Microsoft Flight Simulator coming to Xbox Series X/S in July

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Top Gun: Maverick expansion launching this fall

Microsoft Flight simulator
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to the Xbox Series X/S as well as Game Pass this summer.

The console version of the ever astonishing simulator is finally taking off on consoles on July 27, 2021. Announced at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase in a stunning trailer, the game looks to be fully featured and ready for players to get in the cockpit.

As should be expected, but worth noting, the game will also come to Game Pass subscribers who will be able to pick up the game for no extra charge on the same date. 

That wasn’t all though. Microsoft Flight Simulator fans were also treated to the mother of all airplane crossovers too. The game will be seeing a Top Gun: Maverick tie in, that will bring several planes from the movie to the game in a free expansion.

Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 hit starring Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise, and it is set to release on November 19, 2021. That has it lining up with the ‘fall 2021’ release date for the Microsoft Flight Simulator DLC. 

We don’t know what planes will be coming in the expansion, but for players who have a deep interest in fighter jets, going fast, and The Danger Zone, this seems like a really exciting opportunity. Also, with the exquisite level of detail Asobo Studio is known for, it will be fascinating to see a plane from a film painstakingly reconstructed. 

On Xbox Wire, it was confirmed that the console version would see parity with the experience on PC. It reads: "Simmers on Xbox Series X|S can pre-order and pre-install the experience now and expect the same level of depth as the PC version, with the most authentic and realistic flight simulator we have ever created.”

For console players who have not touched Microsoft Flight Simulator yet, you’re in for a treat. The game has mapped the entire world and you can enjoy deeply realistic flights in real-time. That extends to the actual time of day and weather too. It really is an incredible piece of tech and one console players should check out when it finally launches. 

If the Xbox showcase has you excited, here are the best Xbox Series X games available.

Patrick Dane
Freelance writer

Patrick Dane is the former Guides Editor at TechRadar. He is now a freelance games journalist writing for sites and publications such as GamesRadar, Metro, IGN, Eurogamer, PC Gamer, and the International Business Times, among others. He was also once the Managing Editor for Bleeding Cool.