Sim Update V (Patch 1.18.13.0), also referred to as SU5 within the community, was a simulator update for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) released on the 27th of July, 2021. This release was also the initial release available on the Xbox Series X|S.
A Note From the Development Team[]
Launching Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC last year was only the beginning of our journey to make the best simulation possible. As we continue adding to the experience with free World Updates (Japan, US, France, Benelux, UK & Ireland and the Nordics so far with many more to come), themed DLC bundles, and true-to-life aircraft, Xbox Series X|S simmers will enjoy these updates on console as well.
The latest Microsoft Flight Simulator update comes with a variety of features to make the experience more accessible for new simmers, including Discovery Flights, location labels to aid with orientation, anti-stall & auto-trim assists, a Flight Assistant toolbar panel during flight allowing to quickly setup a flight plan to reach nearby airports and POIs, an updated cockpit interaction model supported by more informative tooltips, additional landing gear types to land anywhere, enhanced training flights, and cross-play/cross-save between PC and console.
For PC users: Please move your community package(s) to another folder before relaunching the title if you suffer from stability issues or long loading times. You will be on Version 1.18.13.0.
For Xbox users: There is an additional 27.6 GB update to install.
Performance[]
This update includes significant performance improvements to make the experience more seamless.
- Improved multi core support for CPU
- Better memory and GPU usage
- Faster loading times
- Stutters have been significantly reduced
Discovery Flights[]
Discovery Flights were originally inspired by those who wanted to fly in one of our trailers! Discovery Flights place you in the most scenic locations on the planet, including awesome locations like the Great Pyramids or Mount Everest, or vibrant cities like Naples or Rio de Janeiro, in optimal weather conditions for you to fly and sightsee at your leisure. You can quickly switch between locations using the Activity tab available from the pause menu. Two additional Discovery Flights are featured with all World Updates available for free within the in-game marketplace.
Activities Updates[]
Landing Challenges are now graded. Remember to download World Updates in the marketplace, which contain additional landing challenges and bush trips.
Training Flights[]
We overhauled our training flights to make them more digestible. Each of the 22 flights focuses on a specific notion, starting with basic handling, to landing & take off, VFR navigation, all the way to learning how to fly an airliner like the Airbus 320neo. Training flights feature contextual voiceovers, a score, and a grade to provide feedback and advice to progress through your learning journey.
Flight Assistant / New Assistances[]
The Flight Assistant is a new UI panel available via the toolbar in Free Flight and Discovery Flights. It allows you to quickly get AI help during flight:
- You can select nearby POIs or airports and set them as your destination to get direction
- You can also give control to the AI to fly you to your chosen destination.
- If using an Xbox controller, you can choose to temporarily enable AI flight control whenever you toggle the on-screen "cursor mode" (see below) to interact with menus or cockpit instruments
- You can delegate radio communications to the AI to let them interact with Air Traffic Control
- You can quickly activate auto-trimming and anti-stall assists
[]
If using an Xbox controller, you can use the left stick to control an on-screen cursor to navigate menus, world map and cockpits. To access the cursor controls during flight, click the left stick button on the controller to switch from flight controls to "Cursor Mode". An extended zone around the cursor is used to select interactive element closest to the cursor center dot, making it more permissive and easier to use. Right stick is used to scroll pages and quickly change options. Cursor parameters are available in the Options / General Options / Accessibility menu.
Cockpit Interactions[]
Added the new "Lock" interaction system:
- Set active by default but can be reverted to "Legacy" in Options / General Options / Accessibility.
- Tooltips are now displaying the instrument name, instrument values, and controls (dynamic depending of the device in use)
- Using the cursor or the camera center pointer, you can highlight any interactive cockpit instrument.
- Once highlighted, you can interact with the instrument:
- If the instrument is simple (buttons, 2 positions switches), tapping Xbox Controller A or Mouse left button will interact with it. If the instrument is complex (knobs, levers…), tapping Xbox Controller A or holding Mouse left button will lock on it.
- Once locked on an instrument, you can:
- Use primary (Xbox Controller A/ Mouse left button), secondary (Xbox Controller X/ Mouse right button) or tertiary (Xbox Controller Y/ Mouse middle button) interactions.
- Increase/ decrease the instrument (Xbox Controller LT/ RT or Mouse wheel)
- Use gestures (Xbox Controller left stick or Mouse movements)
- Unlock the instrument (Xbox Controller B or release Mouse left button)
Land Anywhere / VFX[]
The following planes are now provided with skis and floats variants:
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk (steam gauges)
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000)
- CubCrafters XCub
- Zlin Shock Ultra
These aircraft's checklists have been adapted accordingly. Appropriated VFX are displayed depending on the surface type you are landing on.
