Microsoft has posted its Flight Simulator development update for this week, which is a brief one as compared to other weeks. As was the case with last week’s update, the highlights include information for Alpha participants in the form of a timeline announcement for Alpha 5 and the Partnership Series.
The biggest news perhaps is that Alpha 5 is in the final stages of testing. It is slated for an early July release. The firm says that it will provide an exact release date for Alpha 5 in its next week’s post, which will be made on July 2. The company will also be sharing with everyone a timeline for the Closed Beta release. The team adds that it has “many deliverables” planned for the next month.
The other main piece of today’s update is regarding the Partnership Series. As promised, the Redmond giant has introduced its partnership with NAVBLUE, a flight planning, crew planning, and navigation data software provider owned by Airbus. NAVBLUE will be providing Flight Simulator with its “real-world aeronautical” data through its ‘Navigation+’ and ‘Charts+’ services. The ‘Charts+’ service will be available post-launch. The partnership will bring “authentic worldwide navigation data”, with Charts+ providing accurate terminal procedure charts to help virtual pilots access real-world procedures and information.
Lastly, more Alpha invitations are being sent out today, so those who signed up might want to keep an eye on their inbox. That wraps it up for this week’s post. It will be interesting to see what the company has in store for July, and what timelines it will set for both, Alpha 5 and the Closed Beta.