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Microsoft Flight Simulator launches Aug. 18 on PC

Pricier deluxe versions will include more planes and airports.

Sean Keane Former Senior Writer
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Sean Keane

The visually spectacular Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to PC on Aug. 18, the company revealed Monday. You can preorder on Windows 10 or preinstall with Xbox Game Pass for PC, the company's subscription service.

You have a few options depending on how deep you want to go. The $60 standard edition includes 20 planes and 30 airports, the $90 deluxe option has five more planes and airports, while the $120 premium deluxe version has another five of each.

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"Since the launch of the very first Microsoft Flight Simulator in 1982, we knew it was finally the right time to develop the next-generation version of Microsoft Flight Simulator," Jorg Neumann, the game's lead developer, said in a release. "We have the right tools, technology, partners and hardware to release the most realistic and authentic flight simulator to date."

As previously revealed, you'll need a Ryzen 7 Pro 2700X or Intel i7-9800X CPUs paired with high-end AMD Radeon VII and Nvidia RTX 2080 GPUs with at least 8GB of VRAM, 32GB of RAM, a 150GB SSD and a 50Mbps connection for the best visuals.

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