Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 release time, date, pre-load and Xbox Game Pass warning

The latest game in Microsoft's surprisingly popular Flight Simulator series is about to make its debut on , Xbox Series S and PC.

on PC and consoles. For UK players, Microsoft Flight Sim 24 has a 4pm GMT release time on all platforms. This means US fans can start playing at 8am PST.

While you can pre-load the game now, the development team has announced plans to release a day-one patch that will need to be downloaded before you can start playing.

It's also worth remembering that Flight Simulator 2024 is available for free as part of your subscription, but only for the Ultimate tier. It certainly beats the in November 2024.

Indeed, if you're playing on Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, then you'll need to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in order to access the game at launch.

As a reminder, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs £14.99 a month, and provides access to hundreds of console, PC and cloud games, as well as day-one access for first-party games, online multiplayer access, exclusive deals and EA Play membership.

If you're exclusively playing on PC, then you can get day-one access to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 with a PC Game Pass subscription for £9.99 a month.

Be warned, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 isn't available as part of Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Standard on consoles.

Of course, you can also purchase the game outright on Xbox consoles, and for PC via the Microsoft store or Steam.

The Standard Edition costs £69.99 on consoles and PC, while the Deluxe Edition is available for £99.99. There's also a Premium Deluxe Edition for £129.99, as well as an Aviator Edition for a whopping £199.99.

The Standard Edition contains 70 aircraft and 150 airports, compared to 80 aircraft and 155 airports for the Deluxe Edition.

The Premium Deluxe Edition comes with 95 aircraft and 160 airports, while the Aviator Edition contains 125 aircraft and 160 airports.

Outside of vastly improved visuals, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 features a wide range of new activities.

This includes Aerial Firefighting, Search and Rescue and Medevac, as well as multiplayer-focused modes such as Challenge League, Rally Races and Precision Landing.

You'll even be able to compete in Red Bull and Reno Air Races, and for the first time ever in the series, exit aircraft and explore areas on foot.

According to Microsoft, players will be able to explore 27 "highly detailed biomes with hundreds of species of vegetation".