Sim Update 6 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is on its way, and following the recent first beta release, there's now a newer one to try out with more new features.

In the Sim Update 6 1.8.8.0 beta there are two pieces of new content to take a look at, including the much-anticipated return of Bush Trips from Flight Simulator 2020.

It's not all of them at this point, but it sounds like a good chunk are available to try out before the public release, per the patch notes.

"As announced during FlightSimExpo 2026, bush trips are coming to MSFS 2024 and are now accessible in the Sim Update 6 Beta from the Activities menu. We have added a large amount of the bush trips from MSFS 2020 already and more will be added in the coming days."

The other fresh content concerns lighting, one of the already promised big upgrades for Sim Update 6. Generic airport lighting upgrades were made in the previous beta, while this latest one adds MastLights to those same generic airports, improving the illumination at parking spots.

This is on top of the features that came in the first Sim Update 6 beta, including DLSS 4.5, FSR 4, and the ability to skip walkarounds in Free Flight mode.

If you want to try the new beta for yourself, how you get in depends on where you're playing. Sign up to be a Flight Simulator Insider first, and then flights are managed through the XBOX Insider Hub app on console or PC.

Steam betas are managed through the game's Properties menu, and PS5 players can download the beta via the PlayStation Store.

There's no release date yet set for the public version of Sim Update 6, but the latest roadmap shows a July or August timeframe. So it's not too far away.

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The day when AI isn't completely polarizing feels like it'll never arrive, and there's a definite divide between those for and those against.

This drama has now spilled into the Linux kernel, prompting a lengthy and firm response from its creator, Linus Torvalds (via GamingOnLinux).

It emerged as a topic referencing using AI and a tool called "Sashiko" for agentic reviews of changes to the Linux kernel. Then in swoops Torvalds to firmly put his foot down.

The full transcript of his response is below:

"Yes.

And no, that's not the position of the Linux kernel. I realize that some people really dislike AI, but this is an area where I'm willing to absolutely put my foot down as the top-level maintainer.

Linux is not one of those anti-AI projects, and if somebody has issues with that, they can do the open-source thing and fork it.

Or just walk away.

AI is a tool, just like other tools we use. And it's clearly a useful one.

It may not have been that "clearly" even just a year ago, but it's no longer in question today.

There are other questions around AI (like what the economy of it will actually look like in the end), but "is it useful" is no longer one of those questions. Anybody who doubts that clearly hasn't actually used it.

Yes, it can also be a somewhat painful tool, both for maintainer workloads and just from a "it keeps finding embarrassing bugs" standpoint.

But the solution is not to put your head in the sand and sing "La La La, I can't hear you" at the top of your voice like some people seem to do.

The solution is to make sure those LLM tools _help_ maintainers instead of just causing them pain. There's no question on that side.

We're not forcing anybody to use it, but I will very loudly ignore people who try to argue against other people from using it.

And no, AI isn't perfect. But Christ, anybody who points to the problems at AI had better be looking in the mirror and pointing at themselves at the same time.

Because it's not like natural intelligence is always all that great either.

The kernel project has been and will continue to be about the technology.

Sure, the social angle of working on open source is important and often a very motivating part of the project, but in the end that's a side benefit, not the _point_ of the project.

This is *NOT* some kind of "social warrior" project, never has been, and never will be.

In the kernel community we do open source because it results in better technology, not because of religious reasons.

And so we make decisions primarily based on technical merit. Not fear of new tools.

Linus"

I can already see the pitchforks rising, but let's take a step back. While Torvalds does appear to be flexing some muscle, if you read carefully, he's also not actually advocating for AI.

"AI is a tool... And clearly a useful one." There's no ideology behind it. He's not suddenly saying that the Linux kernel is going to be built using AI. More that if it can be used to make certain parts of the process better, then it will be.

And as he says, human intelligence isn't exactly perfect, is it?

It's a sticky wicket and sure to provoke some discussion. Linux is where many of the most serious enthusiasts go, and plenty just have a fundamental opposition to AI. I'm not getting into that, because it's exhausting, and we've been round and round on the topic plenty.

I do like Torvalds' approach in addressing this, though. Unlike, say, Microsoft, there are no business interests to push and bank accounts to swell by pushing the general public into using AI. There's also an alternative; if you don't like it, you can fork it and make your own. There are already plenty of custom kernels on Linux.

