Microsoft Flight Simulator is making more news as devs confirm VR capabilities soon. This move gives the flight sim a better, fuller immersion with either device.
In a recent blog, Flight sim head honcho Jorg Neumann confirmed these details. Those who want to strap a headset on their face and enjoy full immersion can do so now. Microsoft Flight Simulator’s VR support will come later this year.
VR support will work with HP Reverb G2
According to the post, Neumann notes that listening to the community is a top priority. Among the most requested features are TrackIR and VR support.
TrackIR follows through a person’s head movement with a full six degrees of freedom. It gives the player a mouse-free look that adds immersion to a game.
“Listening to the community has been a priority for the development team since the announcement of Microsoft Flight Simulator in June 2019,” said Neumann. “Two of the most requested features we’ve been hearing about from the Community are TrackIR and VR support. Today we are excited to announce that Microsoft Flight Simulator will have TrackIR support available on day one, and VR support will be available later this year in time for the launch of the HP Reverb G2!”
The HP Reverb G2 is a collaboration hardware created by Microsoft and Valve. It offers low-latency tracking, high-resolution display, and high-immersion audio. The hardware will be available on late-Fall, and players will get a free VR update.
VR support highly requested by community
When Microsoft Flight Simulator got its reveal at E3 last year, VR wasn’t much on the table. Dev team Asobo immediately got overrun with requests for VR features.
In October, Neumann detailed how they will “try our darnedest to make it happen.” Even then, he didn’t try to commit to it at launch but iterated it was a high priority. Asobo will also announce a list of headsets that will be compatible with their VR hardware.
A little earlier this week, TrackIR support came with updates for the flight sim closed beta. The update came with a ton of new content, including nine planes. It also added bush flights and landing challenges with its massive roster of aircraft.
The game will launch on the Windows Store and Xbox, but there’s good news for Steam fans. The game will have a Steam version at launch too.
It seems Microsoft Flight Simulator will achieve its lofty goals with Asobo Studio handling the work. The game will continue adding more things as it nears its release date.
Images courtesy of Xbox/Youtube Screenshot