The highly anticipated, long-awaited ATR 42/72-600 for Microsoft Flight Simulator has been released on the in-game marketplace at a price that appears to have stunned a great number of simmers.
The add-on, which was developed in collaboration with Hans Hartmann, is the first in Microsoft’s new “Expert Series” of aircraft, which aims to introduce “highly accurate and authentic” planes to MSFS.
The plane was released today for $19.99 (€19.99, £16.74), with a 30% discount for owners of the deluxe and/or premium deluxe editions of the simulator. Previously, the community had speculated wildly about the price, but the aircraft is now available for that price.
This price includes the ATR-42/600 and ATR-72/600. The shorter 42 variant includes three pre-installed liveries (ATR House, Air Saint Pierre, and Silver Airways), whereas the longer 72 variant includes five (ATR House, Silver Airways, Air Tahiti Re’ireva, Air Tahiti Tapuata, and Air Tahiti Te Anuenue).
As the release was just earlier today, no third-party add-ons are currently available. However, simmers seeking to fly a specific airline should keep an eye on flight sim. to in the coming days and weeks for new liveries.
Hans Hartmann and Asobo’s first high-fidelity airplane is mixed.
Initial feedback regarding the ATR add-on has been divided. While many players appear satisfied with the add-on and pleased with the price, marketing the plane as “expert level” was always going to attract critics who expected an aircraft add-on that met the most stringent requirements for system intricacy and modeling.
One user on the Microsoft Flight Simulator forums compared ATR’s quality to that of the notorious developer CaptainSim.
A number of players have also reported difficulty calibrating the aircraft’s throttles. SeedyL, the MSFS Community Manager, has published a throttle calibration guide on the MSFS forum. It is anticipated that the community will quickly compile tutorials and video guides.
Despite the criticism, there are a number of players who appear satisfied with the add-on’s eye-popping price. Commenters on an initial reception post in the r/flightsim subreddit appear to be generally positive, with a number of users acknowledging that, while the quality may not be on par with “study level” aircraft from PMDG and Fenix, the $19.99 price point seems reasonable.
Obviously, these are merely initial reactions, and we will observe how the community’s perceptions of the ATR evolve over the next few days, as well as the degree to which the product will receive post-launch support in the form of problem fixes.
Soon, FSElite will provide additional coverage of this developing story.