Microsoft Flight beta starts next month

By Fred Dutton Published 5 December, 2011

Flight Simulator replacement ready for take off.

An invite only beta for Flight Simulator replacement Microsoft Flight starts in January 2012.

Microsoft has set up a registration page for those interested in getting involved.

A release date for the full version of the game hasn't been confirmed but a 2012 launch seems likely.

See below for a fresh batch of screenshots.

The last entry in Microsoft's long-running sim series was Flight Simulator X back in 2006. The franchise got a shake-up in 2009 following the closure of regular developer Aces Studio.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (17) Latest comment 6 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • DozyKipper #1 6 months ago

    What? A PC game? From Microsoft?

    *faints*

  • deadstoned #2 6 months ago

    It'll use awful GFWL though of course and Microsoft will probably make it cross platform or port it to Xbox later. Microsoft has no interest in PC Gaming any more these days I wish they'd stop pretending and fuck off.

  • jefranklin18 #3 6 months ago

    No, it's Kinect-enabled: you have to stand there with your arms held out to your sides, running on the spot & jumping on the spot for take off, and leaning left and right to steer.

    ;)

  • Penguinzoot #4 6 months ago

    Never understood why FS got canned in the first place. So, good news I guess :)

  • cheeky_BILLY #5 6 months ago

    On sale in Yemen? mmm, I think not.

  • orren #6 6 months ago

    I'd sign up for the beta as it looks really good, but then i saw GFWL.
    Sorry.

  • altitude2k #7 6 months ago

    Coincidentally I just got my absolutely ridonculous new work laptop. Sounds like as good a stress test as any. Sign me up!

  • Maturin #8 6 months ago

    I was never really canned. ACES Studios as it was folded, but development was shifted to this new project.

    Oh and I wouldn't worry about your hardware. I reckon this will run fine on current mid-range gear. The last few versions of FS have been system hogs but it sounds like MS has worked hard on optimising this new one, so you may see better performance than FSX on the same PC.
    Edited by Maturin at 05/12/11 @ 19:04

  • Softie2k #9 6 months ago

    MMO?

  • altitude2k #10 6 months ago

    @Maturin

    If that's the case, imagine how it will look on an i7, 16gb ram, amd firepro 8900m with 2gb dedicated gfx ram. I shit you not!

  • Kaminari #11 6 months ago

    Last thing I heard from Microsoft, Flight is planned as an arcade game targeted at casual "pilots".

  • meerkat #12 6 months ago

    @jefranklin18. Close, but remember, you have to flap your arms to stay in the air.

  • DrStrangelove #13 6 months ago

    On sale in Yemen? mmm, I think not.

    Weren't the pilots of the 9/11 attacks studying in Germany? Should be not on sale in Germany then.

    Which will happen anyway, because Germany bans everything.

  • miiiguel #14 6 months ago

    Flight Simulator is the oldest videogame franchise still running, it's older than Windows and it's older than most of you, so show some respect.

  • Maturin #15 6 months ago

    <quote>Kaminari wrote:
    Last thing I heard from Microsoft, Flight is planned as an arcade game targeted at casual "pilots".</quote>

    No.  MS has already confirmed it will feature all the usual sim elements. The company is just adding more features that mean folks can play it in a more arcade way if they wish. The goal being to extend the audience rather than lose the old one.

  • Ryze #16 6 months ago

    @jefranklin18

    TBH, using kinect for cockpit controls, and a pad for regular flight controls might actually make an Xbox version viable.

    :)

  • NickHound #17 6 months ago

    Spent countless hours on FSX, so certainly looking forward to this. Let's hope the add-on developers will be making plenty of planes, scenery etc. for this also.