Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024's next big update is now available to try: DLSS and FSR improvements incoming

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 continues on a roll with a roadmap full of new content that takes us until the end of the year. We recently had City Update 15 and World Update 22and the next big thing is Sim Update 6.

Because it will fall sometime in July or August, Sim Update 6 detailed at FSExpo last month. There are a ton of new things on the way that we’ve already heard about, and now that the first beta is out, we can try some of them out early for ourselves.

A couple of new features arriving with Sim Update 6 that weren’t talked about during its initial reveal are ready to be tested right away: Updates to DLSS and FSR.

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With Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Sim Update 6, DLSS is updated to version 4.5, while in the amd On the front, we’re getting a jump to FSR 4.

DLSS 4.5 becomes the new default as it is supported on all generations of NVIDIARTX GPU. It comes with Dynamic Frame Generation with in-game VSync.

For AMD users, you only have the option to choose FSR. Which version you use will be decided by your driver, as unlike DLSS 4.5, FSR 4 does not support previous generation GPUs.

Not all of the new features coming with Sim Update 6 are available to try out yet, but the promised lighting improvements are part of this initial release. Generic airports have had lights added, and full upgrades are yet to come.

A screenshot from the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 presentation at FSExpo 2026 detailing the lighting updates in Sim Update 6.

Improved night lighting is one of the features coming with Sim Update 6. (Image credit: Microsoft)

Also in this beta version is the possibility of starting a flight without a tour in Free Flight mode. This was added based on community feedback, where many people wanted a faster way to jump and fly a bit.

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 out the new beta for yourself, how you log in depends on where you’re playing. Sign up to be a Flight Simulator expert first, and then the flights are managed through the XBOX Insider Hub App on console or PC. Steam betas are managed through the game Properties menu and PS5 Players can download the beta version through the PlayStation Store.

I haven’t taken a look at it yet, and as a still fairly new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 pilot, I may hold off on the betas for a while. However, if you want to see some of the new features without installing them yourself, watch the YouTube video below from hudson who walks through this first construction.