For those in the Northern Hemisphere, the warm summer months are fast approaching. Whilst it could be assumed that many would therefore take the chance to be out in the sunshine in fresh air, as flight simmers, we are likely to spend much of the summer at our PC or Xbox, using the latest releases or trying our brand new routes.
For others, the summer is all about developing and working on the upcoming releases, timed for the end of the year to take full advantage of the holiday buzz. Whatever side you sit on, the next few months look to be a particularly exciting time for the whole flight simulation community. Let me explain why, I believe, June will be a busy and eventful month for us all.
One note, this is a purely speculative article and in no way indicative of insider information. Just based on past trends and my own personal view on how developers have treated this month. Plus, it’s fun to live in hope of an exciting month.
FlightSimExpo 2025
At the end of June, FlightSimExpo 2025 will be taking place in Rhode Island. With 70+ developers, sponsors, and exhibitors all planning to be there, there will be a range of exciting announcements and product reveals. We now know that on Friday, 27th June, there will be at least 20 product reveals or announcements taking place. With the likes of WinWing, Honeycomb, Parallel 42, iniBuilds, Navigraph, SayIntentions.AI, and many more on stage, there will be plenty to discover and learn.
Beyond #FSExpoFriday, there will also be a plethora of developers on the showfloor, showing off new hardware and never-before-seen software. We know from experience that a lot of exhibitors don’t think what they have is new, and when we check it out, we realise it’s exciting stuff for the whole community. Before, we’ve seen new eye-trackers, aircraft, and community apps all stem from the exhibit floor. We also know that PMDG will be exhibiting for the first time, so who knows what treats they may bring for us this year, plus Parallel 42 is bringing the Patriot aircraft with them so people can compare the real-world and digital twin side-by-side.
VA SYSTEMS teased some new hardware for FlightSimExpo, whilst Honeycomb Aeronautical said that they would share more about the future of their hardware at the show, too. We also know that BlueBird is bringing their 757 for people to try out and will also share more details on pricing, too. So already, we are aware of some big announcements to come from the show.
Furthermore, we have our own stage again. We have a packed line-up for you, including MeridianGMT, Aerosoft, Tobii, FlyByWireSimulations, Elgato, X-Crafts, FlightFactor, Miltech Simulations, and many more. We are already aware that some of these developers have some awesome surprises waiting for you to be shared. Who knows what surprises also await in our FSElite Magazine Issue #6?
Without a doubt, FlightSimExpo is the biggest platform for developers to share and show off the latest innovations. Even if the rest of this list doesn’t happen, you already know June is shaping up to be a hugely important month for our community.
Microsoft Flight Simulator Updates and City Updates
Microsoft is currently beta testing multiple sim updates for both of their simulators. Not only that, but we also know that a new City Update will release on June 27th, featuring Rhode Island and a host of other cities in the area.
Not only that, but on the same day, MSFS 2024 owners will also get a free copy of the Piper PA-28 Dakota developed by Carenado, as part of the make-good initiative.
X-Plane Surprises in the Wing?
Laminar Research has been pushing out updates and betas for X-Plane 12 at quite a steady pace. This includes the X-Plane identity account, which has its own interesting story. Now, back in February 2024, X-Plane confirmed that they were looking to launch their own internal store to allow developers to publish directly from within the simulator. It was suggested that we would see more of that around Q3/Q4 of that year, and well, we didn’t.
Not only that, but the current roadmap doesn’t go beyond 12.2.0, which is currently being beta tested. This is a major version update that will update the graphics engine. Beyond that though, we’re completely in the dark about where the team will be taking X-Plane 12.
We know that X-Plane has a session on the FlightSimExpo 2025 stage, so this could be the chance for them to spill the beans on this X-Plane store and what X-Plane 12.3 and beyond look like. It will not only give fans something to look forward to, but also third-party developers more insight into what the future holds for their platform of choice.
Xbox Games Showcase 2025
Since 2019, the Xbox Games Showcase (in one format or another) has featured Microsoft Flight Simulator. Whether that be to reveal brand new simulators or simply to highlight an upcoming DLC pack, like a world or city update. On June 8th 2025, Microsoft will be hosting the Xbox Games Showcase, and based on the current trend, it’s likely we could see Microsoft Flight Simulator featured in the show somehow.
To set expectations, I’m not suggesting we’ll see Microsoft Flight Simulator 2026 revealed, but perhaps something to do with the confirmed City Update coming in June.
Or perhaps, the long-rumoured port of bringing it to PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 could be finally confirmed, expanding the audience even further. It’s not a stretch to imagine this could be happening, especially considering the consistent track record of the supposed leaker, and the fact that Xbox is very forthcoming about bringing their IP to other platforms now. If this rumour were to be confirmed during the showcase, it would be of huge benefit to our hobby to see the simulator on a platform with a 75m install base.
Releases from Flight Sim Developers
With the month of May about to wrap up, heads are now turning to June for upcoming releases. With PMDG slightly delaying the release of some awaited 777s to land in some flight sims, it is highly expected to see them drop in the month of June.
Not only that, but we got confirmation from Just Flight that Black Square’s Starship for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 will be released in June. FlightFX also seems to be gearing up to release its C750, too.
There will also likely be several airports and other items for all platforms released in the month. All-in-all, this marks a hugely busy month for everyone in flight simulation.
What Are You Most Looking Forward to?
As you can see, June is shaping up to be extraordinarily busy for flight simulation. Of course, we will do our best to cover it all for you. This will be in addition to our upcoming interviews, live streams of FlightSimExpo 2025, and much more.
What are you most looking forward to? What are your June predictions? Let us know in the comments below.
