Today Microsoft opened the official marketplace for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and released World Update 19 both for MSFS 2024 and its predecessor, MSFS 2020.
This applies to both the PC version and the Xbox Series X|S version of both simulators.
The official marketplace isn’t fully functional yet, but allows you to enable all the content you have purchased for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.
Said content may have different tags depending on its status.
- Not Creator Approved – this tag indicates that either 1) the Creator tested the content and the item is currently incompatible or 2) the creator has not yet told us whether the content is compatible.
- Not Available – this tag indicates that you own this content in MSFS 2020 but it has not been successfully ported to MSFS 2024 and is therefore not available for you to access.
- No tag – if there is no tag associated with an item, this means that the Creator has signed off that the item is compatible with MSFS 2024.
It’s worth mentioning that you can enable content that is tagged as Not Creator Approved. A lot of airports work even if their creators have not gotten around to testing it.
Developers who have created upgrades for their MSFS 2020 content to MSFS 2024 can decide whether they want to offer them for free or for a fee. If a free upgrade is available for a product you own, you’ll be notified.
Rentals and gifting are not enabled yet, as the developers want to make sure they work as expected. They will be released in April with Sim Update 2.
A new optional currency named Simverse Coins has also been implemented, and it can be purchased in the official marketplace itself or at retail (only for users on Xbox or the Windows Store version).
If you own Simverse Coins you’ll see prices both in the new currency and in your local currency. If you don’t, you’ll see prices only in your local currency. The Simverse Coins price display can also be manually toggled off.
You can check out more known issues in the official post from Microsoft.
Likely the first thing you’ll get from the official marketplace is World Update 19, which focuses on Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Here’s a trailer that shows it off.
The update comes at no additional cost for all owners of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, and it includes different types of geospatial data including DEM (digital elevation model) data and DTM (digital terrain model) data.
We’re also getting 75 points of interest and four TIN (photogrammetry) cities in Brazil (Brasilia, Ouro Preto, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo).
Seven handcrafted airports are included: Brazil’s Foz do Iguacu International Airport (SBFI), Fernando de Noronha Airport (SBFN), Santos Dumont (SBRJ), and Santarem-Maestro Wilson Fonseca International Airport (SBSN); Guyana’s Kaieteur International Airport (PKSA), Suriname’s Zorg en Hoop Airport (SMZO), and French Guiana’s Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni Airport (SOOM).
Lastly, we’re getting the following activities.
- Three Discovery Flights including northern Brazil’s Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname, and Brazil’s São Paulo.
- Three Landing Challenges for you to test your piloting skills at Brazil’s Santos Dumont Airport (SBRJ) with its short runway, Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha Airport (SBFN) in a strong wind challenge, and Brazil’s São Paulo–Congonhas Airport (SBSP) located in the heart of the São Paulo metropolis.
- Three Bush Trips (only for Microsoft Flight Simulator owners) where you’ll soar throughout some of South America’s most spectacular scenery: “Amazon Tour,” which explores the Amazon River from the depths of the Amazon Rainforest to its delta; “Discover Brazil,” which traces a route inland of São Paulo to Brazil’s capital, Brasília; and “Guyana – Suriname – French Guiana,” which explores seldom visited regions of South America, from highlands to the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean coasts.
Yet, that is not all, as more will come on March 17:
- A helicopter landing challenge at Mirante Dona Marta, which grants a spectacular view of Rio de Janeiro
- A Rally Race through Rio de Janeiro in an F/A-18
- A Low-altitude Challenge in an L-39 through the Serra do Corvo Branco, a rugged mountain range in southern Brazil
The update also includes the CAP-4 Paulistinha (for MSFS 2024 users only), which was supposed to be sold separately as a local legend DLC aircraft, but has been made available for free in order to make up for the launch issues. It’s worth mentioning that if you only have MSFS 2020, you will need to pay for it if you want it.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is currently available for PC and Xbox Series X|S.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is also available for the same platforms following its recent release in November. if you want to see the massive visual difference against Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, you can enjoy our video and screenshot comparison.
Incidentally, a few days ago, we published an extensive interview with Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator Jorg Neumann about the present situation of the sim and the plans for the future.
A few weeks ago, Microsoft shared an extensive update about its plans for the sim, so you may want to read it to integrate what was said in the interview.
You can also check out our in-depth analysis of how much data the simulator downloads from the cloud, clearing the air from some widespread misinformation that made the rounds over the past few months.