Key content

After Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was announced for PlayStation 5, the question that received the most attention was whether it would support PS VR2. Asobo Studio and the Microsoft Game Studios team promptly announced the release of a free PS VR2 update earlier this year. However, VR mode development was not a task that could be completed with just one button.

“The cockpit interaction is very complex,” explained Jorg Neumann, head of Microsoft Flight Simulator. “There are numerous dashboards, knobs and switches, and all interaction models had to be redesigned to be natural and intuitive for the PS VR2 Sense controller.”

Technical challenges and solutions

The biggest challenge the development team faced was ensuring a smooth frame rate in a visually demanding game. Neumann said, “It was quite a challenge to properly implement foveated rendering using Flexible Scaled Rasterization.” This technology affects the entire rendering pipeline, and even small pixel-level errors during development could lead to serious image quality problems.

One of the technologies developed separately to support PS VR2 is the frame duplication method. The render thread repeats one frame of the main thread twice, updating the camera position in between, which has become a key technology to achieve the frame rate required for PS VR2.

Inspiration and Community Feedback

There is a risk of missing out on the fun of the game if you focus on technical perfection, but the development team maintained its direction based on community feedback received from previous versions. Neumann said he was particularly inspired by Gran Turismo 7's use of VR. The experience of putting the player in the seat of a high-performance aircraft is similar to a racing game, but the high-altitude environment immersion unique to a flight simulator was an element that had to be properly implemented.

Neumann emphasized that “a sense of scale is key.” “You ‘see’ a mountain on a flat screen, but in VR, when you hover next to a rock wall in a helicopter, you ‘feel’ its massive mass. The experience of leaning forward and looking out through a clear part of the windshield when flying through a storm is a completely different experience.”

VR optimization of over 100 types of aircraft

Different aircraft types have different characteristics and requirements, requiring additional consideration. According to Neumann, passenger aircraft, including the Boeing 737-8, were used most often during the development process. “Passenger aircraft are the most challenging type in terms of performance requirements, cockpit complexity, readability and interactivity,” he explained. Now that everything is working, experiencing a 737 takeoff in VR is “incredibly satisfying,” he said.

Helicopters like the Guimbal Cabri G2 are particularly interesting and immersive in VR. The peripheral vision of these aircraft is unrivaled, and in VR you can feel like you're floating in the air rather than just piloting a helicopter.

When asked about his thrill-seeking moments, Neumann cited Red Bull Air Races. “Experiencing an air race with the PS VR2 is jaw-dropping. The ability to look away from a high G turn to see the next pylon is truly amazing.”