Spectacular Japanese Update for Microsoft Flight Simulator Now Available With Update 1.9.3

Today Microsoft released the first world update for Microsoft Flight Simulator alongside a general software patch.

The world update focuses on Japan and it adds a rather spectacular level of detail to the archipelago of the rising sun.

Here’s a list of what’s included for free.

“World Update I: Japan features upgraded digital elevation mapping across the entire country, high-resolution 3D photogrammetry for six prominent Japanese cities (Sendai, Takamatsu, Tokushima, Tokyo, Utsunomiya, and Yokohama), and six exquisitely hand-crafted airports (Hachijojima, Kerama, Kushiro, Nagasaki, Shimojishima, and Suwanosejima). Throughout the environment, new countryside and pagoda-style architecture has been added, along with nearly two dozen custom landmarks & POIs that invite you to explore the area’s timeless World Heritage sites, towering neon skyscrapers, iconic bridges, and sacred shrines.

But that’s just the beginning – this update also brings a trio of exciting Landing Challenges set at Japanese airports, new opportunities for pilots to overcome environmental obstacles and prove their skills.”

On top of that a new the update numbered 1.9.3 brings a lot of tweaks and fixes to Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Here are the patch notes:

Airports

Airports added:

• LEMG – Málaga Airport
• LFLC – Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne
• PAFR – Bryant Army Airfield Heliport

Airports improvements:

• 60 airports improvements based on community feedback
• Control towers added on 700+ US airports

UI

• Sensitivity screen is now displayed correctly
• The Manual cache management UI has been improved
• ATC Options should now correctly be saved
• Liveries selection menu should now work as expected
• The music can now be deactivated before or during the initial download on startup

AERODYNAMICS

• The collision problems at negative altitudes have been fixed
• Braking power on ground has been tweaked to reflect more realistic braking distances
• Fuel consumption updating mass problem has fixed for some airplanes
• A plane with no fuel leak system should no longer lead to a crash
• Aircraft gyroscopic stability can now be set in our SDK toolset

PLANES

• Incorrect energy formulas resulting in inaccurate autopilot behavior have been fixed
• Autopilot overshooting altitude capture during descent has been fixed
• Allow to up to 8500fpm max climb speed after the new AP is now more accurately respecting 6000fpm

Visuals and animation

• Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner: wing flex has been improved
• Beechcraft King Air 350i: rudder pedals animation is now correct
• Cessna 152 : fixed a graphic glitch when switching between cockpit and external views
• Airbus A320neo : fixed issues related to copilot AP button lights

General aviation systems

• Cessna 172 Skyhawk: fixed impossible connection with ATC when BUS 1 is ON and bus 2 is off
• Cessna 208 B Grand Caravan EX: fixed PFD and MFD button issues between pilot and copilot sides
• Robin DR400/100 Cadet: can now request ground services to the ATC
• Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000): fixed checklist camera issues during the “After starting engine” procedure
• Cessna 152 and 152 Aerobat: fixed pilot heat not working
• Cessna 152 and 152 Aerobat: fixed copilot not setting master switch ON during starting engine checklist procedure
• Daher TBM 930: fixed fuel tank incorrect tooltip

General aviation avionics

• Garmin avionics : fixed issues with auto switch from NAV to LOC in approach
• Garmin avionics : Fixed wrong country codes
• G1000/3000 : Fixes on flightplan entering / duplicate waypoint page
• G1000 : performance improvements when displaying nearest airport page
• G3000 : it is now possible to active approach legs
• Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000): fixed automatic change from GPS to VOR 1 when a flight plan or approach loaded
• Cessna 172 Skyhawk: fixed crash when deleting direct-to flight plan
• Cessna 208 B Grand Caravan EX: fixed default state of avionics Sby & avionic bus guarded switches when starting cold and dark
• Cessna Citation CJ4: Upper menu and ENG buttons are no longer INOP

Airliners systems

• Airbus A320neo Fix APU Fuel Flow shutting down left engine
• Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner/ Airbus A320neo Fixed lack of elevator authority with FBW at low speeds
• Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner: fixed APU fault light behavior
• Airbus A320neo : fixed max thrust display
• Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner: altitude target can no longer be set to negative values
• Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental: fixed wrong approach VREF speeds

Airliners avionics

• Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner HUD colors and layout improvements
• Airbus A320neo : fixed missing runway in the MCDU perf page
• Airbus A320neo : improved disappearance of legs too early when following a flight plan
• Airbus A320neo : STARs are filtered to display the ones connected to the selected runway in the MCDU
• Airbus A320neo : “Invalid entry” has been replaced by “Not allowed” message in MCDU
• Airbus A320neo : Flaps “F” indication replaced by “FULL” when flaps completely deployed

WEATHER

• The wind gradient when getting close to the ground on live weather has been fixed
• Lightning have been added when applicable

MARKETPLACE

• Average rating has been fine-tuned for more accuracy
• 3rd party filter is now sorted alphabetically
• Improved notification system for content bought outside of the marketplace existing in the Community folder
• Version history is now available when an item is patched

CONTENT MANAGER

• The community content is now clearly identified in the content manager
• The content manager button in the Marketplace will redirect to the corresponding addon content
• Version history is now available when an item is patched

INSTALLATION MANAGER

• The title’s audio is properly muted when the window is out of focus
• Graphic settings UI during onboarding has been fixed
• Apply and Save pop up now displays only once during the Graphic Settings in the Onboarding

LOCALIZATION

• Various typo fixes in multiple languages

CAMERAS

• Fixed visual glitch happening in camera cuts
• Fixed wrong LOD selection when a camera cut happens
• Camera reset function does not revert Cam speed/ momentum to default values anymore

INPUT

• CH Eclipse default preset has been added
• TrackIR can now be enabled or disabled in the camera panel
• Track IR is now disabled when on the pause menu
• Improved support for Logitech Multi panel

BUSH TRIPS

• Back on track should no longer show the wrong airport

WORLD

• Ocean rendering has been improved (waves scale, foam and reflections)
• Water mask has been edited to display actual aerial image near the shore in some areas
• Luminance has been tweaked for some photogrammetry cities (Napoli, Darwin, San Gorgonio, Las Vegas)
• Fixed terraforming issue which was causing issues in KTEX airport
• Water elevation has been updated to improve rivers (Missouri river and around Toronto for example) and lakes (center of Canada)
• Fixed detail map rendering around runway/taxiway borders

KNOWN ISSUES

• Game may crash if the VFR Map is not opened right after starting the flight
• Cessna Citation Longitude: Regression AP FLC and VS mode
• Cessna Citation Longitude: Autopilot climb and level off issues
• Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental: Autopilot switches to FLCH mode instead of catching the glideslope
• Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental: Autopilot switches to VNAV mode on take-off even if VNAV is not used by the pilot
• Airbus A320neo : PFDs shutdowns randomly
• The Tour of Japan discovery flight will be greyed out in the main menu if the Beechcraft King Air 350i is not installed
• A new install on a different install folder will only download the mandatory content and will require a reboot (non mandatory content can be downloaded from the Content manager)

If you want to learn more about Microsoft Flight Simulator, you can check out our review that will tell you everything you need to know about Asobo Studio’s new and groundbreaking game.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is already available for Windows 10 and Steam. An Xbox version is also planned for the future but has no release date for now.

You can also check out our growing guide wiki that includes more information that can help you get started in the game.