircraft.
Just Flight continues to raise the bar with their General Aviation aircraft fleet, with this release bringing with it full 8K PBR textures for the interior and exterior and brand new features that have never been seen before in a Just Flight product, such as a fully interactive walkaround mode, allowing you to perform a full pre-flight walkaround. This is an important feature, as component wear and tear is also simulated that is both persistent between flights, and is variable depending on how you fly the aircraft. Are you a pilot that greases every one of your landings on smooth tarmac runways? Then you will have less tyre wear than a pilot that flies off gravel strips and likes a more ‘positive’ touchdown.
The Piper PA-38 Tomahawk is a two-seater, piston-engine aircraft equipped with a fixed tricycle landing gear, 112hp four-cylinder engine and a fixed pitch propeller – an ideal aircraft for flight training and touring! Almost 2,500 Tomahawk’s were manufactured between 1978 and 1982 with many still in operation around the world. The aircraft is renowned for its unconventional stall and spin characteristics, which unlike similar aircraft, require pilot skill to recover from. These characteristics are simulated and can now be experienced in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
It’s time to take the Tomahawk for a spin!
Marketplace Releases
Click here for the web-friendly version of the Marketplace Update.
There are 65 new and 53 updated products in this week’s Marketplace Update.
65 NEW PRODUCTS: 31 ON PC, 34 ON XBOX |
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New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
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New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
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New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
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New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
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New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
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New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
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New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
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New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
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New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
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New on PC and Xbox |
New on Xbox |
New on Xbox |
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New on Xbox |
New on Xbox |
New on PC |
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New on PC and Xbox |
New on PC and Xbox |
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53 UPDATED PRODUCTS: 27 ON PC, 26 ON XBOX |
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Updated on PC |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
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Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
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Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
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Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
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Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
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Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
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Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
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Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
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Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
Updated on PC and Xbox |
Marketplace Backlog
Current Backlog: 505 Total
BACKLOG: NEW PRODUCTS
| Testing Status | |||||
| Content Type | In MS Processing | In MS Testing | In 3P Testing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | 13 | 0 | 12 | 25 | |
| Mission | 51 | 23 | 70 | 144 | |
| Scenery | 8 | 4 | 2 | 14 | |
| Livery | 57 | 0 | 11 | 68 | |
| Airport | 36 | 12 | 21 | 69 | |
| Other | 16 | 2 | 6 | 24 | |
| Total | 181 | 41 | 122 | 344 | |
BACKLOG: UPDATED PRODUCTS
| Testing Status | |||||
| Content Type | In MS Processing | In MS Testing | In 3P Testing | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | 12 | 3 | 16 | 31 | |
| Mission | 10 | 2 | 0 | 12 | |
| Scenery | 18 | 15 | 1 | 34 | |
| Livery | 32 | 0 | 4 | 36 | |
| Airport | 20 | 20 | 8 | 48 | |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 92 | 40 | 29 | 161 | |
THIRD PARTY UPDATE
- As of 04/22, we have now approved 279 (+5) third parties into the in-sim marketplace and – so far 224 (+1) have released 3,464 products on PC (+23) and 3,212 on Xbox (+22).
- In total, 4,359 products (+17) have already been released in 3rd party stores and the in-sim marketplace. Beyond that, another 850 products (+0) from 3rd party developers are in production (336 announced, 514 unannounced). In total, over 5,208 3rd party products (+16) have either been released or are in development.
- Airports:
- 2,406 airports (+0) are either released or are in various stages of development.
- 2,186 airports (+9) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
- 1,665 airports (+19) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
- 111 airports (-5) beyond the released airports have been announced.
- 109 airports (-4) are not announced, but the dev let us know that an airport is in production.
- 2,406 airports (+0) are either released or are in various stages of development.
- Aircraft:
- 816 aircraft (+0) are either released or are in various stages of development.
- 388 aircraft (+2) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
- 310 aircraft (+6) have been released in the in-sim PC marketplace.
- 295 aircraft (+6) have been released in the in-sim Xbox marketplace.
- 206 aircraft (-1) beyond the released aircraft have been announced.
- 222 aircraft (+0) are not announced, but the dev let us know that an aircraft is in production.
- 816 aircraft (+0) are either released or are in various stages of development.
- Scenery:
- 1,135 scenery packs (+3) are either released or are in various stages of development.
- 1,100 scenery packs (+5) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
- 665 scenery packs (+6) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
- 20 scenery packs (+0) beyond the released scenery have been announced.
- 15 scenery packs (-2) are not announced but the dev let us know that scenery is in production.
- 1,135 scenery packs (+3) are either released or are in various stages of development.
- Mission Packs:
- 366 mission packs (+9) are either released or are in various stages of development.
- 296 mission packs (+1) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
- 235 mission packs (+2) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
- 0 mission packs (+0) beyond the released missions have been announced.
- 70 mission packs (+8) are not announced, but the dev let us know that they are in production.
- 366 mission packs (+9) are either released or are in various stages of development.
- Livery Packs:
- 447 livery packs (+4) are either released or are in various stages of development.
- 362 livery packs (+0) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
- 353 livery packs (+0) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
- 1 livery pack (+0) beyond the released scenery has been announced.
- 84 livery packs (+4) are not announced, but the dev let us know that scenery is in production.
- 447 livery packs (+4) are either released or are in various stages of development.
- Ships & Watercraft:
- 38 ships & watercraft (+0) are either released or are in various stages of development.
- 27 ships (+0) have been released on the platform so far in various stores.
- 22 ships (+0) have been released in the in-sim marketplace.
- 0 ships (+0) beyond the released ships have been announced.
- 11 ships (+0) are not announced, but dev let us know that ships are in production.
- 38 ships & watercraft (+0) are either released or are in various stages of development.
Community
Community Fly-In Friday
The Community Fly-In Friday World Tour continues!
This week, the World Tour enters its third continent as we cross the Strait of Gibraltar into Africa!
We will depart from Lisbon and fly southbound along the Portuguese coast to Faro, a city rich in history and culture. Next, we head to the famous Rock of Gibraltar for a touch & go landing at LXGB before proceeding across the Mediterranean Sea to Morocco. Our full-stop landing will be at the Moroccan capital city of Rabat.
Be sure to install the free World Update VIII: Iberia from the in-sim Marketplace for the best experience during this flight.
Event details are available here. All are welcome to participate!
Community Video
April 16th saw the release of Local Legend 15, the Dornier Do 31!
Created in collaboration with the team at iniBuilds, this prototype VTOL aircraft requires some patience and practice to master the skills of successful flight. In this week’s Community Video, we’re highlighting the video created by iniBuilds, introducing the aircraft and showcasing how to operate the Do 31 correctly.
How many of you have already tried out the brand new Dornier Do 31?
screenshot challenge
This week’s screenshot challenge: Favorite Flier
This past week’s Screenshot Challenge was: Earth Day II
Weekly Screenshot Challenge Winner: Parorng (Forums)
Screenshot by @tsujiKa_air (Twitter)
Screenshot by HolmesCZ6127 (Forums)
Screenshot by @2525ARW (Twitter)
Screenshot by Inf1anEwok (Forums)
Screenshot by @pommes_l (Twitter)
Screenshot by @ukaka5656 (Twitter)
Screenshot by HeKa48 (Forums)
Screenshot by Jacobes16 (Forums)
Screenshot by @CpuGeta486 (Twitter)
Screenshot by Lwsail (Forums)
NEXT DEVELOPMENT BLOG UPDATE – May 2nd, 2024
Sincerely,
Microsoft Flight Simulator Team