Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) [VR Support]

On Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) [VR Support], I worked as a Technical Program Manager.

What is Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)?

Microsoft Fight Simulator (2020) is the 2020 edition of Microsoft’s flagship amateur flight simulator, and was developed by the team at Asobo Studio and published by the team at Xbox Game Studios. Microsoft Fight Simulator (2020) was released in August of 2020, and represented the first time the series has seen a new entry in over 14 years. Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) was the first game in the franchise to feature VR functionality.

Key Features of Microsoft flight Simulator (2020):

  • Features a wide variety of flyable aircraft, from light planes up to commercial jets

  • Over 37 Thousand Airports, 2 Million Cities, & 1.5 Billion Buildings

  • Full Day & Night Cycle

  • Real-time Weather Including Accurate Wind Speed & Direction, Temperature, Humidity, Rain, & Lighting.

  • Fully Immersive VR Support

My work as Program Manager II on Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) [VR Support]

  • Oversaw cross-team testing and validation efforts within Microsoft’s Mixed Reality organization to ensure VR support for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) released at high quality.

  • Supported the Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) team at Asobo Studio with understanding VR market and acquiring testable hardware for improving VR support in Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020).

Challenges as Program Manager II on Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) [VR Support]

As the VR team within Microsoft Mixed Reality was working toward ramping up on release efforts for the HP Reverb G2, our team partnered with the developers at Asobo Studio to enable VR functionality in the then-recently released Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020). The primary challenge I encountered during my time supporting the work to enable VR support for the game was working to align with our many interdependent partners who were affiliated with the launch of the HP Reverb G2 at the time, as we were all operating from very different regions and time zones which caused wider team alignment to be challenging. Fortunately, our respective teams overcame these obstacles and released a beloved component of the greater Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) experience, with the team at Asobo Studio having reported that over 10% of all Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) players are now playing exclusively in VR.

Where to get Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)

The PC version of Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) that supports VR was released to all physical and digital PC retailers in August 2020 (current availability may vary).

Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) [VR Support] - Links & Media