Microsoft Flight Simulator to Add Japan World Update Next Week

Microsoft Flight Simulator will get a Japan World Update, set to go live on September 29 free of charge for all users. Announced at Tokyo Game Show, the update enhances the game's coverage of Japan thanks to digital elevation mapping of the entire country. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=microsoft-flight-simulator-japan-update-screenshots&captions=true"] Beyond the national refresh, which pledges to deliver a higher-definition look at "Japan's proud buildings, nature, and culture," multiple specific locations around the land of the rising sun will get an HQ overhaul. Six cities – Sendai, Takamatsu, Tokushima, Tokyo, Utsunomiya, and Yokohama – will be recreated via high-resolution 3D photographic surveying. Six airports – Hachijojima south of Tokyo, Kerama and Shimojishima in Okinawa, Kushiro in Hokkaido, Suwanosejima in Kagoshima, and Nagasaki – will be upgraded with detailed models. Additional landing challenges around Japan will also be added as part of the free upgrade, as well as a "digital elevation map" of the entire country. A highlight reel of the new upgrade in action showed planes of all sizes soaring over Japanese cities and scenic vistas alike, including a look at all the cities and airports listed above, as well as famous locations like Himeji Castle, Tokyo Skytree, and the famed "three beautiful views" of Japan: Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima, and Amanohashidate. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/24/xbox-showcase-nier-livestream-tgs-2020-in-japanese"] Microsoft also confirmed that the Xbox Series S and Series X will launch in Japan alongside the rest of the world on November 10 with preorders in Japan starting this Friday, September 25. Among the upcoming games "optimized for Series X/S" showcased in the presentation, the 2019 SNK fighting game Samurai Shodown (locally known as Samurai Spirits), trippy puzzler Tetris Effect: Connected, space shooter R-Type Final 2, and indie titles Bright Memory v1.0 and RPG Time: The Legend of Wright, will all be available at the Series X/S launch in Japan. Capcom's Pragmata, a brand-new IP which debuted at the PlayStation 5 reveal event earlier this year, was also confirmed to be available from its planned 2022 launch on Xbox Series X/S. Microsoft also announced that Project xCloud, the cloud gaming service which was added to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate last week, will be available in Japan "in the first half of 2021." Allowing Japanese Android users to play Xbox games on their phones could be a big deal for Microsoft as the Xbox console has struggled to compete locally with Sony and Nintendo, but the Android platform is very popular in Japan. [poilib element="accentDivider"]