The vast majority of the game world was generated algorithmically by putting map data from Bing Maps and applying height maps and textures to it. Asobo relied on photogrammetry, the process of applying a modeling algorithm to take 2D images and turn them into realistic 3D models, and the effect is pretty convincing from up high in the sky. Want to see what cities were rendered in the game? Here are all the photorealistic cities in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.
As a result of this, much of the areas in-between major towns and cities may look a bit sparse, but the scale is still somewhat correct. This did lead to some outdated elements being spotted. Some cities have billboards that date the data used as more than five years old, for example.
The thing that the developers put in is that they tried to get as much real-world data as they could, making the game much more immersive. The real-time flight data and weather patterns is a nice touch, but you can turn them off if you wish. All in all, it’s nice to see this touch of detail.
There is one sore spot though, as a lot of major cities globally don’t have the accurate mapping data in-game. Cairo, Egypt; Sao Paulo, Brazil; or Shanghai, China are all missing this, while small US towns got the treatment. There are probably some reasons for this though. It could have been a political issue with access to the information, there could have not just been enough time.
Check out any of the current 341 cities accurately modeled as photorealistic cities in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Players can fly over any of these cities and get to see all their details, from road layouts, to iconic landmarks, all rendered in the game’s beautiful engine. The development team put a lot of work into polishing the engine and making everything look nice, why not enjoy it?
Australia
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- Canberra
- Darwin City
- Gold Coast
- Hobart
- Newcastle
- Wollongong
Belgium
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- Brussels
Canada
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- Calgary
- Edmonton
- Hamilton
- London
- Montreal
- Ottawa
- Quebec City
- Toronto
- Vancouver
- Victoria
- Winnipeg
Denmark
-
- Copenhagen
France
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- Aix-en-Provence
- Bordeaux
- Lille
- Marseille
- Montpellier
- Rennes
- Rouen
- Strasbourg
Germany
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- Aachen
- Augsburg
- Berlin
- Bremen
- Brunswick
- Dresden
- Duisburg
- Halle (Saale)
- Hamburg
- Karlsruhe
- Kiel
- Leipzig
- Magdeburg
- Mannheim
- Mönchengladbach
- Munich
- Münster
- Nuremberg
- Oberhausen
Italy
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- Bologna
- Catania
- Florence
- Milan
- Naples
- Palermo
- Rome
- Venice
- Verona
Spain
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- Alicante
- Barcelona
- Córdoba
- Madrid
- Marbella
- Murcia
- Pamplona
- Seville
- Valencia
- Vigo
Switzerland
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- Zürich
United Kingdom
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- Portsmouth
- Southampton
United States (By State)
Alabama
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- Anniston
- Auburn
- Birmingham
- Decatur
- Dothan
- Huntsville
- Mobile
- Montgomery
- Spanish Fort
Arizona
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- Anthem
- Carefree
- Catalina Foothills
- Drexel Heights
- Flagstaff
- Lake Havasu City
- Mesa
- Oro Valley
- Peoria
- Phoenix
- Prescott
- San Tan Valley
- Tempe
- Tucson
- Yuma
Arkansas
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- Little Rock
California
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- Agua Caliente
