Following a long line of alpha build deliveries, it sounds like Microsoft Flight Simulator is almost ready to begin its closed beta tests. In the latest development update, the developer revealed that the Flight Simulator closed beta build is going through final testing, and is now scheduled to release on July 30.
Everyone already participating in the alpha will be granted access to the closed beta without needing to do any additional steps. The developer has sent out another wave of alpha invites as well, further expanding the pool. In the future, more Invites will be rolling out to get more interested testers into the closed beta Insider sessions as well.
Meanwhile, a new update has hit the ongoing alpha tests too, with Alpha 5 build 1.5.4.0 bringing improvements to the flight model, changes to specific planes and airports, and squashing quite a few bugs reported by the community. Find the full changelog here.
Microsoft Flight Simulator could appear during the upcoming Xbox first-party games showcase, maybe with a specific launch date for the PC version. We could also get more information about the Xbox One/Series X version of the game during the presentation. The showcase is slated to kick off on July 23.