Microsoft and Asobo Studio have now released the first beta version of the SIM Update 4 for the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Update 1.6.3.0 is to solve numerous stability problems and significantly improve the performance of the flight simulation.
Beta phase for Sim Update 4 started
Microsoft and Asobo Studio have released the first beta version of the SIM Update 4 for the Flight Simulator 2024. The update bears the version number 1.6.3.0 and is available on Steam, in the Windows store and on the Xbox Series X | s. The focus is on the correction of fundamental stability problems that have occurred since the launch in November 2024. Since the publication of the Flight Simulator 2024, users have repeatedly reported crashes and performance fluctuations.
The previous SIM updates one to three had already brought the first improvements, but the current update continues significantly. Microsoft lists numerous crash fixes for central systems, including air traffic control (ATC), the Flight Planner, the World Map, Smart Camera, Pushback functions, Taxiway logic and the co-pilots. Jurassic World: Archipelago comes as an extension for MS Flight Sim
Performance optimizations in detail
The developers revised the main CPU thread and tightened code paths for airports and aircraft. Visual elements such as the grass representation have also been optimized. The performance improvements extend to different areas: airports, air traffic controls, aircraft and scene elements. In addition, boot and road traffic and the SIM flow code received optimizations. The Community2024 folder is an interesting innovation. This enables the share of community packages between Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and the 2024 version without the older version loading the newer packages. The function should be particularly interesting for users who use both versions in parallel.
Aircraft and Avionik updates
Several aircraft models received specific improvements, including the Airbus Helicopters H125, Boeing 737 Max 8, Boeing F/A-18E and the de Havilland Canada CL-415. The Avionic systems were also revised. The G1000 NXI, Garmin G3000/G5000 and other glass cockpit systems benefit from performance optimizations when displaying the waypoint on maps and problems with faulty traffic symbols. The complete patch notes for the Sim Update 4 beta release (1.6.3.0) can be found in the official Flight Simulator Forum. Microsoft Flight Simulator | City Update 12: Germany
Beta participation and restrictions
To participate in the beta, players need either Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or an active Xbox Game Pass subscription. Since SIM Update 3, Microsoft has been using a website registration for the “Flighting” on Xbox and Windows PC, while Steam users are excluded. This change is intended to improve communication and feedback collecting.
Microsoft warns of possible new installations when leaving the beta, especially for users of the Microsoft Store PC version. As with the Sim Update 3 Beta, career and challenge League have separate progress and leaderboard compared to the live version. The final update could contain additional changes, since further features are usually added in subsequent beta phases.
