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I make no excuses for making a fuss about X-Plane being released on the iPhone today. Read on to find out why.
I had to purchase X-Plane for the iPhone as soon as I heard it had been released and, WOW! (Update: here’s a direct link to the app on iTunes).
I’m hugely impressed with what has been achieved here. Although the graphics are superb and the fluidity is amazing, it’s really the control system that shines. Tilting the iPhone and using the accelerometers to control the aircraft is one of THE most realistic sim experiences I’ve ever had.
As you can see from the screenshot above, you’ve got a choice of 4 aircraft to play with. They’re all beautifully modelled and the detailing is incredible considering the device it’s running on.
The scenery area provided is the same as for the desktop version of X-Plane, i.e. Innsbruck in Austria. The terrain mesh is fantastic and I’m having tremendous fun hugging the ground flying over the mountain tops and down into the valleys.
Whilst flying, you tap the top of the screen to access the menu, where you can change your aircraft view, and access the application settings, where you can alter the time, wind speed/direction, sky conditions, plane type and weight.
You control the throttle and flaps by sliding/pressing the controls on either side of the display. It all works very intuitively.
I’m amazed that they’ve managed to achieve what they have with the sim. To be honest, the experience is incredible. Fly X-Plane on the iPhone and you get the impression that you’re witnessing a giant leap forward in what can be achieved on a handheld device.
Quite simply, if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch and even the slightest interest in flight simulation, go buy it now. In fact, even if you have no interest in flight simulation, buy it anyway just so you can show all of your friends what can be achieved on the device!
You can purchase it from the iTunes Store for $9.99/£5.99.
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{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Derek 09.13.08 at 4:51 pm
Just awesome! Thank you Austin Meyer!
mark.avey 09.13.08 at 4:53 pm
Indeed!
Craig 09.13.08 at 4:58 pm
OK on the 8GB model? Probably kills battery life pretty fast? What happens when somebody calls? Thank you.
mark.avey 09.13.08 at 5:02 pm
Should be okay on the 8Gb. I tried it on the 16Gb, but it’s less than 5Mb and I believe the system memory is the same for both devices.
I’ve been flying on it on and off pretty much all day and battery level is showing just under full - using firmware 2.1.
Nobody has called yet whilst I’ve been using it, but there’s nothing to suggest it wouldn’t handle the call as normal. Will let you know when it happens.
Francesco 09.13.08 at 10:11 pm
Don’t work on iphone 2.1 firmware.
mark.avey 09.13.08 at 10:13 pm
Hi Francesco. Works fine here. The review was carried out on an iPhone with the 2.1 firmware.
Francesco 09.13.08 at 10:30 pm
Very strange. The application stop working after the first tap on the icon and return to desktop.
mark.avey 09.13.08 at 11:21 pm
That’s odd. Sounds like the pre-2.1 application crash bug. Have you definitely updated to 2.1?
Francesco 09.13.08 at 11:52 pm
reintalled from itunes and now working fine. looking good!
B 09.14.08 at 2:09 am
Wow, this really is impressive. Far better performance, both visually and in terms of control, than I ever expected from the iPhone. Also impressed that Laminar managed to work in four different planes to choose from, different weather effects… very cool.
I wonder if they’d consider adding trim in to the next update. Maybe a double-tap on the screen could switch the throttle/flaps sliders to a trim tab/something else. Sounds a little detailed for a flight sim on a phone — but then again, I never expected to see a flight sim on a phone anyway.
gaga 09.14.08 at 2:29 am
not offense bud, but people in general are all gaga about what can be done on a handheld device - PSP anybody? nothing new thats for sure..
Ioan 09.14.08 at 3:14 am
Can you imbed a link to the iStore application. I have been looking for it, and can’t seem to find it.
Frank Falco 09.14.08 at 4:05 am
I cannot seem to find X-Plane on the AppStore.
I have searched for the name X-Plane, Laminar as the developer and browsed the Games>Simulations area and cannot find it.