He's simply being pragmatic. The genie is free from the lamp; AI is here, and ignoring it simply isn't an option. Everyone can have their own opinion, but as he states, Linux isn't a "social warrior" project. They're just trying to make the best software, and increasingly, that's going to mean folks leveraging AI. Like it or not.

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Once Human first launched two years ago, initially just on PC, with a mobile version following in 2025. Now, finally, it's coming to console after a period of beta testing.

Once Human is officially set to launch on Xbox Series X|S and PS5 on August 25, 2026. Additionally, it will be coming to the Xbox app on PC on the same date.

It's not Xbox Play Anywhere, but it doesn't need to be, since it's a free-to-play game. It does have full cross-play and cross-progression, though, including account linking if you've previously played on PC or mobile.

Additional goodies include keyboard and mouse support on console, and while it is free to play, there will be a couple of paid packs you can buy if you so wish with some premium items in to help you on your way.

"Survive in a supernatural apocalypse where reality has fallen apart. As a Meta-Human, explore a vast, Stardust-infected open world where monsters are threat and key to your survival. Every expedition is risk and resource. Gather materials and build your ultimate territory, but be prepared to defend your home against relentless sieges."

Two years is a pretty long wait, and Once Human now is not Once Human as it was. But it's an interesting idea. There are aspects of looter games mixed with survival elements and both PvE and PvP gameplay, with the latter being an opt-in rather than forced upon players.

The console version doesn't appear to be up-to-date with the existing PC and mobile versions, at least at first. A Q&A on the Once Human website states that "in the future, the console version will catch up with the progress of other platform versions, and it is expected to remain consistent."

That all seems fair, at least for launch. For one, it's more important to get it out there and make sure it's actually all working as intended. Two years is a lot of content and updates, and I think it's a smart move. It should be less overwhelming, if nothing else.

The one thing that isn't listed in the Xbox version right now is any sign of achievements. For two years this has been a frustration of the Steam release, with multiple threads referencing the fact that the developers haven't added any.

Xbox console games should have achievement support, so maybe it's just an omission from the early listing. Conversely, maybe the launch on console may finally help bring achievements to Steam. In any case, we don't have long to wait and find out.

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The Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2 ports for the PS4 and PS5 were received to much hype and excitement. But guess what? They're a mess. Who possibly could have guessed?

Only everyone who's ever tried playing the backward compatible versions on Xbox consoles in recent memory. Collectively, it's an "I told you so," because we knew it would happen.

The only difference is that the 'shiny new' ports on PlayStation seem to be getting some kind of active support from Activision. Because Black Ops has had some of its playlists deactivated while "issues" are investigated.

The issues are simple: hackers. You think Black Ops 7 has a bad rep for hackers? Without modern anticheat technologies, the old games are like the Wild West.

It's taken absolutely no time at all for the new ports to be compromised, which really does show just how lazy they are. We're not just talking about wallhacks, either, though those are bad enough.

Players are being inundated with lobbies packed with players running exploits. Some are instantly max prestige, everything unlocked, ridiculous statistics, and perhaps worst of all for legitimate players, it's been reported a "negative XP" hack is dropping players back to level 1.

I love both of these games, but from the get-go, I saw nothing but a quick cash grab, cashing in on player nostalgia for the old games we loved so much, especially in a year when the new Call of Duty hasn't had the best reception. But they're not 'new,' are they? They're just the same old games we've been able to play on Xbox all along.

I saw a question on Reddit where, potentially linked to the recent hype, an Xbox player was asking if it was worth them buying Black Ops 2. At full price, the only answer is no. If you want to enjoy multiplayer, I'd also say the answer is no. If you can get a cheap disc to enjoy the campaign and Zombies? Sure.

But props at least to Activision for seemingly offering support on these ports. How long it'll last and how far they'll go, I guess we'll find out. But it's more than we've seen on Xbox with the existing versions in a long time.

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As the arcade racing video game genre is absolutely flying, EA, it seems, wants no part in it any longer. At least that's how it appears if you read between the lines of a recent report from IGN at the studio responsible for much of the series, Criterion.

UK-based Criterion is hitting a big milestone: its 30th birthday. While it hasn't just been responsible for Need for Speed over the years, racing is responsible for some of its biggest hits. Lest we also forget the monumentally fun Burnout series.

