Laminar Research released the beta of the next update for X-Plane 12 in beta for everyone to test out.
The update, which has previously been teased and partly detailed, is numbered 12.4.4 and dubbed “SDK Update.”
The reason behind the name is that the update expands the Software Development Kit significantly with features like the new Panel Graphics API, xLua 2.0, Dear ImGui, and Chromium Embedded Framework.
A number of rendering performance improvements are also included, like the hybrid tiled-lighting system, a new on-disk texture cache, and the sparse residency technology. We hear that across a sample of CPU-limited systems, 12.4.4 produced an average 6.4% improvement in CPU performance.
The update also introduces persistent, regionalised snow coverage. It now varies geographically, allowing different regions of the world to depict different snow conditions simultaneously. It’s compatible with live and historical weather on top of orthophoto scenery.
The weather radar also got improved with recalibrated precipitation returns, improved NEXRAD, and ands a new radial-sweep depiction for the X1000 unit.
78 new liveries and 6 new aircraft types have been added to the static aircraft, including the following:
- Airbus A350-900
- Airbus A350-1000
- Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules
- Eurofighter Typhoon
- Gulfstream 650
- Embraer Phenom 300
New scenery assets have also been added, specifically overhead powerline facades and accessible passenger boarding ramps.
You can check out a gallery of screenshotys below.
X-Plane 12 is currently available for PC, including Mac and Linux.
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