X-Plane Mobile v12.3.0 is now released
It’s finally time for X-Plane Mobile to receive an update, and a quiet rollout is already underway. The community has been wondering for some time now why X-Plane Mobile has been light on updates recently. The truth is, we’ve been working steadfastly in the background to bring more updates. However, there is one core problem! And for that, we need to take a dive into the wonderful world of engine programming.
Introducing Vulkan for X-Plane Mobile
How do you solve a problem like OpenGL?
Like our Desktop counterpart, X-Plane has relied on OpenGL ES for its entire existence. This is a graphics API , which essentially acts as a type of bridge between the sim and the hardware its running on . It enables developers to draw complex 2D and 3D tasks, without having to deal with the intricacies of the hardware. This is a widely used API, and it’s highly likely you’ve used at least one app that has utilised OpenGL.
So what’s the problem?
- OpenGL ES is gradually being phased out in favour of more modern graphics API.
That is not a hypothetical or general industry trend… Apple themselves have already dropped OpenGL in favour of an API called Metal - OpenGL ES is now longer being updated
The last OpenGL ES version (3.2) was released in 2015 - Vulkan and Metal are more efficient APIs
(Vulkan and Metal offer lower-level control over the GPU, which when used correctly, can lead to better performance and reduced CPU overhead.) - We’ve already updated X-Plane Desktop to the new APIs
X-Plane Mobile shares a lot of code with X-Plane Desktop. However as we overhaul the graphics engine of X-Plane 12 and prepare the sim for new exciting features (like next-gen scenery), we need the mobile versions to also be capable of supporting the same tech. Performance benefits made to the desktop version will also directly benefit X-Plane Mobile.
Users may recall in February 2024, we released a version of X-Plane Mobile including Metal for Apple users. Today we’re now releasing Vulkan for Android users. This a significant and necessary underlying overhaul for the sim, and should result in improved stability going forward.
A brand new Autopilot UI
One thing we also recognised was users having difficulty controlling aircraft. For legacy planes, some controls were physically inaccessible. And for some of our modern aircraft, using cockpit manipulators was sometimes a fiddly endeavour. So we’ve implemented a basic autopilot UI that can represent the majority of AP functions.
To access this, we’ve added a new icon at the bottom left of the user screen. From here a pop-out will show with different Autopilot functions (Which will change depending on the aircraft and what is equipped.)
AP: Autopilot 1 Master On/Off
HDG: Heading Hold with incremental heading selectors on either side
NAV: Aircraft follows a course based on selected navigation data (typically GPS/LNAV)
ALT: Altitude hold with incremental altitude selectors on either side
FLCH: Flight change mode (maintain airspeed during climb or descent to a selected altitude)
VS: Vertical speed select (climb or descent) with incremental vertical speed selectors on either side
LOC: Localiser capture (Starts in armed mode until a localiser is captured/active)
GS: Glideslope capture (Starts in armed mode until a glideslope is captured/active)
In addition
With the latest update, we’ve synchronized X-Plane 12.1.0 and 12.1.2 from the desktop version into X-Plane Mobile, bringing all the newest systems, flight model improvements, and avionics updates to your mobile device. This means you can now enjoy the same advanced physics, aircraft refinements, and upgraded features on the go, ensuring a more realistic and seamless experience across platforms.
With both versions of X-Plane mobile now running on a modern graphics API, we can have a look at bringing more features and content to all versions of X-Plane. We hope you enjoy this update!
