World Update VII for Microsoft Flight Simulator is here and it takes pilots through Australian landmarks and cities in extreme detail. The team at Asobo Studios are celebrating the release with a video showing off the outstanding locations and a cute overnight flight press kit.
The Australia World Update lets players soar over the renowned Great Barrier Reef, visit the vast regions of Western Australia, and marvel at the natural beauty of Mount Wellington. The video also shows off Darwin (Garramilla), Perth (Boorloo), Melbourne (Naarm), Canberra (Ngambri/Ngunnawal), Sydney (Warrang), Brisbane (Meanjin), and the Gold Coast (Yugambeh) in stunning detail. The update involves improving elevation data, aerial imagery, and water masks across Australia.
All the almost otherworldly technology that makes this happen is hidden within the magnificence of Microsoft’s cloud computing tech, Microsoft Azure. Using the photogrammetry tools, the developers are able to finally go in-depth and flesh out these specific areas of the world to essentially recreate our country to a 1:1 scale. Photogrammetry cities in this update include the aforementioned, as well as Hobart (Nipaluna), Cairns (Gimuy), Townsville (Currumbilbarra), Mackay (Yuwibara country), and Bunbury (Goomburrup).
Orbx Simulation Systems, based in Melbourne, Australia, has handcrafted four airports and added high-resolution detail to over 100 others:
- YLRE – Longreach
- YMBT – Mount Beauty Airport
- YPBO – Paraburdoo
- YSHL – Shellharbour Airport.
The update also includes 94 custom crafted points of interest (POIs) and 16 new activities, including five bush trips, six discovery flights, and five landing challenges that will take Microsoft Flight Simulator pilots Down Under. The extensive list of hand-crafted POIs is available on the game’s official release notes, however, the list does notably include Anzac Bridge, Central Park, the MCG, Twelve Apostles, and Sydney Tower.
The press kit the team at Xbox ANZ and Microsoft sent to us has been an absolute treat. Check out our pics testing out the comfort levels of these in-flight essentials.
We’re really grateful for the awesome send out, but we’re a little concerned our editor Luke is taking the merch a little bit too seriously!?
World Update VII: Australia is now live in @MSFSofficial!! ✈️
To win your own limited edition kit, head to @XboxANZ and check the tweet! pic.twitter.com/YG1Gh8xh9S
— Checkpoint Gaming (@CheckpointAU) February 1, 2022
We reviewed Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC at launch and revisited it when it came to console for the first time in 40 years. It’s undeniable that this game/simulator is the best on the market and doing amazing things with the technology at hand. World Update VII is available now on PC and Xbox consoles.
