It was only a couple of weeks ago that the Microsoft Flight Simulator team pushed out the second City Update to the title, bringing improvements to five cities in France. Already, it"s time for another one, with City Update III: Texas dropping today, free for all players.
"Texas, the second largest state in America, is renowned for some of the most diverse and beautiful urban landscapes in the nation," says Microsoft Flight Simulator head Jorg Neumann. "City Update III: Texas is a meticulously curated selection of the urban regions that best represent the spirit of the “Lone Star State.”
With the update, the cities Abilene, Austin, Cedar Park, San Antonio, Schertz, Temple, and Waco have all received major upgrades to their appearances for players to witness while flying by. "All these cities lie within or near the "Texas Triangle," the area where most of the state’s population reside and home to its most stunning architectural creations," adds Neumann.
As usual, real-life aerial imagery were used to recreate these cities in the simulator with a focus on realism and accuracy. The data has been gathered from the aerial collection programs of Bing Maps and Vexcel. Here"s how the developer described the experience of flying through the newly upgraded landscapes:
Simmers can embark on aerial odysseys throughout each city featured in the update or string metropolitan areas together in long cross-country journeys. Pilots can explore Austin’s Frost Bank Tower, San Antonio’s renowned Alamo and the Brazos River, and Waco’s own Suspension Bridge. Like the vastness of Texas skylines, the possibilities are endless.
Microsoft Flight Simulator City Update III: Texas is now available to players on PC, Xbox Series X|S, as well as to Xbox Cloud Gaming users via Game Pass Ultimate. Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers can also jump in for no extra cost. The update can be found in the in-game marketplace as an optional download. While a new 2024 Flight Simulator entry is currently in development, Microsoft has confirmed that support for this version will continue.