The first Microsoft Flight Simulator came on a single 360 KB 5.25" floppy disk. The program had to be run directly from the disk, as it was not designed to be installed on a hard disk, which was still a rarity at the time.

That was in 1982. Fast forward 38 years later, and the 2020 version of Microsoft Flight Simulator is contained on a whopping 10 DVDs, with a capacity of 85 GB. It is a mathematical calculation!

Aerosoft is the official retail partner of Microsoft Flight Simulator, a rather attractive package for those who don't like huge downloads and prefer physical game boxes. It's a really nice novelty in the year 2020.

Still, the 85 GB capacity is far below the 150 GB required according to Microsoft. Compression aside, Aerosoft explained a bit about what is on the disk. There is the simulator code (which is apparently quite small) and "the world and aircraft provided by Microsoft," which comes to about 90 GB. The disc also contains a variety of optional content, including third-party files and "optional online streaming content." Once the bulk of the game is installed from the disc, updates will be made from Microsoft's servers.

Needless to say, purchasing the physical version does not allow the game to be played without an Internet connection: Microsoft Flight Simulator relies heavily on the cloud. Microsoft Flight Simulator relies heavily on the cloud. Therefore, the packaged version allows people with slow Internet connections to install the simulator without having to download any "content.""

The release date for the Microsoft Flight Simulator is surprisingly close: after a closed beta beginning July 30, it will be available to everyone on August 18.