The next update to Microsoft Flight Simulator has been released, bringing with it World Update I: Japan.

“World Update I: Japan features upgraded digital elevation mapping across the entire country, high-resolution 3D photogrammetry for six prominent Japanese cities (Sendai, Takamatsu, Tokushima, Tokyo, Utsunomiya and Yokohama), and six exquisitely hand-crafted airports (Hachijojima, Kerama, Kushiro, Nagasaki, Shimojishima, and Suwanosejima),” wrote the team to the blog post on their website.

“Throughout the environment, new countryside and pagoda-style architecture has been added, along with nearly two dozen custom landmarks & POIs that invite you to explore the area’s timeless World Heritage sites, towering neon skyscrapers, iconic bridges and sacred shrines.”

As well as that, new landing challenges in Japan have been added.

World Update I: Japan is free of charge for existing users of MSFS through the in-game Marketplace, after updating the sim to the latest version.

In terms of the rest of the patch update, version 1.9.3.0 adds Málaga Airport (LEMG), Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne (LFLC) and Bryant Army Airfield Heliport (PAFR).

Sixty other airports have been improved based on feedback from the community, whilst 700 US airports have had control towers added.

As for the user interface, the following changes have been made:

• Sensitivity screen is now displayed correctly
• The Manual cache management UI has been improved
• ATC Options should now correctly be saved
• Liveries selection menu should now work as expected
• The music can now be deactivated before or during the initial download on startup

Furthermore, the aerodynamics has been tweaked and fixed so that:

• The collision problems at negative altitudes have been fixed
• Braking power on ground has been tweaked to reflect more realistic braking distances
• Fuel consumption updating mass problem has fixed for some airplanes
• A plane with no fuel leak system should no longer lead to a crash
• Aircraft gyroscopic stability can now be set in our SDK toolset

Only two changes to weather, which sees a fix for wind gradients close to the ground on live weather, and “lightning [has] been added when applicable.”

In the Marketplace, the average rating has been adjusted for higher accuracy, and version history will show when items receive updates.

The content manager has been made more distinct and its button will now redirect to the corresponding addon.

Small bugs in the camera system and peripheral input have also been addressed.

Microsoft added the world has received the following changes:

• Ocean rendering has been improved (waves scale, foam and reflections)
• Water mask has been edited to display actual aerial image near the shore in some areas
• Luminance has been tweaked for some photogrammetry cities (Napoli, Darwin, San Gorgonio, Las Vegas)
• Fixed terraforming issue which was causing issues in KTEX airport
• Water elevation has been updated to improve rivers (Missouri river and around Toronto for example) and lakes (center of Canada)
• Fixed detail map rendering around runway/taxiway borders

A list of known issues was given too:

• Game may crash if the VFR Map is not opened right after starting the flight
• Cessna Citation Longitude: Regression AP FLC and VS mode
• Cessna Citation Longitude: Autopilot climb and level off issues
• Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental: Autopilot switches to FLCH mode instead of catching the glideslope
• Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental: Autopilot switches to VNAV mode on take-off even if VNAV is not used by the pilot
• Airbus A320neo : PFDs shutdowns randomly
• The Tour of Japan discovery flight will be greyed out in the main menu if the Beechcraft King Air 350i is not installed
• A new install on a different install folder will only download the mandatory content and will require a reboot (non mandatory content can be downloaded from the Content manager)

Finally, a variety of bug fixes have been introduced into the aircraft, available to read below.

• Incorrect energy formulas resulting in inaccurate autopilot behavior have been fixed
• Autopilot overshooting altitude capture during descent has been fixed
• Allow to up to 8500fpm max climb speed after the new AP is now more accurately respecting 6000fpm
  

• Incorrect energy formulas resulting in inaccurate autopilot behavior have been fixed
• Autopilot overshooting altitude capture during descent has been fixed
• Allow to up to 8500fpm max climb speed after the new AP is now more accurately respecting 6000fpm
  

• Cessna 172 Skyhawk: fixed impossible connection with ATC when BUS 1 is ON and bus 2 is off
• Cessna 208 B Grand Caravan EX: fixed PFD and MFD button issues between pilot and copilot sides
• Robin DR400/100 Cadet: can now request ground services to the ATC
• Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000): fixed checklist camera issues during the “After starting engine” procedure
• Cessna 152 and 152 Aerobat: fixed pilot heat not working
• Cessna 152 and 152 Aerobat: fixed copilot not setting master switch ON during starting engine checklist procedure
• Daher TBM 930: fixed fuel tank incorrect tooltip
  

• Garmin avionics : fixed issues with auto switch from NAV to LOC in approach
• Garmin avionics : Fixed wrong country codes
• G1000/3000 : Fixes on flight plan entering / duplicate waypoint page
• G1000 : performance improvements when displaying nearest airport page
• G3000 : it is now possible to active approach legs
• Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000): fixed automatic change from GPS to VOR 1 when a flight plan or approach loaded
• Cessna 172 Skyhawk: fixed crash when deleting direct-to flight plan
• Cessna 208 B Grand Caravan EX: fixed default state of avionics Sby & avionic bus guarded switches when starting cold and dark
• Cessna Citation CJ4: Upper menu and ENG buttons are no longer INOP
  

• Airbus A320neo Fix APU Fuel Flow shutting down left engine
• Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner/ Airbus A320neo Fixed lack of elevator authority with FBW at low speeds
• Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner: fixed APU fault light behavior
• Airbus A320neo : fixed max thrust display
• Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner: altitude target can no longer be set to negative values
• Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental: fixed wrong approach VREF speeds
  

• Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner HUD colors and layout improvements
• Airbus A320neo : fixed missing runway in the MCDU perf page
• Airbus A320neo : improved disappearance of legs too early when following a flight plan
• Airbus A320neo : STARs are filtered to display the ones connected to the selected runway in the MCDU
• Airbus A320neo : “Invalid entry” has been replaced by “Not allowed” message in MCDU
• Airbus A320neo : Flaps “F” indication replaced by “FULL” when flaps completely deployed