But as Criterion celebrates its birthday, there's a stark reminder that the future for these two beloved franchises looks as non-existent as it could be. It's now "Criterion: A Battlefield Studio."

This is such a boneheaded move, but then, this is also EA we're talking about. Thanks in large part to XBOX's Forza Horizon franchise, the thirst for arcade racers has never been higher.

Ubisoft's The Crew is on its third outing, with Motorfest still going strong and getting plenty of fresh content. Forza Horizon 6 has just arrived on the scene and will continue to draw players for years to come. Ex-Playground Games wizards went off and did their own thing and are due to drop Clutch in 2027.

Whether you think the most recent Need for Speed games were any good or not isn't the point. EA is a steward to one of the most famous brands in the space and seems content to leave it on the shelf.

I'm pretty mad, which doesn't usually take much doing from EA these days. I wasn't thrilled when the company gobbled up another British studio making racing games, Codemasters, which had itself previously acquired Project Cars maker Slightly Mad Studios.

EA has under its ownership the F1 franchise, Dirt's library of rally games alongside EA WRC, Need for Speed, Burnout, Project Cars, and Grid. Right now, only one of those is alive.

Development on any future rally titles is on hold; Project Cars is dead; Grid is soon to be dead, with the servers on Grid Legends being shut off later this year. Burnout hasn't seen any life since 2018, and now the studio that has most recently been looking after Need for Speed is all-in on Battlefield.

F1 25 is all that really remains with its live service platform in tow. All that greatness in the locker, and EA is chasing a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow it will never reach.

Battlefield 6 is fine; I don't really enjoy it, but it's doing well, and it's a perfectly good game. But I feel like EA is sacrificing some much-loved franchises to help chase that Call of Duty money. Which just isn't going to happen.

Everything has to be live service from the biggest publishers with the biggest budgets these days, and that's fine, too. It's not going away, so we may as well accept it. But Forza Horizon 6 and The Crew Motorfest are living proof that the model works for arcade racers and that generally we're happy and enjoying it.

PlayStation players jumped on Forza Horizon 5 in massive numbers. A game that was, at the time, four years old. The newest one is flying on Xbox and PC right now, and we're looking forward to Clutch. But I don't understand why Need for Speed, especially, has been put on the shelf.

In the golden age of The Fast and the Furious, Need for Speed: Underground arrived, and it was all my friend group was talking about. My 180mph orange Corsa packed with a ludicrous body kit and neon lights was just pure joy. EA could do anything with this franchise.

We are lucky that there are still studios out there making amazing games we can enjoy, but all of this is just another notch on the belt of ongoing disappointment I'm feeling with gaming as a whole of late.

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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 continues to be on a roll with a packed roadmap of new content taking us to the end of the year. Just recently we had City Update 15 and World Update 22, and the next big one heading our way is Sim Update 6.

Due to drop sometime in July or August, Sim Update 6 was detailed at FSExpo last month. There's a whole bunch of new stuff headed our way that we already heard about, and now that the first beta has dropped, we get to try some of it early for ourselves.

A couple of the new features arriving with Sim Update 6 that weren't talked about during its initial reveal are ready to test right away: Upgrades to both DLSS and FSR upscaling.

With Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Sim Update 6, DLSS is upgraded to version 4.5, while on the AMD front, we're getting a bump to FSR 4.

DLSS 4.5 becomes the new default since it's supported on all generations of NVIDIA RTX GPUs. It comes with Dynamic Frame Generation with in-game VSync.

For AMD users, you only have an option to choose FSR. The version you use will be decided by your driver, since, unlike DLSS 4.5, FSR 4 is not supported on older generation GPUs.

Not all of the newness coming with Sim Update 6 is available to test just yet, but the promised lighting improvements are a part of this initial build. Generic airports have lights added, with the full improvements still to come.

Also in this beta is the ability to start a flight without a walkaround in the Free Flight mode. This has been added based on community feedback, where lots of folks wanted a quicker way to just jump in and do some flying.

There is an extensive list of patch notes for Sim Update 6 beta 1.8.5.0 available to read on the Microsoft Flight Simulator forums. There are a ton of fixes and improvements, both general and specific to different aircraft and systems.

