Sim Update 15 for Microsoft Flight Simulator Released - MSFS Addons (2024)

Today marks the long-awaited release of Sim Update 15 (SU15) for Microsoft Flight Simulator, bringing a host of enhancements and new features to the platform. After several delays and a long beta testing phase, the update is now available for all users on PC and Xbox.

Sim Update 15 is the last major update to the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 platform this year, as the team will focus on the hot new version, MSFS 2024. Besides new features and even a brand-new aircraft, SU15 introduces a range of performance improvements that aim to stabilize the platform for the rest of the year.

The introduction of the iniBuilds A320neo as the new default A320 in Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the highlights in Sim Update 15. This aircraft sets a new standard for default airliners within the simulator with a new and improved flight model, meticulously crafted co*ckpit, and advanced avionics systems, all designed to provide a more authentic and immersive flying experience.

The aircraft’s systems are modeled with high fidelity, including a fully functional Fly-By-Wire system and state-of-the-art autopilot capabilities. Additionally, the avionics suite includes detailed and responsive displays, enhancing the overall user interface and pilot experience​.

One of the most significant aspects of SU15 is the array of performance enhancements. The update introduces major changes to memory allocation, aimed at reducing stutters and improving overall stability, particularly for users with lower-end hardware. These adjustments are expected to make a notable difference for those experiencing performance issues.

Another highlight is the complete overhaul of the Garmin G3X Touch avionics suite by Working Title. The new implementation includes a fully modeled engine information system and engine page, with support for various aircraft-specific layouts. This update will initially be available on the default VL-3, XCub, and NXCub, with third-party developers encouraged to adopt it as well.

The update also addresses performance degradation issues related to glass co*ckpit systems. By optimizing how instrument data is processed, SU15 reduces frame spikes and improves the refresh rate of co*ckpit displays, resulting in smoother performance for complex aircraft like the Boeing 747-8i and the 787-10.

SU15 introduces several exciting new features, including support for multi-rotor helicopters, enhancing the simulator’s versatility. The update also brings improvements to AI and live traffic systems. The amount of live traffic displayed in the simulator has been significantly increased, and model and livery matching has been refined to provide a more realistic experience.

Responding to community feedback, SU15 updates how snow coverage is handled, particularly concerning bodies of water. The new system requires higher levels of snow cover to consider water bodies frozen, which should result in more accurate visual representations in the sim.

NEW CONTENT/FEATURES

• Microsoft Flight Simulator is now available to play with touch/gyro controls on Xbox Cloud Gaming!
  • Please check out the following guide for more information:Touch/Gyro FAQ7
• Airbus A320neo (V2) is now available

General Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where friends occasionally appeared duplicated in the friends list
• Improved performance:
  • Improved FPS, particularly where the FPS was low
  • Reduced stutters, particularly after long gameplay
  • Reduced loading times
• Various crash fixes across the title
  • In our continued effort to create the most stable platform possible, we introduced a change for Xbox in Sim Update 15 that will reallocate memory before a crash occurs (due to the sim running out of memory). On Xbox, this means you may temporarily encounter reduced level of visual world detail to prevent a crash until memory has recovered.
    Data from Sim Update 15 Beta participants has shown positive improvements for stability, and we believe Sim Update 15 will have the best stability on Xbox of any Sim Update thus far.
• FPS display memory usage now displays allocated virtual memory rather than used physical memory pages. This more accurately reflects the memory effectively used by the simulator

Menu

• Fixed an issue preventing the Content Manager from loading while the player was offline

Navigation/Traffic

• Resolved an issue where users were experiencing a loss of audio for ATC instructions and other aircraft communications while the AI copilot continued to respond
• Fixed some navdata packages not correctly loaded
• Improved usage of available FlightAware data to feed live traffic in the sim
• Increased the maximum number of aircraft visible in free flight
• Improved spawn condition of air traffic planes to increase live traffic at airports
• Improved AI behavior of live traffic planes on and around airports

Weather

• Moved the iced water threshold up from 27cm to 72cm in order to limit the amount of wrongly frozen water in the world. Example: Swiss lakes, Norwegian fjords, etc.