Has it been removed from the store for some reason?
Can you provide a direct link to the application on the AppStore?
mark.avey 09.14.08 at 10:11 am
Hi folks - here’s the direct link to the app in iTunes - http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=290619945&mt=8 - I’ve also added it in the main review.
nate 09.15.08 at 5:00 am
awesome game and great review. There’s definiately room to grow for the app but they’ve done a marvelous job of bringing xplane to the iPhone. I may just have to close parallels and fsx and buy xplane for my mac!
mark.avey 09.15.08 at 7:24 am
Thanks Nate
It is rather impressive, isn’t it?
jj 09.15.08 at 5:04 pm
Looks good, especially for a small mobile device. The only thing is that based on the screenshots the graphics aren’t really all that realistic — like maybe something you’d expect from the late 90s on a desktop computer. I hope that next year the graphics can look actually REALLY real… Still this is totally awesome!
terry mac 09.17.08 at 7:52 pm
will this work on the ipod touch ??
mark.avey 09.17.08 at 8:21 pm
Sure is. From iTunes: \Compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch.\
Harry 09.18.08 at 5:34 pm
Great App! How to I learn how to use it if this is my only version? I do not have it on my computer.
Suresh 09.19.08 at 7:30 pm
how do i install in my iphone.the game for iphone
Suresh 09.19.08 at 7:36 pm
if i restore my iphone..how abt the game
mark.avey 09.20.08 at 10:21 am
Hi Suresh - just purchase through iTunes or directly from the iPhone.
SAmoaJoe 09.26.08 at 7:16 pm
I’m new to the simulator flying thing. The flaps are for takeoff or landing? Do i bring them down when? Also the throttle, do i leave it up full blast the whole time or just on takeoff? And what are the green lines when i push one of the buttons on far right? Thanks
mark.avey 09.27.08 at 11:59 am
Hi. For a light aircraft, you generally don’t need flaps for takeoff, but they’re handing for landing, as they slow things down for you. Lower them a couple of miles out from the airfield or so. You also don’t often need full throttle. It’ll depend on the aircraft, but just below full is a useful yardstick.
Not sure which green lights you mean
SAmoaJoe 09.28.08 at 3:54 am
Thanks for the response joe. The green lines come on when i push the icon on the far right. They are multiple green lines that appear on top and bottom i think on the planes. I play it on the iphone.
SAmoaJoe 09.28.08 at 3:56 am
Also how do i control my finals? on short final i can never get in a straight landing. Im always flying sideways no matter how hard i try. Any tips would be nice. Thanks.
mark.avey 09.28.08 at 1:41 pm
Ah, those green lines indicate the forces on your aircraft whilst in flight.
AV8R 09.29.08 at 5:57 pm
Runs smooth on my first generation iPod TOUCH, which means I have to use headphones to hear the sounds.
The latest update makes the throttle knob dark whether your moving it or not, as opposed to the flap knob which goes white when active and dark when not.
Also, it needs more instrumentation. Popups that also go dark or optionally set to stay up would be great. No waypoints and HUD bugs makes it pretty much a VFR mode flight sim.
The flight model feels fluid, but seems to boyant upon lift off and bouncy on landings. I guess a hardcore mode needs to be added but leave the current model for the newbies.
A multiplayer mode would be awesome, and adding a couple of WW1 a/c with machine guns would probably take this sim to new heights.
AV8R
mark.avey 09.29.08 at 9:35 pm
Hi AV8R. Nice idea as it is, Austin’s never added combat to the desktop versions of X-Plane in all the years it’s been going, so I wouldn’t hold your breath.
will moore 10.15.08 at 5:11 pm
How do I keep it from crashing (not to the ground). The program locks up. Another crappy product from Lameinar Research (yes I know its spelled wrong). The retail version of X-Plane is plagued with issues so why not the $10.00 version. I’d rather spend my money on a good beer!
mark.avey 10.15.08 at 6:31 pm
No problems here, Will. Which version of the iPhone firmware do you have?