Great news: X-Plane 12 was officially announced at today’s FlightSimExpo! After watching nearly an hour of the YouTube livestream, I wrote a simple memo from memory.

• The F-14 Tomcat becomes a default aircraft <img src=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAKPnuwWUAA0mbr?format=jpg&name=4096x4096>
• Weather will not just utilize local airport METARs, but will establish a global weather system
• The cloud rendering engine has been rewritten and won’t consume too many system resources
• Rain rendering models are more realistic, and will be combined with the airflow model; for example, the changes in water flow hitting the cockpit window
• The sound engine has also been rewritten, featuring a sound system with greater immersion
• The new ATC UI has been rewritten, adding further support for VFR ATC
• Seasonal changes, which were also mentioned in About the next generation X-Plane <img src=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAKZ1hHVEAQaAXn?format=jpg&name=large>
• The release date is not yet determined
• Users who purchase the X-Plane 12 digital beta will be able to download X-Plane 11 simultaneously

Referencing the fact that it took about half a year from X-Plane 11’s release to the beta reveal, I guess we’ll be able to use X-Plane 12 by next spring.