Activity

• Fixed an error in the “ILS Approach” training, the CDI and the CRS info are now both displaying the correct heading.
• Fixed Bush Trip and live event achievements
  • Corrected achievements are: Fire and Ice, Anemoi, Goldrush, and Decathlon

Glass co*ckpits

Garmin G3000 / G5000

• Fixed an issue where the MFD navigation data bar DEST field displayed the incorrect airport in certain cases
• Fixed incorrect calculations for MFD navigation data bar fields related to the destination (DTG, LDG, FOD) in certain cases. These values are now also consistent with the airport displayed in the DEST field
• Fixed an issue where GPS signal could degrade inappropriately during long flight sessions
• Fixed an issue where the flight plan could become corrupted after removing an approach in rare cases
• The HSI to/from indicator now displays the correct indication while the active navigation source is FMS instead of always indicating TO
• The system will no longer automatically switch CDI source from FMS to LOC during ILS/LOC approaches unless the autopilot’s LOC mode is armed and ready to capture the localizer course

Garmin G3X Touch

• Comprehensive visual overhaul of the avionics for accurate font, symbology, look, operation, and feel
• Built-in support for Direct-To and point-to-point VFR flight planning and navigation capability
• Support for IFR navigation when paired with a compatible external navigator (such as the WT GNS530W/430W)
• Support for aircraft-specific EIS and MFD Engine page layouts, including optional Lean Assist and Fuel Calculator functions

G1000 Nxi

• Fixed an issue where the PFD could become partially unusable on initialization and required a flight restart
• Fixed a bug where the XPDR keypad entry would break when the XPDR mode selector button was pressed while already in XPDR mode
• Fixed an issue where the MFD navigation data bar DEST field displayed the incorrect airport in certain cases
• Fixed incorrect calculations for MFD navigation data bar fields related to the destination (DTG, LDG, FOD) in certain cases. These values are now also consistent with the airport displayed in the DEST field
• Fixed an issue where the last digit of COM frequencies could not be entered with the control pad
• Fixed an issue where the Control Knob events did not reset the Control Mode reset timer
• Fixed approach minimums GCU keypad entry not working
• Fixed an issue where the flight plan could become corrupted after removing an approach in rare cases

Garmin GNS430W / GNS530W

• Fixed an issue where the autopilot would not function correctly after loading or reloading the GNS instrument in the middle of a flight session (e.g. when hot-swapping instruments in certain airplanes)
• Prevent instruments not loading correctly when hot-swapping
• Fixed an issue where GPS signal could degrade inappropriately during long flight sessions
• Fixed an issue where the flight plan could become corrupted after removing an approach in rare cases
• Added support for configuring the index used by the LNAV Computer using the “LNavIndex” panel.xml tag; where this is not set it will default to 0 to preserve support
• Added support for setting the autopilot max bank angle using the “MaxAPBankAngle” panel.xml tag Where it’s not set, this will default to 20
• LNAV data simvars will now be published with indexes according to the LNAV Computer index
• Added support for disabling the autopilot through XML configuration using the “DisableAutopilot” tag
• GNS units no longer require an internal autopilot (or autopilot of any kind) to automatically switch CDI source from GPS to VLOC during ILS/LOC approaches
• The logic to automatically switch CDI source from GPS to VLOC during ILS/LOC approaches now runs independently on each GNS unit. This fixes some incorrect behavior that could be encountered if two GNS units in the same airplane were configured to maintain independent flight plans

WT21

• FMC: Fixed FPLN RECALL not working on the co-pilot FMC
• Added plugin system to allow third party developers to customize and extend the functionality of the WT21
• Added alternate style option for the artificial horizon on color schemes via CSS variables (documentation follows soon)
• Removed CJ4 specific code from the WT21 and moved it to CJ4 plugins
• CDU: Ported CDU to new framework in Avionics SDK to enable extensibility by third party developers

Aircraft

• Corrected a tooltip which indicated a value in Celsius degrees rather than angular degrees

General

• Added multi rotor support for helicopters (Chinook, dual rotor, etc.)
• Improved performance of glass co*ckpit heavy airplanes (ex. Boeing 747) that use the Coherent/JS tech stack
• Initial work on improving plane and livery model matching for live traffic aircraft. It will now try to partially match aircraft types of the same airlines, if a specific livery or model is not installed. As a last resort it will try to fall back to an airline that generally serves the current airport or region
  • Known Issue:The nameplates of AI traffic can show a wrong aircraft type ICAO
• New high accuracy physics system to enable vibrations and micro movements
• Enabled new soft gears on the Cessna 172 and Guimbal Cabri G2
• Optional soft ground collision model for tires / flexible gears
• More accurate ground contact model
• Ground Contact Resolution improvements
• Improvements to ground handling and ground collision physics for the Cessna 172 and the Guimbal Cabri G2
• Fixed an issue that caused some P-51 Mustangs to lose power on full throttle

