Asobo Studio shows off real-time snow in 'Microsoft Flight Simulator'

Last month, Microsoft Flight Simulator developer Asobo Studio released an update that made the program compatible with most VR headsets. One of the enhancements that rolled out with it is snow and ice coverage for Flight Simulator’s Live Weather feature, which could make flying over virtual landscapes even more realistic. Now the developer has shown off what the enhancement can do as part of its New Year greeting, and it sure can make the program’s environments look impressive.

The video, captured in 4K, shows how maps you may have seen before would look like when blanketed with snow. Expected to see snow—capped mountains, powdery trees and floating ice sheets, depending on where you are. And since it’s real time, the amount of white you see changes — you could enjoy flying over the same locations again and again to see what they look at different times.

In addition to VR support and the live weather enhancement, the update also includes new training missions, challenges and livery. Take note that we encountered a plethora of bugs when we tried Flight Simulator in VR, such as distorted in-game windows and the program refusing to launch altogether. You may have to summon your patience before the developer gets the chance to address bugs in future updates.