It’s been a massive week in the MSFS 2024 world. The April Developer Livestream delivered a packed roadmap for the rest of 2026, Sim Update 5 entered its final beta stretch, and several beloved third-party developers dropped major updates. Here are the 10 biggest stories from the past seven days that every flight simmer should know about.
1. Sim Update 5 Nears Final Release — Targeting Late April
Sim Update 5 is almost here. Asobo confirmed a release window of April 20–24 across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 5, with just two or three “must-fix” bugs remaining. Two additional beta builds (1.7.21.0 and 1.7.22.0) shipped this week, and the team is cautiously optimistic about meeting the deadline. SU5 brings the long-awaited weather radar with tilt functionality developed by Working Title, an updated airflow simulation, and dozens of bug fixes. If you’ve been waiting to jump back in, this is the update to watch. For tips on getting the best visuals once SU5 drops, check out our MSFS Graphics Settings guide.
Read more at FlightSimulator.com →
2. PSVR2 Support and PS5 Marketplace Launch with SU5
PlayStation 5 simmers, your time has come. Sim Update 5 will launch with PSVR2 support and the first batch of third-party add-ons on the PS5 Marketplace. Add-ons must pass Sony’s platform and performance requirements before listing, so don’t expect the entire PC catalogue on day one — but an initial selection of approved products will be available at launch, with more following over time. This is a landmark moment for bringing study-level flight simulation to the console VR space.
Read more at FlightSimulator.com →
3. Aircraft & Avionics Update 4 — ATR 42/72-600 Gets Expert Treatment
Shipping alongside SU5, Aircraft & Avionics Update 4 brings five aircraft up to native MSFS 2024 standards. The star of the show is the ATR 42/72-600 (Expert Series 01) — Asobo’s first in-house study-level aircraft with full FMS implementation and accurate PW127 turboprop handling. Also updated: the Antonov An-2, Fokker F.VII, Savoia-Marchetti S.55/S.55X, and Latécoère 631. If you’re ready to tackle turboprop operations, this is a great step up from the basics covered in our Beginner Guides.
4. April Developer Livestream Reveals 2026 Roadmap
The April 15 Developer Livestream was the most information-dense broadcast since the MSFS 2024 launch. Jörg Neumann, Sebastian Wloch, and Martial Bossard laid out the full year: SU5 in April, World Update 21 Australia in May, the Expert Series 02 Piper M600 in June at FlightSimExpo, and the Expert Series 03 Embraer Praetor 600 in November. Seb also delivered a deep-dive on the updated airflow simulation system. This new “Development Update after each stream + Weekly Briefings” format is a welcome improvement in communication.
Watch the full livestream on YouTube →
5. World Update 21: Australia Announced for May 2026
G’day, simmers! World Update 21 takes us to Australia with 30+ new Areas of Interest, six hand-crafted bespoke airports, 29 Points of Interest, and a full activity pack including Discovery Flights, Precision Landings, Bush Trips, and Rally Race Challenges. Alongside it arrives Local Legend 24: the CAC Boomerang, a WWII-era Australian warbird built by iniBuilds. The Outback has always been a bush-flying playground — if you’re new to VFR flying in remote areas, our Navigation & Autopilot guide covers the fundamentals you’ll need.
Read more at FlightSimulator.com →
6. Expert Series 02: Piper M600 Coming in June
Developed by FSReborn, the Piper M600 will feature a full Garmin G3000 suite built in collaboration with Working Title, simulated system failures, the HALO emergency autoland system, and three interior configurations. One standout feature: adjustable difficulty sliders that let beginners reduce the consequences of improper procedures while experts can enable full realism. It’s set to launch at FlightSimExpo in June — a perfect entry point into serious single-engine turboprop flying.
Read more at FlightSimulator.com →
7. PMDG Ships Major 777 Update with Reworked Fly-By-Wire
PMDG’s Boeing 777 fleet received build 2.04.138 — and it’s substantial. The headline is a comprehensive refactoring of the C*U fly-by-wire control system, making the aircraft fly much more like its real-world counterpart with enhanced pitch and speed stability. The update also touches the FMC, displays, datalink, hydraulics, ground operations, physics, and more. Fun detail: the changelog notes they “found FO hiding in the wheel well” (an animation bug fix). If you’re flying the PMDG lineup, check out our PMDG Boeing 787 tutorial for related tips on Boeing procedures.
8. PMDG 737-600 Gets High Detail Update
The PMDG 737-600 is now the final member of the 737NG fleet to receive its High Detail Update for MSFS 2024. This includes a reworked external model with high-resolution textures, updated cockpit, cabin, cargo areas, and gear bays — all built using the MSFS 2024 SDK. The 737-700 also received a post-release stability update alongside it. If you’re flying the 737 family, our PMDG Boeing 737 tutorial walks through the full startup-to-landing workflow.
9. Fenix Updates A320 for SU5 Compatibility
Fenix Simulations pushed update 2.4.0.4720 for their A320 lineup in both MSFS 2020 and 2024. The update fixes incompatibilities with the SU5 beta, resolves a charts app issue for users without a Navigraph subscription, and updates the nav data to the latest free cycle (2503). It’s a targeted hotfix rather than a feature release, but essential for anyone planning to fly the Fenix on day one of Sim Update 5. For A320 pilots, our Airbus A320 tutorial series has you covered from cold and dark to landing.
10. Navigraph 2026 Community Survey Reveals MSFS 2024 Is Now the Most Popular Platform
The annual Navigraph FlightSim Community Survey landed this week with 42,332 responses — the largest ever. The headline number: MSFS 2024 is now the most popular platform at 49.5%, overtaking MSFS 2020 (27.8%) and X-Plane 12 (12%). Fenix’s Airbus fleet is the most popular aircraft in MSFS at 42.4%, with the PMDG 737 close behind at 31.5%. The Fenix A320/321 Neo was voted the most anticipated upcoming product. Other fun findings: most simmers fly 2–5 sessions per week at 2–3 hours each, and 21% hold a real pilot licence. For those in the hardware upgrade cycle, the RTX 4090 remains the top GPU choice — check our PC Hardware guide if you’re planning a build.
That wraps up this week’s MSFS 2024 news roundup! It’s shaping up to be a landmark year with study-level aircraft, major world updates, and VR finally arriving on PlayStation. What story are you most excited about? Drop a comment below and let us know what you’d like to see covered in next week’s roundup.
Next week’s stories: Read the MSFS news roundup for May 15–21, 2026 — Asobo’s SU5.1 beta opens on Xbox and PS5, PMDG completes the 737NG overhaul, GSX Pro 4.0 ships free, and four more stories.
