Could Microsoft Flight Simulator Shape the Future of Ship Simulation?

It’s a strange question, can a flight simulator be used for ship simulation? Our creator Malte certainly believes so.

He has been working hard to develop a way to enable proper ship simulation within Microsoft Flight Simulator, while preserving its key advantages—such as a fully modeled global environment and realistic weather systems. It’s called SeaBridge 1.00 and we think it is looking very promising.

Earlier versions relied on Virtual Sailor NG as the physics engine, but this approach came with significant drawbacks—most notably the need to run two simulators simultaneously, which severely impacted performance. To overcome these limitations, Malte developed a fully standalone physics engine. Built using Python, this MSFS mod now offers a range of impressive features such as a vessel configurator for realistic vessel dynamics, an own sound module, controller configurator, scenario editor for custom situations, mooring, autopilot and more. The list goes on.

When this next-generation flight simulator was released, it marked a major moment—Microsoft had held back from launching a new entry in its beloved series for years, but the wait proved to be well worth it. For us nautical enthusiasts, though, there has never really been a “big-name” simulator to begin with. We’ve had titles like Ship Simulator Extremes, with the latest iteration being Nautis Home—which, unfortunately, is simply a disappointment.

The question now is: can this promising mod finally help us break into the “big-name” league? Only time will tell.

Of course, one thing we’re still unsure about is how accurate the physics really are. SeaBridge promises realistic vessel dynamics, but until we get behind the wheel—or rather, the helm—we won’t know how closely it captures the feel of real-world navigation. Smooth motion in screenshots or videos can only tell us so much; experiencing currents, waves, and wind resistance firsthand is another matter entirely. Every simulator faces this challenge though—after all, the real world is incredibly complex, and no simulation can ever fully replicate it. Even the most advanced physics engines are approximations, so while SeaBridge looks promising, we’ll have to see how closely it matches reality.

Whether SeaBridge becomes the breakthrough the maritime simulation community has been waiting for remains to be seen. But for the first time in a long while, it feels like ship simulation might finally be on the verge of something truly big.

And judging by what we’ve seen so far—we’re more than ready to cast off.

What do you think? Where would you sail in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?