- Anaheim
- Antioch
- Bakersfield
- Castro Valley
- Chico
- Concord
- Davis
- Desert Hot Springs
- Downey
- Elk Grove
- Fairfield
- Foster City
- Fremont
- Fresno
- Glendale
- Hanford
- Hollister
- Hollywood
- Inglewood
- La Habra
- Lodi
- Long Beach
- Los Angeles
- Los Gatos
- Madera
- Manteca
- Modesto
- Moreno Valley
- Oceanside
- Oxnard
- Palm Springs
- Palmdale
- Perris
- Porterville
- Redding
- Reedley
- Richmond
- Sacramento
- Salinas
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Santa Ana
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Clarita
- Santa Cruz
- Santa Monica
- Selma
- Simi Valley
- Stockton
- Temecula
- Ukiah
- Visalia
- Yuba City
- Yucaipa
Colorado
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- Boulder
- Colorado Springs
- Denver
Connecticut
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- Bridgeport
- New Haven
- Stamford
Delaware
-
- Dover
- Wilmington
Florida
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- Brandon
- Clermont
- Daytona Beach
- Deltona
- Flagler Beach
- Fort Lauderdale
- Fort Myers
- Gainesville
- Gulf Breeze
- Immokalee
- Jacksonville
- Key West
- Lake City
- Lakeland
- Leesburg
- Marco Island
- Miami
- New Smyrna Beach
- Ocala
- Okeechobee
- Orange Park
- Orlando
- Pace
- Palatka
- Palm Bay
- Palm Beach
- Palmetto Bay
- Panama City
- Pensacola
- Poinciana
- Port Charlotte
- Port St. Lucie
- Sarasota
- Sebring
- Spring Hill
- St. Petersburg
- Tallahassee
- Tampa
- Tarpon Springs
- Titusville
- Universal Studios Florida
- Venice
- Walt Disney World Resort
- Winter Haven
- Winter Park
- Zephyrhills
Georgia
-
- Atlanta
- Brunswick
- Columbus
- Gainesville
- Griffin
- LaGrange
- Macon
- Marietta
- Peachtree City
- Riverdale
- Roswell
- Savannah
- Sea Island
- St. Marys
- Statesboro
- Valdosta
Illinois
-
- Carbondale
- Champaign
- Chicago
- Kankakee
- Marion
- Rock Island
- Springfield
Indiana
-
- Fort Wayne
- Indianapolis
- Kokomo
- Michigan City
- South Bend
Iowa
-
- Des Moines
Kansas
-
- Topeka
- Wichita
Kentucky
-
- Louisville
Louisiana
-
- Baton Rouge
- Monroe
- New Orleans
- Shreveport
Maine
-
- Augusta
- Portland
Maryland
-
- Baltimore
Massachusetts
-
- Boston
- Brockton
- Lowell
- Springfield
- Worcester
Michigan
-
- Ann Arbor
- Detroit
Minnesota
-
- Farmington
- Minneapolis
Mississippi
-
- Gulfport
- Jackson
- Laurel
Missouri
-
- Columbia
- Jefferson City
- Kansas City
- Springfield
- St. Louis
Nebraska
-
- Lincoln
- Omaha
Nevada
-
- Carson City
- Las Vegas
- Reno
New Hampshire
-
- Concord
New Jersey
-
- Edison
- Middletown
- Newark
- Toms River
- Trenton
- Willingboro
New Mexico
-
- Albuquerque
- Bernalillo
- Las Cruces
- Los Lunas
- Santa Fe
New York
-
- New York
- Niagara Falls
- Syracuse
North Carolina
-
- Durham
- Greensboro
- Raleigh
- Winston-Salem
North Dakota
-
- Bismarck
- Fargo
Ohio
-
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dayton
- Toledo
Oklahoma
-
- Oklahoma City
- Tulsa
Oregon
-
- Beaverton
- Portland
Pennsylvania
-
- Abington
- Harrisburg
- McCandless
- Norristown
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
Rhode Island
-
- Providence
South Carolina
-
- Charleston
- Columbia
- Goose Creek
- Greenville
- Summerville
South Dakota
-
- Pierre
Tennessee
-
- Memphis
- Nashville
Texas
-
- Amarillo
- Austin
- Brownsville
- Corpus Christi
- El Paso
- Fort Worth
- Galveston
- Houston
- Kingwood
- Laredo
- Longview
- Lubbock
- McAllen
- Midland
- San Antonio
- The Woodlands
Utah
-
- Salt Lake City
Virginia
-
- Norfolk
- Richmond
Washington
-
- Everett
- Seattle
- Tacoma
Wisconsin
-
- Appleton
- Fond du Lac
- Green Bay
- Janesville
- Madison
- Milwaukee
- Oshkosh
- Sheboygan
Wyoming
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- Cheyenne