Head in the cloud(s): the return of Microsoft Flight Simulator

An unexpected revamp of Microsoft's classic flying simulator could usher in a new era of cloud function for games

Flight Simulator was once one of the jewels in Microsoft's crown, as close to synonymous with PC gaming as it's possible to get. The series debuted a staggering 37 years ago, pre-dating even Windows as an operating system, and demanded exacting attention from players as they guided increasingly detailed planes safely through the skies. Over the course of a dozen iterations spanning nearly four decades, the flying experience evolved from blocky cockpit views to full aerial tours with a hangar's worth of realistically modelled aircraft to get to grips with. It's been running so long that even Microsoft does not know its sales figures, but Flight Simulator has certainly been played by millions.

Yet as PC gaming blossomed, becoming home to everything from competitive shooters to arthouse narrative games, Flight Simulator's star began to wane. The last major release was 2006's Microsoft Flight Simulator X (eventually revamped and repackaged for Steam in 2014), while 2012's simplified spin-off, Microsoft Flight, had an aborted take off, cancelled a mere five months after launch. The golden age of flight (simulators) has long been over.