The head of Microsoft's "Flight Simulation" recently stated that the idea of bringing the game to PS5 was originally proposed by him, and believed that this move became a driving factor for many Xbox games to be launched on Sony platforms.
In an interview with foreign media, Jorg Neumann, the head of "Microsoft Flight Simulation", said that after deciding to reduce the size of "Microsoft Flight Simulation 2024" through cloud streaming, he first proposed the development of a PS5 version. According to reports, the slimmed-down client made it possible for the game to be launched on more platforms, but Xbox initially did not agree to bring the game to PS5.
Neumann recalled that "Microsoft Flight Simulation 2020" was launched on Xbox one year after its release on PC, and attracted a large number of console users who had not been exposed to flight simulation before. At the same time, the game size has grown from the initial 120GB to 300GB, and may exceed 1TB with subsequent content, prompting the team to develop a thin client version with a size of only 8GB to move the main content to the cloud.
He said this architectural change made cross-platform distribution a viable option, so he proposed a PlayStation version more than two years ago, but it was initially not approved. Subsequently, Sony took the initiative to contact Microsoft and expressed interest in the ported version. Neumann believes that it was this contact that pushed Microsoft to further introduce more Xbox games to the PlayStation platform.
The PS5 version of "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024" has been released today, and PlayStation VR2 support is planned to be added through a free update in 2026. Developer Asobo stated that the PS5 version will continue to receive follow-up support including global updates and simulation updates.