It might be incredibly freeing to fly above the world—but it also takes a lot of data. This GDC 2022 session is all about how Microsoft Flight Simulator worked to create one of the most ambitious flight experiences in game history.

"Designing the Terrain System of Flight Simulator: Representing the Earth" is an Advanced Graphic Summits session that takes a deep dive into the choices and techniques about the accurate representation of the Earth terrain in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Technical director Lionel Fuentes will explore how the game can stream more than 2 petabytes of data in real-time to the game client for an accurate representation of Earth—all while experimenting with real-time weather patterns and air traffic from the real world. It's a fascinating technical look into terrain systems, procedural generation, 3D rendering, and the challenges behind representing large worlds in video games. Including our own world!

This is a do-not-miss session for game programmers and technical artists, as well as anyone who's curious about how one of the most realistic flight simulators yet got off the ground.

Head to the Game Developers Conference next March to find out everything there is to know about Microsoft Flight Simulator, and so much more. Register for GDC 2022 today!

GDC returns in-person to San Francisco, March 21-25, 2022—registration is now open! For more information on GDC 2022, be sure to visit our website and follow the #GDC22 hashtag on social media.

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