Microsoft Flight Simulator could get VR support because of fan feedback

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Microsoft Flight Simulator looks like the kind of game you'd want to stick a VR headset on for, even if you're not that infatuated with virtual reality, but VR apparently wasn't part of the plan until the team saw the reaction to the E3 trailer. 

Microsoft and Asobo Studio is using a vast amount of data to create a world that's so accurate you can fly over your house, and the immersive qualities of VR makes it seem like a good fit, but it wasn't something that was being considered until people started making the assumption that it was going to support VR straight away. The good news is that it's probably going to happen, though maybe not in time for launch.

"Right after the E3 trailer came out there was a lot of people making that exact assumption, that ‘Oh yeah, this better be supporting VR right from the get go.’ It honestly wasn’t our plan," Jorg Neumann, head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, told AVSIM. "But we are listening, and we heard it, so we will try our darnedest to make it happen. Whether or not we’re going to pull it off for launch, we can’t commit to that at this point in time, but we are aware of the desire, and given that we genuinely want to make the sim that simmers want, we will try to prioritise that over other things."

I've still not made the leap to VR, at least not beyond my Gear VR headset, which doesn't even support my current phone—Microsoft Flight Simulator could definitely change that. The level of detail that the team's committed to is ridiculous, so I'd rather not be distracted by my perpetually untidy office. 

If you want an early flight, there's still a day left to sign up for the first technical alpha. You'll need to sign up for the Insider programme first, and then you can register for the alpha here. Invites will start going out on October 17, with the alpha starting on October 24. 

Cheers, UploadVR.

Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.