Helicopters

• Improved functionality of multi-engine helicopter governors and engine trimmers (see SDK for more details)
• Multi-engine helicopters: it’s now possible to control the governor switches and engine trimmers for each engine individually. SeeSDKfor details
• Multi-engine helicopters: it’s now possible to bind governor switches and engines trimmers via CONTROL OPTIONS menu for each engine individually

Airbus 310-300

• Fixed – Interior model appears to be missing when viewed by other users
• Fixed – Auto throttle does not animate the throttle but does work
• Fixed – Fuel Flow gauges and MFD indications do not match
• New throttle calibration function added
• Fixed – Large pitch oscillation when unpausing while AP is active
• Fixed – [Audio] Unable to hear nearby A310 when in co*ckpit camera
• Translations added for updated tooltips

Boeing 787-10 / Boeing 747-8i

• AT: Fixed an issue where auto throttle would not automatically activate if armed and TO/GA pressed below 400 feet RA on approach
• AT: Fixed TO/GA activation logic on approach
• ND: Improved the fix info distance circle projection at higher latitudes
• ND: Fixed a bug where the flight plan would not be displayed on the map
• [787] SYS: Fixed an issue where the engine gen control lights would flicker “OFF” on full engine power because of engine combustion issues caused by fuel starvation
• [747] SYS: Fixed an issue where the engine gen control lights would flicker “OFF” on full engine power because of engine combustion issues caused by fuel starvation
• [747] SYS: Adjusted pressure of the stabilizer tank pumps to prevent the center tank from emptying during transfer
• [747] SYS: Tune engine model for more realistic idle RPM and ITT
• Fixed issue where the LNAV autopilot mode would immediately become the active mode instead of armed on the ground

Guimbal Cabri G2

• Corrected an issue that would cause the engine to fail to start when using the AUTOSTART key on the Guimbal Cabri G2

Cessna Citation Longitude

• Added support for the following TAWS-A alerts: PDA, EDR, ECR, NCR
• Added support for TAWS voice callouts at 40, 30, 20, and 10 feet

Cirrus SR22T

• Elevator trim is now reflected in control stick position (non-VR only)
• Fixed an issue where right Control stick AP DISC button was inoperative
• Fixed an issue where virtual co*ckpit trim switch was not operating the trim
• Corrected positioning of left rear cabin light
• Fixed incorrect and sunken gear position when on ground
• MFD now correctly comes on with main bus power
• Fixed issue where display units would not update on the W&B page after changing them in the G1000 settings
• Added and tuned new ground handling parameters
• Adjusted engine parameters and ECU logic to account for fixed intake density mixture behavior

CubCrafters NXCub

• Updated avionics to the overhauled G3X Touch
• Corrected fuel tank capacities (24.5 gal total/23 gal usable per tank)
• Adjusted the engine’s max rated horsepower value from 180 to 215 to match the published specifications of the CC393i

CubCrafters XCub

• Updated avionics to the overhauled G3X Touch
• Corrected fuel tank capacities (24.5 gal total/23 gal usable per tank)

Daher TBM 930

• Added support for the following TAWS-B alerts: PDA, EDR, NCR
• The 500-foot touchdown callout is no longer inhibited when the autopilot’s GS/GP modes are active

House Atreides Ornithopter

• Dune Ornithopter: fixed the landing gear initialization during RTC when starting the mission from the runway in Free Flight
• Fixed landing gear animation bug when touching the ground with raised landing gear
• Ornithopter gears state are now properly displayed in multiplayer

JMB VL-3

• Updated avionics to the overhauled G3X Touch
• The FUEL PUMP switch is now ON when loading a flight on the runway

Pilatus PC-6

• Added AI sound XML for PC-6 Classic Wheel
• Added ForceCamera entries to checklists
• Fixed dimmers for annunciator lights not working
• Fixed tooltip value for the left column of lights (main panel)
• Fixed missing tooltips on fuel filter clogged and starter lights
• Fixed AI checklist auto-complete issues with fuel system valve and parking brake
• Fixed rudder pedal animation
• Fixed Fuel pressure reading is above the red line during flight and taxi operations
• Fixed Engine cannot be restarted without toggling fuel valve to closed then open
• Fixed Engine can be started with the condition lever set to Cut Off
• Fixed fuel system valve test during checklist
• Fixed condition lever input event naming
• Fixed camera upper view clipping the ceiling
• Fixed Alternate Trim switch moves instead of hat switch
• Fixed Unable to turn on transponder when starting from cold & dark
• Fixed Can not auto-start aircraft without external power