If you want to try the new beta for yourself, how you get in depends on where you're playing. Sign up to be a Flight Simulator Insider first, and then flights are managed through the XBOX Insider Hub app on console or PC. Steam betas are managed through the game's Properties menu, and PS5 players can download the beta via the PlayStation Store.

I haven't taken a look at it yet myself, and as a still fairly new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 pilot, I might hold off on betas for a little bit. If you want to see some of what's new without installing it yourself, though, check out the YouTube video below from Huddison who walks through this first build.

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Earlier this week I wrote about the marketplace scandal rearing its head in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Fast forward a few days and we have action.

It's all centered around a single vendor, Mscenery, who is – there's no other word for it – scamming people. Poor quality work riddled with issues, AI imagery, and highly suspicious ratings are all on the table.

After the issue was receiving significant attention online, Microsoft has provided an update, and it's good news; Mscenery is being given the old heave-ho. The Microsoft Flight Simulator Community Manager has posted the following message on the official forums.

We want to share an important update regarding content available in the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 in-game Marketplaces.

Over time, we have received a significant amount of feedback from the community regarding products developed by Mscenery. After receiving a large number of complaints about the 1) low quality of Mscenery content, 2) lacking information in product descriptions and misleading images and 3) validity of high user scores, we have made the decision to stop offering Mscenery content for sale in the Marketplace, effective immediately.

For customers who have already purchased Mscenery products, please be assured that your existing purchases will remain accessible and usable as usual. This change only affects new sales of their content within the Marketplace.

We greatly value the feedback and engagement from the flight simulation community, and decisions like this are not made lightly. Your input continues to play a critical role in helping us maintain a high-quality and trusted Marketplace experience for all simmers.

Thank you for your continued support and for helping us improve Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Sincerely,
The Microsoft Flight Simulator Team

In this instance, it's a win for the community, and the marketplace will look immediately a little better. What we need to see going forward, though, are processes to ensure it doesn't happen again.

This message, while one Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 fans will be ecstatic to hear, doesn't talk about what may or may not happen on this front. But one step at a time – the scammer is gone.

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Forza Horizon 6 is not a serious sim. It's the best example of an arcade racer you can play right now, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth playing with a racing wheel. In fact, it becomes a whole new experience ditching the controller. Drifting is more fun; cruising is more fun. Everything is just more fun!

Racing wheels can be pricey, though, but if you're not seriously getting into sim racing and want a cheap but still good-quality wheel for Forza Horizon 6, look no further than this. Right now on Amazon Prime Day you can pick up a Thrustmaster TMX for just $89.99, and at that money, this really is a no-brainer.

Does it have all the bells and whistles on? No, not at all. But for a beginner, or a casual player, this is plenty of wheel at a price you just don't normally see outside of the used market.

It has the full 900-degree rotation and is plug-and-play with both Xbox consoles and PC. The included pedals are basic but serviceable, and you always have the option to upgrade to a better set of Thrustmaster pedals down the line.

The only thing really missing is a clutch, so you can't pair this wheel with an H-pattern shifter, but the paddles are all you really need to get going in Forza Horizon 6, anyway.

You don't need a proper wheel stand or rig, either; this entry-level wheel will be perfectly OK mounted to a regular desk.

As an additional bonus, this is also a pretty solid starter wheel for American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2, as highlighted by my colleague, Ben Wilson. Though you will need to upgrade the pedals if you want to indulge in manual shifting.

For $90 this is an incredible value package, and it won't be around for long. Prime Day ends at close of play on June 26, and this is one you don't want to miss out on.

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I recently got into playing Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and I get it. I really do. There's a massive dedicated community around this Microsoft franchise, and even as a beginner I see why. The sky is the limit, and yes, pun intended.

You can quite happily get along and have a great time playing on PC, Xbox or PS5 with just a controller, but I guarantee the bug will catch and catch quickly. Before long you'll want to up the ante and make the experience more realistic. I'm not saying you'll build a full cockpit, not right away at least! But you'll probably be yearning for a flight stick, yoke, maybe even some rudder pedals.

If you're looking for a game to really sink some time into, this is one of the best decisions you could make, even if you've never thought it would be for you. While Amazon Prime Day is going on, it is also a perfect time to jump in with both feet and get yourself some good hardware to get started with or upgrade an existing setup.

Flight stick FAQ

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