Microsoft Flight Simulator to get VR and TrackIR support

As the game gets ready for take-off on August 18, Microsoft Flight Simulator head Jorg Neumann announced the game will have VR and TrackIR support.

According to Neumann, these are two of the most-requested features by the Flight Simulator community. However, only one of the mentioned features will be available on Day 1.

The Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise has had the TrackIR feature in previous games. It is an optical motion tracking game controller that tracks the position and orientation of a player’s head with up to six degrees of freedom (6DOF). A video camera, placed on top of a monitor or HDTV, “observes invisible infrared (IR) light (hence the name) reflected or emitted by markers on a rigid model worn by the user,” according to Wikipedia. This feature will be available on Day 1.

The free VR update will be coming to the game “later this year” just in time for the launch of the HP Reverb 2. The VR headset, “developed in collaboration with Valve and Microsoft,” is compatible with SteamVR and Windows Mixed Reality and will cost US$599.99. Work on compatibility with other VR devices by Oculus, HTC and Valve will begin after the release of the HP Reverb 2.

https://youtu.be/Bxp9xxgEfak

Along with the Windows 10 launch, Steam users will be able to purchase any of three editions of the game also on August 18.

[Sources]: Xbox: Microsoft Flight Simulator to Launch on Steam on August 18; TrackIR and VR Supported; Microsoft Flight Simulator llega a Steam el 18 de agosto con soporte para TrackIR y VR. Polygon: Microsoft Flight Simulator will support VR this fall.