Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Sim Update 7, version 1.9.18.0, was announced as available in the Steam post dated October 13, 2026. The update includes a fix for a memory leak that caused visuals to deteriorate after long flights.
For PC users experiencing instability or long loading times, the team also recommends moving Community packages to another folder before relaunching the game. That troubleshooting advice is conditional, rather than a step every player needs to take.
A memory leak behind worsening visuals
The detailed SU7 patch notes identify a memory leak as the cause of visual degradation after long flights and list it as fixed. For players affected by that problem, the relevant change concerns how the simulator holds up during an extended flight, rather than how it looks at the start of a session.
The scope matters: this is a correction to an identified cause of deteriorating visuals. It should not be read as a promise of higher performance across the simulator or a remedy for every display issue. The team reports the fix without quantifying a performance gain.
The update notes also list National Championship Air Races as accessible from the Activities menu. Players looking for the races can head directly there.
When to move Community packages on PC
In its Steam announcement, the team warns that outdated packages in the Community folder can affect performance and game behavior on PC. The warning specifically concerns outdated packages: having content in that folder does not, by itself, establish the cause of a problem.
If you encounter instability or long loading times, move the Community packages into another folder, then relaunch the game. Moving the packages preserves the files while taking them out of Community for that launch. The instruction does not call for deleting them.
This gives affected PC users a concrete troubleshooting action, but it is not a guaranteed repair. Its relevance depends on the symptoms: the recommendation addresses instability and prolonged loading, while the memory-leak correction addresses visual degradation after long flights.
SU7 therefore brings a targeted fix for long-flight visuals alongside separate advice for PC loading and stability problems. If those PC symptoms occur, follow the Community-folder procedure without assuming that every installed package is faulty.
See also the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 game page and our article on MSFS 2024 SU7: the update introduces racing.
