Laminar Research has released X-Plane 12.4.1 as a new public beta, introducing a range of improvements across aircraft systems, scenery, performance, and the simulator’s SDK. As with other beta releases, the update is considered unstable and may include visual errors, instability, or crashes, with the developer encouraging users to report issues through the official bug reporter to help refine the update before a final release.
One of the most notable additions in this update is a fully simulated Ram Air Turbine (RAT) for the Airbus A330. In X-Plane 12.4.1, the system is now visually modelled and functionally simulated, meaning pilots can see the RAT deploy externally and observe it supplying backup hydraulic and electrical power during emergency scenarios.
Alongside system improvements, the update also introduces several scenery and environmental enhancements. Laminar Research has added new scenery library objects, including cab-over trucks and trailers, which will help developers populate airports with more varied ground vehicles. Gravel textures have also been improved to provide better visual fidelity, while ground vehicles themselves have received behaviour and appearance updates to make airport environments feel more believable.
Performance has also been addressed in the beta, with Laminar noting CPU-focused optimisations, particularly within the scenery system. These changes are intended to improve simulator efficiency in certain scenarios, though the actual performance gains may vary depending on whether a user’s system is CPU- or GPU-limited. Laminar Research is saying there is a 15-20% performnace uplift with this update.
The other final major update as part of X-Plane 12.4.1 is new Honeycomb Aeronautical hardware profiles. This release includes profiles for the Foxtrot Aviation Stick, Sierra TPM Module, Echo Aviation Controller, and the new Alpha Flight Controls Lite and Bravo Throttle Quadrant Lite. Furthermore, the Charlie Rudder Pedals are now fully supported.
Finally, over 300 airports have been update via the X-Plane airport gateway.
The full release notes are available on the X-Plane notes page.
