X Plane 12 potential release date – what we know so far
Microsoft Flight Simulator has some new competition on the horizon in the shape of the latest version of this classic flight sim
Share this article...
WePC is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
Flight Sim fans it’s time to get excited. You have been spoiled by the wonders of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 but if that wasn’t quite enough to scratch the itch of the virtual skies then X Plane 12 has (finally) formally been announced by its developers Laminar Research.
X Plane 12
X Plane 11 was far and away the top dog when it came to flight simming on the PC until the beauty of Flight Simulator 2020 turned everybody’s eye with its gorgeous scenery mechanics. At this stage though, only a year into its life there is still a lot to be said about some of the actual flying aspects of the sim and the physics of the models which put some of the hardcore X Plane fans off a little. This then is the news those folk have been awaiting with bated breath.
X Plane 11 had the ability to add in photo-realistic scenery but it was a bit of a mission in itself to create your own. Laminar is still shying away from saying how the world of X Plane 12 will look but they have thankfully also dumped a lot of new info into the stratosphere at FlightSimExpo 2021.
When is X Plane 12 coming out?
This is the tricky bit as there is no actual timeline at this stage, all we have is confirmation the project is well underway with system requirements and O/S requirements set. What we do know right now is that there will soon be an early beta version for developers, followed by an Early Access phase where we will likely be able to get our hands on the controls for the first time. After that, the game will release in physical and digital formats, a la X Plane 11, but this seems like it might be a little way away at this point in time.
Can I upgrade from X Plane 11 to XPlane 12?
Yes. It looks like as long as you have (or buy) a valid key you will have access to X Plane 11 (Stable) and X Plane 12 (Early Access) simultaneously.
Will my X Plane 11 Addons work with X Plane 12
In the main yes, Laminar is hopeful that most things will work well, with the caveat that some might not! This is why they have included the beta phase for developers to help iron out any kinks at an early stage.
What new aircraft are in X Plane 12?
The good news is there are a few. Rumors of a new Tomcat F-14 fighter being a default addition have turned out to be true, and alongside all your Top Gun fantasies you will be able to fly in the following planes when X Plane 12 is released.
- Cirrus SR22
- Citation X (own digital flight deck)
- A330
- F-14
- R-22
- RV-10
Update.
The official X Plane Twitter account posted on December 11th shows one of the new planes we can expect in the game.
X-Plane 12 update – snow and ice
Things are not slowing down on the X Plane 12 front. We have now seen some amazing early alpha footage showing some wintry weather effects and how things are progressing. The video below if over 22 minutes long but if you want to catch up on where we are at the moment, it is well worth your time.
X Plane 12 System Requirements
Laminar Research has released the official system requirements for X-Plane 12 recently, and you can see if your system will be able to run it, or whether you may need to upgrade some components on our dedicated X-Plane 12 system requirements page.
