As a part of a promo for the second Dune film, Microsoft has added a free Dune expansion to its Microsoft Flight Simulator. Gamers can now experience flying through the skies of the planet Arrakis via the Ornithopter, a fictional dragonfly-esque helicopter used as one of the primary methods of transport in Dune.
Dune: Part Two is the second movie based on the 1965 sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert. It's hard to determine how challenging piloting an Ornithopter actually is, since it's a fictional vehicle, much like shuttles and fighters in any sci-fi movie. The free expansion for the Microsoft Flight Simulator is available now on Windows and Xbox Series X/S platforms, as well as for XBox/PC Game Pass subscribers.
Microsoft also made an Xbox controller and a limited edition Ornithopter-inspired Xbox X/S stand, which is only available as a prize in a promotional contest. People probably wish they could buy it, as the likelihood of winning one reduces every time a person signs up for it. Limited-edition controllers are pretty sought-after collector's items (see to Bethesda's Starfield-inspired controllers and headsets).
Microsoft did a similar promotion for another movie franchise — Top Gun: Maverick. Of course, the Top Gun franchise features real-world planes (and a carrier deck). Microsoft's promo with Dune opens opportunities for collabs with any films or franchises that have fictional planes or fighters. Expansions like this usually leave fans wanting more — and who might even be willing to pay for something that offers a better experience. Some wish Microsoft would release similar expansions for planets such as Coruscant from Star Wars or Pandora from Avatar.
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