Google Adds Browser-Based Flight Simulator to Web Version of Earth

Google added a flight simulator to the web version of Google Earth on 12 June. The simulator runs in standard browsers and uses the service's existing three-dimensional map data. com, clicking Explore, then Tools, then Flight Simulator.

Arrow keys steer the aircraft, while Page Up and Page Down keys or a vertical gauge adjust speed. Google announced the addition in a June 12 post on X and stated the simulator was added just for fun. The company said it had also brought other features from the professional desktop edition to the web version.

5 million views. Some users reported difficulty with the controls, while others said they had crashed multiple times. One commenter wrote that they could now crash a jet into their own house in 4K resolution directly from a browser tab.

Google first began offering a flight simulator as a hidden feature within its Google Earth software in 2007. That earlier version required downloading the software. The new web version marks the first time the feature runs in a standard browser.