Microsoft Flight Sim Gets California Update
Microsoft Flight Simulator's latest weekly briefing highlights "City Update 13: California" adding further realism and variety to the flight simulation. The update coincides with a new PlayStation trailer, expanding the platform's reach. Virtual pilots can explore enhanced California landscapes with improved detail and accuracy for world exploration.
City Update 13: California is a free enhancement for all *Microsoft Flight Simulator* players, overhauling 18 urban areas across the state. The update utilizes triangulated irregular network (TIN) surface texturing to add significant detail to cities from Sacramento in the north to San Diego in the south. This level of detail introduces a host of recognizable landmarks, previously rendered with generic models. Players can now fly over a detailed Golden Gate Bridge, the Transamerica Pyramid, Coit Tower in San Francisco, the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, and even the Apple headquarters in San Jose. These "City Updates" are part of an ongoing series of free improvements that focus on urban environments, separate from the larger "World Updates" which enhance entire countries or regions. Previous city-focused updates have enhanced locations in Germany, France, and various regions across the United States. The California update arrives as *Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024* expands its console presence, having launched on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro on December 8, 2025. This marked the first time the long-running flight simulator series has been available on a Sony console. A free update will also add PlayStation VR2 support in 2026.
