A new development update on Microsoft Flight Simulator revealed that helicopters are a planned feature, set for a prospective 2022 release.
In the weekly development update post from Flight Simulator developers Asobo, the helicopter announcement was somewhat hidden in a screenshot showing a history of recent feedback. Under the ‘Top Wishes’ column, the top voted post was titled ‘Helicopters are a Must’. The developers have marked the post as ‘planned’ and set a release date of 2022.
Additionally, the developers marked several posts as ‘started’, including ones asking for multiple screen support, replay functionality and DirectX12 support. The latter two have a 2021 release, while multiple screen support is marked as 2021-2022.
A post titled ‘Glider, Sailplane, Soaring Please’ is also marked as planned, as well as updates for Korean subtitles and South Korean airports and cities.
The post also announced a partnership with Orbis International, allowing users to virtually explore the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital plane. The organization helps with treatment and prevention of avoidable blindness and while you’ll be able to explore the hospital plane in-game, it can’t be used for in-game flights.
On the development roadmap for Flight Simulator, the release of the Aviat Husky A-1C plane is set for August 3, along with a world update for Germany, Austria and Switzerland set for August 24. More unannounced features are planned for a September release as well.
At the beginning of this month, Flight Simulator announced an update that should drastically improve performance across the board. The developers said the update should have a “positive impact” for VR players as well, with the update scheduled to land on July 27. Keep an eye out and let us know in the comments if your performance improves once the update drops.
