rkApps posted on their YouTube Channel today to showcase a quick teaser video of their upcoming product, FSRealistic, their sensory plugin for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which has now been renamed to FSRealistic Core. This update comes just after two short weeks from a previous update, inviting a certain number of users to join the beta access team.

An email was also pushed out to a certain number of users regarding the development progress of FSRealistic, documenting the challenges presented by the MSFS SDK and the workaround approach which rkApps has implemented to provide feature parity with the already released X-Plane equivalent. Specifically, the MSFS SDK does not feature an accessible camera system, which fundamentally poses issues with bringing the camera effects that the plugin is known for in X-Plane. 

In the meantime, at least for the initial release, they have introduced a small temporary workaround until the SDK limitations are bypassed, or the SDK expands to include customizable camera systems. In the email, rkApps said that a breakthrough with the temporary camera vibration effects and sounds has been nearly completed and is compatible with MSFS’s systems and code. This is done by bringing an adjustable ‘rattle’ to the airframe instead of the camera/viewpoint. The most notable exclusion from this implementation is that the aircraft shakes from touchdown, so the camera does not display the flight deck vibrating, but the scenery and outside environment only.

To wrap up the email, rkApps announced that the completed FSRealistic with its fully realized camera motion system like in the X-Plane version will be released as “FSRealistic Pro”, and this will be out most certainly the moment the developer has access to the simulator’s camera system through the SDK and completed work for it. For now, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this development.