Recently, we had the opportunity to experience an early build of Aces of Thunder, an upcoming flight simulation title from Gaijin Entertainment, the studio famously known for the popular War Thunder. While we didn’t have access to the game’s multiplayer features, we explored its current state on a top-tier PC VR setup.
From the outset, it’s clear that Gaijin has gotten many aspects right, but it’s important to remember that this is still an in-progress version of the game. Notably, there were no graphical settings available for us to adjust; thus, I can’t confirm whether the game was set to the highest graphical configuration, the lowest, or somewhere in between. However, using the same 5090 setup I utilized for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, I was able to achieve a consistent 90FPS with the highest resolution settings applied (150% resolution scale on my Quest 3 headset).
This, however, led to some challenges; while Aces of Thunder is set to include hand-tracking controls in the future, I couldn’t access any menus using my Touch Plus controllers once I was engaged in a mission. The only way to initiate a new mission required me to either restart the game or intentionally complete the current mission, whether through failure or success.
This might simply be a mapping issue related to Virtual Desktop, but it’s hard to determine. I attempted to use the flight stick that I normally employ for Flight Sim, yet it failed to operate with this build. That said, part of the allure of VR flight simulation is the ability to mimic the analog feel of flying an aircraft, and that element generally worked effectively with the current keybindings on the VR controllers.
I would suggest disabling the binding of the throttle to the left controller’s analog stick right away. The rudder is also controlled through the same stick which makes it tricky to manage your thrust while attempting to use the rudders. While you can manually adjust thrust in the cockpit, the additional option created by this control binding—though well-intentioned—causes more complications than it resolves, in my view.
Aside from that, the controls feel just as one would expect from a classic WW2 flight simulation. I appreciate how when the game recognizes that you are focusing on a specific dial in the cockpit, it provides an annotation of its current value to enhance readability. Although this feature might not be critical for my own setup, I can see it being beneficial for players on lower-resolution headsets without any supersampling to aid clarity.
While the PvP component seems to be the main draw of the game, we were granted access to a few single-player missions. I must confess, although I enjoy a laid-back flight simulation, I struggle considerably with actual combat scenarios. Furthermore, the vintage aircraft featured in Aces of Thunder are notably harder to maneuver than the more contemporary ones I typically fly. I have no doubt that with more practice, these missions could be a lot of fun—they’re certainly excellent preparation before engaging in online battles. However, they are not specifically designed to be tutorials, which I hope the final version will include for players unfamiliar with Gaijin’s flight simulation style.
This brings me to conclude that Aces of Thunder makes a remarkably strong initial impression, yet several questions linger concerning how the game will feel upon its full release later this year. How will it function on less powerful setups, and how will visual fidelity adjust? What improvements can be expected regarding controls? The team is working on hand-tracking options, but how will these be implemented ultimately? What about the release date for PlayStation VR2? Currently, it aims for a steady 90fps on PS5.
We’ll keep you updated on the answers as we approach launch, scheduled for later this year on Steam and PS VR2. In the meantime, feel free to check out our latest Aces of Thunder livestream for more insights.