When it released earlier this year, nobody expected Microsoft Flight Simulator to be as huge as it was. In a year where people’s movement and ability to travel is stifled, the opportunity to hop onto a plane and see the world from above, even just through a screen, is enough to rustle people’s jimmies in the best way possible. Flight Simulator is designed to be as immersive an experience as possible so… how does one take that to the next logical level? Well, you strap a VR headset onto your face and you see how that improves your landings. We’re willing to bet that it doesn’t help at all.
Plane crazy
If you want to test Microsoft Flight Simulator in VR mode, then you’re in a luck! You can sign up now to see what it’s all about and all you need is a copy of the game and a VR headset. Okay, that’s not entirely true, there are a few more requirements we’ll get into in a second. Microsoft has opened up access to the closed beta, meaning you’ll need a little luck to crack the nod but at least the actual process of tossing your name into the hat is super straightforward.
While applying is simple, there’s a fairly in-depth list of requirements you must meet in order to qualify. According to The Verge you’ll need more than just a copy of the game, you’ll specifically need a Windows Mixed Reality headset, a Microsoft “Insider” account, a PC equipped with an “…Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 or better sporting 8GB of VRAM, as well as 16GB of system memory” and you’ll need to sign an NDA.
To prove you actually meet these stipulations you’ll need to send Microsoft your DxDiag… which isn’t as dodgy as it sounds, it’s just an inventory of your system. You can excess it by simply typing DxDiag into your start menu and hitting enter.
The closed beta is expected to kick off in late October or early November according to developer Asobo Studio. The VR features should roll out as a free update when it’s ready so all those folks that have been desperate fly to Australia without leaving their house have something extra special to look forward to.