While the beta period for Sim Update 3 is still ongoing in MSFS 2024, Microsoft released Sim Update 16 for Flight Simulator 2020 on the 5th of August, 2025.
Importantly, this update aligns Bing Maps data with Flight Simulator 2024, fixes bugs in the timezone system, improves memory management on Xbox Series S and Series X, improves the way that navdata is handled for runways that do not exist in the sim, and brings support for the Honeycomb Aeronautical Alpha Lite.
Beyond that, the majority of the change log focuses on improvements to aircraft and avionics systems.
Aircraft Update Highlights in Sim Update 16
The Citation Longitude bears the biggest list of aircraft-specific updates, including a new FMS initialization flow, properly simulated thrust reverser deployment, autothrottle logic improvements, a properly simulated pressurization dump switch, CAS message reworks, and properly modeled RUN/STOP switch halo lights.
Daher’s TBM 930 gets a new approach cue for the airspeed indicator, an FMS initialization flow, and electronic stability and protection (ESP) functionality.
The 787-10 Dreamliner received a fix to prevent certain spoiler inputs from causing the airplane to spin out of control.
Avionics Update Highlights in Sim Update 16
The G1000 NXi received a new PFD virtual pathways feature and fixes to departure/arrival procedure handling.
The G3000 and G5000 suites received support for VNAV alerts, autopilot logic improvements, and departure/arrival procedure handling fixes.
For the G3X Touch, Sim Update 16 brings support for automatic course slewing to NAV radios with a tuned localizer, a working VNAV button in the AFCS controls menu, iconography updates, and autopilot logic improvements.
Minor updates were deployed to the GNS430/530 in the form of exception fixes when loading helipad/heliport data and revised handling of departure/arrival procedures.
Amongst the avionics, the Primus Epic 2.0 received the most updates in SU16. These cover improvements to autopilot logic, flight mode annunciations, departure/arrival procedure handling, wind information readouts, and METAR handling.
Finally, the UNS-1EW SBAS-FMS received improvements to the NAV page, departure/arrival procedure handling, and heliport elevation handling.
To read the full list of changes in Sim Update 16, click here to view the official post on the Microsoft Flight Simulator Forums.
