During its showcase at Tokyo Game Show 2025, Xbox announced the release of a major new update for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Dubbed World Update 20: Japan, the update was released for free across PC and Xbox series X/S, and was showcased with a trailer which you can check out below.
Microsoft has confirmed that, to make World Update 20: Japan, developer Asobo Studio worked with Bing Maps and Gaya to ensure that the beauty of Japan is accurately captured. The update brings with it 23 points of interest that were created using updated photogrammetry and triangulated irregular network (TIN) surface texturing. Some of the new cities updated througthis are Hiroshima, Kyoto, Osaka, Sapporo and Tokyo.
There are also 67 other points of interest that include some iconic locations from Japan, like Osaka Castle, Kaniada Bridge, Shosanbetsu Observatory, Enoshima Sea Candle and Fukuoka Tower.
Some of the major airports have been specially handcrafted in World Update 20: Japan in collaboration with Gaya. These are the Hokkaido Spaceport, Kitakyushu Airport, Rishri Airport, Sado Airport, and Satsuma Iōjima Airport. These airports range from being an aerospace park on the island of Hokkaido, to an artificial island, and even a private single asphalt runway airfield in a village.
“Japan is a nation of beauty and intrigue, filled with breathtaking vistas of towering mountains, iconic architecture, and renowned cities,” wrote the company in its announcement of World Update 20: Japan. “The country beholds some of the world’s most alluring and famous sights, including Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain, Osaka Castle, a revered historical monument, and soaring skylines throughout Tokyo, Kyoto, Sapporo, and other metropolises.”
“World Update 20 reveals Japan in stunning, vibrant detail—and the release comes with a great selection of missions throughout this storied country to immerse Microsoft Flight Simulator aviators in its beauty and history.”
For players looking for more structured content, World Update 20: Japan also brings with it new missions showcasing some of the new areas that have been redone. These include new discovery flights focusing on the Chubu-Sangaku National Park, piloting tests at Ōmura Airport with strong wind, and a discovery flight around the Makuhari Messe complex. There is also a new low altitude challenge at Tsushima Island, as well as a rally race challenge at Setonaikai National Park.
Microsoft had recently confirmed that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is also making its way to PS5. Along with this release, the company also confirmed that the title will support VR gaming through PlayStation VR2 in 2026. The PS5 version of the game is slated for release on December 8.
The PS5 release will make use of a number of PS5 features, especially when it comes to the DualSense controller. This includes support for the controller’s adaptive trigger both when you’re on the ground, reflecting the texture of the surface, as well as when you’re soaring through the air, offering sloped resistance depending on your speed and altitude. The title will also support gyro controls on the PS5.
Pre-ordering Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PS5 also brings with it a bonus in the form of the Northrop T38-A Talon aircraft.
