Asobo has released its December 17th, 2020 Development Update, which among other things, has provided us with a lot more information regarding the implementation of VR in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
It’s been less than a month since Asobo officially announced VR support for MSFS via a Q&A live stream, and with the December 22nd release date quickly approaching, we now have a much better idea of what to look forward to, thanks to this new development update.
Alongside the new development update, Asobo has also published the 9th episode of its Feature Discovery Series, which focuses completely on Asobo’s development of VR compatibility for MSFS.
According to the video, MSFS VR will be compatible with all major VR headsets, as well as any headset that is compatible with Microsoft’s mixed reality technology. The types of headsets specifically named as being compatible include any Windows Mixed Reality headset, Oculus Rift, Steam VR, and the HP Reverb G2, which Asobo touts as being the most advanced and immersive option available.
We also finally get to see VR in action running on the G2, which has given us some insight into its functionality. According to Asobo, VR in MSFS will feature a real 3D mouse cursor, adjustable panels that “dock” to your surroundings, and out of the box compatibility with all 3rd party peripherals such as yokes and throttle quadrants.
A look at the updated Development Roadmap:
Finally, the development update highlighted what can only be described as a thriving 3rd party product marketplace for MSFS. According to Asobo, there have been 273 airports released for the sim so far, and in total, there are 446 airports that have either already been released, or are in active production. This number is quite impressive, especially considering the fact that the sim is barely 4 months old at this point.
3rd party aircraft development has been a different story, and has not seen the same boom as scenery development, due to the aircraft development kit not being ready at launch. While only 12 aircraft have been released for the sim thus far, it is worth noting a reported 90 projects are actively in development, which definitely gives us something to look forward to.
You can read the full December 17th, 2020 development update here.