Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has a new jet, and it costs $74.49. The Airbus A380 is the latest addition to the hyper-realistic multiplatform sim, and it is only available for the next three months through the Flight Simulator Marketplace-exclusive “Exclusive Series.”
The superjumbo arrives on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. It comes with two liveries at launch, with more promised later. The package includes exterior and interior modeling in high detail, full flight deck modeling with extensive interactive controls, displays, and aircraft systems, a deep avionics system covering navigation, autopilot, flight management, and aircraft monitoring, two unique engine variants with performance differences, and a bespoke flight model built around the aircraft’s enormous mass, inertia, and unique handling characteristics.
The package also includes a functional cockpit printer. That last item deserves a second look. It is a small touch, but it shows how far the detail goes.
What The Package Actually Includes
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Aircraft | Airbus A380 |
| Liveries | Two at launch, more to come |
| Platforms | PC, Xbox Series X |
| Price | $74.49 |
| Availability | Exclusive Series, Marketplace-only |
| Time frame | Next three months |
The flight model is described as bespoke, designed around the A380’s enormous mass, inertia, and handling characteristics. The engine variants bring different performance profiles, and the avionics layer is deep enough to cover navigation, autopilot, flight management, and aircraft monitoring.
The Price Question
$74.49 is a lot for a single plane. It is the kind of price that stops a reader mid-sentence and asks whether they heard that right. The source itself admits the cost is bonkers while arguing the attention to detail justifies it.
IGN reviewed the game at launch, with former IGN staffer and Air Force veteran Seth Macy awarding it a 9 out of 10. The original Microsoft Flight Simulator took home a 10 out of 10 from Seth in 2020. The game has since made over a dozen content updates and launched on VR platforms.
The DLC is exclusive to the Marketplace, and it is only available for three months. Those two facts together mean players who want it need to act soon. After that, it is gone.
The cockpit printer is a small touch, but it is the kind of thing that makes a simulation feel lived-in. It is the kind of detail that will be missed by anyone who never sees it.
The A380 is a big plane, and the package treats it that way. The bespoke flight model, the engine variants, the deep avionics — these are all the kind of features that belong on a commercial airliner. The price reflects that ambition.
Whether the price is justified is a personal call. For someone who flies the A380 once and parks it, $74.49 feels steep. For someone who spends hours in the cockpit, the detail justifies the cost.
The DLC is available now, and it will be gone in three months. That is the only certainty here.
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