Microsoft Flight Simulator fans have fresh runway news this week, with Microsoft’s March 5, 2026 Weekly Briefing confirming two major sim developments. First, Sim Update 16.1 for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) has officially been released. Second, a new Sim Update 5 beta build for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is now live.

According to Microsoft, Sim Update 16.1 is a smaller release focused mainly on stability and crash fixes for MSFS 2020. It is not the kind of update that arrives with fireworks, marching bands, and a shiny new hangar full of headline features, but sim pilots know these are often the updates that matter most. Stability is the quiet hero of a good flight.

On the MSFS 2024 side, Microsoft says the latest Sim Update 5 beta includes additional fixes and ongoing refinement work as the platform continues to evolve. That means the development team is still very much in tuning mode, sanding rough edges and trying to make the newer sim experience smoother for users spending serious hours in the virtual cockpit.

For the flight sim community, this week’s briefing is less about flashy reveals and more about maintenance, momentum, and the long game. The 2020 platform continues to get support, while 2024 keeps moving through its next wave of improvements. That is good news for simmers who just want their aircraft to behave, their flights to finish, and their desktop not to suddenly reenact a lawn dart.

Taken together, the update shows Microsoft is still working both sides of the ramp: keeping MSFS 2020 healthy while continuing to shape MSFS 2024 into a more polished experience. For Sky Blue Radio readers, that makes this a solid pulse-check story on where the sim platform stands right now.