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Title: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Arrives With a 'Full Digital Twin' of
Earth

Link: https://games.slashdot.org/story/24/11/19/205...

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Microsoft Flight
Simulator 2024 is out today (Xbox/PC, Steam), and it packs in a whole lot of
simulation. It's hard to imagine topping the 2020 version, which contained
the entire world, at scale, 3D modeled and able to be flown over. It had real-
time weather and rather detailed physics. You could theoretically fly a
helicopter back to your high school football field and land on it, like 15-
year reunion royalty. What could come next? A lot, including a world
simulation that Microsoft repeatedly describes as Earth's "full digital
twin." There are few, if any, real "reviews" up yet, given the size of the
game and seemingly late access for reviewers. As such, I offer up all the
notable things packed into this latest release so that those with flight
sticks, patience, and a desire to get way up yonder can decide whether to
take off. These are the most "notable things" available in this latest
release, as highlighted by Ars' Kevin Purdy: - The file size is much smaller
than the 2020 version, totaling "around 30GB" - You can expect ~5GB an hour
of streaming data (up-close data is streamed on demand; flying high-up in the
skies uses pre-loaded data) - AI learning has allowed for "4,000 times more"
detail in textures and terrain meshes - Aircraft and airports you customized
or purchased are carried over from 2020 into 2024 - There's a new Career
Mode, with 26 different paths - Animals have more realistic behavior -- e.g.
sheep head inside when it's raining, birds migrate, and elephants will be
more aware of your flybys - Flight Simulator 2020 will continue to get
support

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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