Microsoft Flight Simulator has launched World Update 21: Australia, bringing more than 30 hand-crafted points of interest, new discovery flights and activities, and a dedicated collaboration with the NSW Rural Fire Service.

The update was celebrated at a launch event held at the RFS hangar at Bankstown Airport in Sydney, where an exclusive aerial firefighting mission was demonstrated within Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

Players are tasked with water bombing a fire near Coffs Harbour, drawing directly on the operational realities of the RFS, the world’s largest volunteer fire service, with almost 70,000 members.

New points of interest span the country, from Sydney’s urban sprawl to the Outback, with Australian cultural landmarks including The Big Koala, The Big Mango and The Big Golden Guitar among the additions. New discovery flights cover the Whitsundays, the Cocos Islands and Canberra.

The update also introduces the CAC Boomerang, the Australian-designed and manufactured World War II fighter, as a flyable aircraft, a welcome addition for those with an interest in local aviation history.

“Our World Updates are a cornerstone of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024,” said Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

“When we decide on a region for a dedicated update, we look for areas that offer a truly unique and diverse set of challenges and wonders, and Australia absolutely stands out in that regard,”

“We’ve seen incredible engagement from our Australian community, and we hope this next chapter inspires both new and returning simmers to experience this incredible region with unparalleled realism.” he said.

However, despite the scope and ambition of World Update 21, a significant portion of the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 community has continued to express frustration with the simulator’s current state.

Users have reported ongoing performance issues, inconsistent frame rates, graphical artifacts such as texture pop-in and rendering glitches, and frequent crash-to-desktop incidents.

For some players, these technical problems have dampened enthusiasm for new content updates, with calls for stability and optimisation taking priority over additional features.

Alongside the world update, the recent Sim Update 5 has introduced a mix of fixes and changes aimed at improving stability and performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

Some users report smoother performance, fewer stutters, and incremental improvements to loading times and general responsiveness.

However, community sentiment remains divided, with many players saying the update has not gone far enough—or in some cases, introduced new problems.

A number of users continue to highlight persistent issues such as graphical artifacts, missing or broken cockpit elements, avionics failures, and ongoing crash-to-desktop incidents.

Console players, particularly those on PlayStation platforms, have voiced frustration over limited marketplace content and perceived lack of support compared to other platforms.

World Update 21: Australia is available now as a free download for owners of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and 2020, and through Xbox Game Pass on Xbox Series X|S, PC and Xbox Cloud Gaming.