Many Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 users have been eagerly waiting for the release of the Boeing 737NG series by PMDG for the new sim, and the wait won’t be long.
During an interview on Sky Blue Radio, PMDG CEO Robert Randazzo mentioned that the 737-800 will launch before the end of 2025.
On top of that, we also hear that PMDG is “reasonably comfortable” that most of the 737 line will be out by year’s end, while there may be one straggler that drags into 2026.
Since the models (800, 900, 700, and 600, not necessarily in this order) will be released in sequence, this means that we can probably expect the -800 quite a bit before the end of the year.
Randazzo also explained that the aircraft has many Easter Eggs to enjoy, and that it’s “nearly a ground-up rebuild” of the 737 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.
PMDG has put a “tremendous amount of focus” on redoing the models for the flight deck and cabins. The windows on the flight deck open and close, and the cabin is “really, really high-detail” with “tons of stuff that you can monkey with.”
The flight deck was redone in order to leverage MSFS 2024’s engine for better lighting and color correction. The animations have all been spruced up, and the difference against MSFS 2020 is “really massive.”
The aircraft also has an entirely new sound suite, and finally, it sounds like the real thing when the aircraft flies by, which is something difficult to achieve. A lot of work has gone into adapting the audio to make sure that it sounds right in all phases of flight.
Randazzo is confident that users who have been critical of PMDG for the quality of its audio work are going to be pretty impressed.
Interestingly, PMDG has partnered with an “outside developer” for the sound, but Randazzo wasn’t ready to reveal who that is.
PMDG will number it “version 4.0,” albeit it’s basically comparable to a new product. It’s worth reminding that users who own the MSFS 2020 version will be able to upgrade for a small fee.
If you’d like to read more flight simulation news, you can find plenty in our latest roundup article from yesterday.
If you want to go further back, we have a handy overview video of the major flight simulation news in the past week. You can watch it below. As usual, leaving a like and a comment and subscribing to our growing YouTube channel is extremely helpful.
Note: the featured image above portrays the old MSFS 2020 version of the 737-800 by PMDG, forced to run kicking and screaming in MSFS 2024. It’s not representative of the final quality of the aircraft described by Randazzo. We just had to put something there.