Sure thing. Here goes nothing—buckle up because this is going to be a wild ride through my brain!
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Okay, folks, listen up. I’m not dreaming—at least, I don’t think I am. But Microsoft Flight Simulator is getting this wild Jurassic World add-on. Yeah, you heard that right. Dinosaurs! In a flight sim! Somebody pinch me, please? Or maybe don’t, because I’m kinda into this idea.
So, here’s the scoop: The geniuses over at Orbx Studios teamed up with Universal—guess it’s legit, not just my imagination running wild. They posed this question that’s been rattling around in my head ever since: What if you could step inside Jurassic World? And honestly, who hasn’t thought about that at least once?
Now, let’s talk about “stepping into” Jurassic World. Okay, maybe that’s not quite right. You’re more like swooping over the Muertes Archipelago, way off the coast of Costa Rica, supposedly right before the 2015 movie takes off. Flying, not walking. But who’s counting steps when there are dinos below?
Orbx is also jazzing up some ground spots—like a custom ferry port and a fancy airport terminal made for the dino-VIPs. Makes ya wonder, are the dinosaurs flying by commercial where you’re from?
They’re aiming to launch it for the PC late this summer, with Xbox not far behind. August or September? Hmm, close enough to dinosaur egg-hatching season, I guess.
And for you Flight Simulator die-hards who haven’t jumped ship from the somewhat glitchy 2020 version to the now-sparkly patched-up 2024 version, there’s good news. Orbx says they’re making this dino playground work on both versions, plus maybe even X-Plane 12? Busy bees, those Orbx folks.
But, and here’s the kicker… it ain’t free. Nope, we’re talking about a paid add-on here, folks. Though, in fairness, they haven’t spilled the beans on the exact price just yet. Better keep a keen eye on those virtual wallets.
Regardless, you’ll need MSFS 2024 to join the action. That’s either the full-on standalone or through PC Game Pass. Buy Jurassic World Archipelago right from Orbx or snag it in Microsoft’s marketplace. Choices, choices.
Oh, and when it rolls up on Xbox, it’s exclusive to the MSFS 2024 marketplace. Go figure! But hey, no need to fork out for any snazzier editions of the sim; the standard one’s got you covered.
To stay in the loop, maybe peek at Orbx’s Discord or pop onto their forums. If you’re like me and like keeping things low-key, just swing by around late August or early September for the juicy deets.
Let’s face it: as bonkers as it sounds—dinosaurs in a flight sim—it’s not that weird. Remember when they added Halo’s Pelican dropship in MSFS 2020? Okay, maybe a bit weirder, but still, not on another planet.
So what’s my take? I’m not your die-hard Jurassic fan, but heck, if the price is right, I might just detour from my usual flybys over familiar spots to glide above roaring T-Rexes. “Life finds a way,” right? But only if my bank account agrees. Otherwise, y’all might see me flock to somewhere else with, I dunno, flying unicorns next. But hey, that’s just me.