Accessibility / Screen Reader[]
We have added a text-to-speech narration feature to the Flight Simulator menus (English language only at first). This can be accessed during Onboarding for new users or enabled via Options / General Options / Accessibility for existing users. This feature is work-in-progress and does not yet cover every screen or option but should allow users to navigate to the most vital menu screens needed to begin a flight. We are actively working on making the narrator more comprehensive and aim to add more functionality in future updates. Learn more about our Accessibility efforts here.
Liveries[]
Two new livery sets are available Aviator Club Xbox and Livery 1.
Known Issues[]
Installation[]
- Leaving the title while downloading content for 10+ minutes causes the download to restart in Content Manager.
- Workaround: Restart downloads if title is suspended during content download
Menu[]
- Unable to navigate through some of the menus due to freezing or the cursor jumps around and does not interact with menu elements.
- Workaround: Stop or pause any downloading content, restarting the game, connecting a USB mouse, and even opening the Xbox Guide and closing it again
CTDs[]
- Downloading ~25 GB of content and entering a flight durations of 2+ hours may cause a crash or service disconnection issue
- Workaround: On Xbox: press the Xbox (jewel) button on the console face once, which places the console into connected standby mode. Then, press it again to wake it back up.
- Sim may crash after connecting / disconnecting peripheral
- No known workaround at this time
- Sim may crash when flying with AI traffic
- Workaround: Set AI Traffic settings off by going to General > Traffic > Aircraft Traffic Type > OFF
- Sim crashes when returning to default profile for Mouse from a custom one
- Workaround: Users who are unable to manipulate the aircraft instrument panels due to using a custom profile for the Mouse and are unable to switch to the default profile for this bug can work around this by switching to the Legacy interaction model.
Multiplayer / Online Services[]
- Xbox Live Friends will not appear on in-game leaderboards unless a friend request has also been sent and accepted within the sim
- Workaround: If users do not see leaderboards propagating as expected, ensure that friends are added within the sim
- Marketplace is greyed out
- Workaround: You have have run into an authentication issue and have been switched to offline unintentionally. You can manually change it by going to Options > General > Data > Online Functionality to ON
Peripherals / Controls[]
- Syncing customized controller mappings from a PC build to console may cause the controller to become unresponsive other than the B button.
- Workaround: Select the Default controller profile in your PC settings and sync the updated settings to the Console. Go to Manage Game > Saved Date > Delete Your Profile. Use an external mouse attached directly to the console to update to the Default controller profile and then customize as needed.
- User can get stuck in the Freelook view and be unable to bring the cursor back up
- Workaround 1: Restart the flight, this will set the Cockpit Camera Type back to Fixed Look.
- Workaround 2: Use a mouse and press the scroll wheel in, this will change Camera Type back to Fixed Look.
- Workaround 3: Go to Options > General > Camera > Cockpit Camera > Toggle Home cockpit mode "OFF".
- Xbox players using the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One: Mappings on the Controls screen does not match the labeling of the buttons and axes on the peripheral.
- Workaround: Though what you see on the screen is incorrect, if you make an assignment through scanning it will be accurate. Do not use the drop-down to create your mapping.
Scenery[]
- Textures in Free Flight do not properly render nearing both the North and South Poles
- Workaround: Select another location for Free Flight
- Groups in Free-Flight causes TIN Data to fail to continually load in during Multiplayer
- Workaround: Leave the group. Re-enter gameplay with open MP Settings
Aircraft / Avionics[]
- Plane altitude is different than expected
- No known workaround
- COM radio unexpectedly goes off frequency shortly after departure on IFR flight plan
- Workaround: To recover, the user can tune back to the previous frequency.
- Pilot informs ATC they are descending to their assigned altitude even though they're still below it
- No known workaround
- Fuel information not saving in flight (FLT) files so user starts off with no fuel
- Workaround: Refuel after flight loads
Flight Planning[]
- User will not be able to launch a saved flight plan using a deleted aircraft. The FLY button in the loading screen will be disabled with no messaging.
- Workaround: Re-install missing aircraft used in saved flight plan. Create new flight plan with valid aircraft installed.
- User may see incorrect duplicate waypoints in their flight plan
- Workaround: Click on the destination and press "insert before" to enter your waypoints in the correct order
- On VFR flight plan aircraft automatically under Flight Following without having request it
- Workarounds: Depending on whether the flight departed a controlled or uncontrolled airport the steps to cancel Flight Following will differ:
- Uncontrolled Airport:
- After taking off and when the option becomes available, tune to Departure.
- Cancel Flight Following.
- Controlled Airport:
- Take-off and exit the airport's airspace.
- Tune to the tower of a nearby controlled airport (may be the one that you just took off from).
- Request permission to land.
- After given your landing clearance, cancel your landing intentions.
- Tune to Departure.
- Cancel Flight Following.
- Uncontrolled Airport:
- Workarounds: Depending on whether the flight departed a controlled or uncontrolled airport the steps to cancel Flight Following will differ:
Gallery[]
