Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the highlights of 2020, and the game just got even better for anyone who owns a virtual reality headset.
Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator, announced yesterday that Flight Simulator can now be played using VR headsets on PC. You may remember Microsoft put out a call for virtual reality beta testers back in October, and clearly they found some. Neumann singles out the flight sim community as being "a very active and insightful partner in shaping how the team approached VR."
VR comes as a free update for the game and Microsoft is trying to support as many headsets as it possibly can. So far, the game will work with most Windows Mixed Reality headsets, including the HP Reverb G2, as well as all Oculus, Valve, and HTC headsets. If you already have one of those headsets, all you need is the latest update for Flight Simulator in order to start playing with a whole new level of immersion.
Xbox gamers will look on jealously, knowing they have to wait until next summer to play the game (without VR). Meanwhile, PC gamers may still be waiting for their flight sticks to ship due to both demand and the pandemic limiting supplies of most peripherals this year. Virtual reality headsets are a little easier to find, although Valve's Index headset currently has a shipment time of "8 or more weeks."