World

• Fixed missing aerials and random crashes when multiple packages cover the same zone
• Reworked the rendering of the world tiles to avoid graphical glitches under DX12

Launch Airports – Standard Edition

• Fixed – KJFK John F. Kennedy International Airport – There are several game-breaking obstacles
• Fixed – KJFK John F. Kennedy International Airport – Taxiway bridges over Belt Parkway are missing
• Fixed – KJFK John F. Kennedy International Airport – Gates are not properly organized after SU9
• Fixed – KLAX Los Angeles International Airport – The VASI lights at runway 25R appear to be inaccurate
• Fixed – KLAX Los Angeles International Airport – Runway lights are missing
• Fixed – KLAX Los Angeles International Airport – The taxiway is labeled with a different name
• Fixed – KLAX Los Angeles International Airport – There are missing and mislabeled taxiways
• Fixed – KMCO Orlando International Airport – Gates are not properly organized, and there is no option for taxiing to them
• Fixed – KSEA Seattle-Tacoma International Airport – There’s a sudden collision with the ground on RWY34L
• Fixed – LOWI Innsbruck Airport – The taxiway at the airport goes over a hill
• Fixed – LPMA Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport – Issue with the taxiway and lights
• Fixed – LPMA Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport – The terrain is bumpy and uneven
• Fixed – RJTT Haneda Airport – There are some flying cars in the airport
• Fixed – RJTT Haneda Airport – Issue with a hill/mound on the runway
• Fixed – RJTT Haneda Airport – All gates are classified as ramps, and some ramps are incorrectly labeled as gates
• Fixed – TNCS Juancho E. Yrauquin Airport – The helipad label is missing
• Fixed – VQPR Paro International Airport – Issue with fence and lampposts
• Fixed – YSSY Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport – There is incorrect taxiway signage for runway 34L and 34R

Launch Airports – Deluxe Edition

• Fixed – FACT Cape Town International Airport – The taxiways are uneven
• Fixed – KORD O’Hare International Airport – Exterior gate lighting is missing from some concourses
• Fixed – KORD O’Hare International Airport – At Gate M17, a vehicle appears to be stuck on the outer wall of the terminal
• Fixed – LEMD Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport – There is an invisible wall at the airport
• Fixed – LEMD Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport – Baggage ground service and pushback tractor collide with objects at T4S gate 537 and T4 gate 374

Launch Airports – Premium Edition

• Fixed – EDDF Frankfurt Airport – The light pole on taxiway N8 is causing heavy planes like the 747-8 to crash
• Fixed – EGLL Heathrow Airport – Problem with fence and lampposts
• Fixed – EGLL Heathrow Airport – The gates are not mapped correctly
• Fixed – KDEN Denver International Airport – Trees and bushes are present on taxiways and the terminal apron
• Fixed – KDEN Denver International Airport – There are elevation issues
• Fixed – KDEN Denver International Airport – Issues with collisions on objects
• Fixed – KDEN Denver International Airport – There is insufficient illumination at the airport
• Fixed – KSFO San Francisco International Airport – 10L Hold Short Lines are displayed inverted at the airport
• Fixed – KSFO San Francisco International Airport – All gate numbers were changed in 2019, but the old numbers are still used in MSFS
• Fixed – KSFO San Francisco International Airport – Leading zero on runways 1L and 1R
• Fixed – KSFO San Francisco International Airport – Runways 19R and 19L have bumps
• Fixed – KSFO San Francisco International Airport – There is uneven pavement on Runway 28R
• Fixed – OMDB Dubai International Airport – No PAPI lights at the airport
• Fixed – OMDB Dubai International Airport – Buildings along the airport approach are too high
• Fixed – OMDB Dubai International Airport – There is a problem with some textures at the Dubai airport

Peripherals

• Updated Yawman Arrow presets
• Added Turtlebeach Flight Deck support
• Added support for Virtual Fly Yoko Neo
• Added support for Virtual Fly TQ Neo

New controls

• Added new actions to support twin engine helicopters