Dev Blog #52: Settings and Navigational Map

[LukeFF]

Hey everyone! Today, we take a look at the refined GUI and navigational map that will be coming to Korea. IL2 Series. 

 

https://il2-korea.com/news/dd_52

 

[GOA_AveFenix506*VR*]

Wow.

Thanks for sharing this.

[R33GZ]

Looks like you guys are getting close to release 😀

Edited Friday at 06:22 PM by R33GZ

[deathmisser]

34 minutes ago, R33GZ said:

Looks like you guys are getting close to release 😀

They did say a 2025 release, so it maybe a Christmas release : P 

[Aapje]

12 minutes ago, deathmisser said:

They did say a 2025 release, so it maybe a Christmas release : P 

 

They've changed their tune to a winter release, so I expect it early 2026.

[354thFG_Leifr]

Very pleasing update, looking good.

[Aapje]

To be honest, the settings changes seem a bit meh. Very similar to the old settings. No DLSS is a big bummer. Would really like to try DLSS 4 in IL-2 given how much it helps many VR players in a competitor combat flight sim. Native OpenXR is very nice, though.

 

On the other hand, I never had huge issues with the old settings and keeping it similar is better than an innovative new GUI that is actually worse, like a certain competitor flight sim did for their 2024 early access release.

 

The overall map looks very busy now, although this is almost certainly due to how hilly Korea is. It's probably better in the close up view and should be better in future modules with less mountains. I wonder if there is a solution to the overlapping GUI elements that were often an issue on the GB map if lots of stuff was close together. For example, overlapping waypoint text, so it was impossible to read the information of either waypoint. Or the impossibility to see exactly what ground units died, when a bunch of them died close together.

 

PS. There is an error in the keymapping screenshot, one of the keyboard assignments has the Russian word for keyboard next to it.

[R33GZ]

1 hour ago, Aapje said:

They've changed their tune to a winter release, so I expect it early 2026.

Is Christmas not in winter in the northern hemisphere?

[deathmisser]

34 minutes ago, R33GZ said:

Is Christmas not in winter in the northern hemisphere?

Well if we go officially we're still in autumn when it turns to the 1st of December is when winter officially starts and ends late March.  

[BlitzPig_EL]

Looking great.  I love the detailed map.

[Avimimus]

Development update includes the map (as well as details about new joystick modes etc.):

[PhilthySpud]

LOVE the contour lines! 😍

[LuftManu]

This is looking really good!

The new map with elevation will come in handy in this terrain. Something that I really missed in Great battles!

Also, do we know which version of FSR is coming? 

If FSR 2 o 3 is enabled, we can enable FSR 4 on AMD 9070XT cards, and that is similar to DLSS4.

Kind regards!

[ST_Catchov]

I hope they've changed this to 'external view'. It got a lotta noobs confused including me although I'd never admit it.

 

[Aapje]

2 hours ago, R33GZ said:

Is Christmas not in winter in the northern hemisphere?

 

Yes, but when they change the narrative from the end of 2025 to winter 2025/2026, it doesn't make sense for the release to be in 2025, because why would they then change their tune?

 

 

[Dagwoodyt]

This is disappointing WRT VR. QVFR, DFR and DLSS not mentioned. So performance is not going to see much advancement from GB. It's not really surprising due to previous reluctance to engage on the topic. 🥱

[LukeFF]

Han talks about the decisions regarding DFR here: https://www.reddit.com/r/IL2Series/s/Eh6s8cn1sV

[Juri_JS]

The map looks great. It would be nice, if the names of the most important rivers, lakes and reservoirs would become visible at a certain zoom stage. I hope the new UI allows this.

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

It’s great to see that OpenXR support is included from the start. Eye tracking would also be a valuable addition, in my opinion.

 

I hope the FSR implementation uses the latest version — and I’m curious why DLSS support isn’t available.

 

Is the HDR implementation true HDR (for HDR-capable monitors), or is it the same pseudo-HDR used in ROF and GB?

 

To me, the term modern game implies support for the latest technologies available in contemporary hardware.

[Avimimus]

43 minutes ago, Juri_JS said:

The map looks great. It would be nice, if the names of the most important rivers, lakes and reservoirs would become visible at a certain zoom stage. I hope the new UI allows this.

 

I agree with that! Rivers are very important navigational lines.

 

Modern road maps (e.g. Google Maps, Open Streetview) tend to devalue and unmark them - but if you are travelling by boat, by foot, or by air - they are so much more essential for navigation than essentially anything else.

 

You can't really perceive a map without the waterways and watersheds!

[AEthelraedUnraed]

15 hours ago, deathmisser said:

They did say a 2025 release, so it maybe a Christmas release : P 

14 hours ago, Aapje said:

 

They've changed their tune to a winter release, so I expect it early 2026.

 

From the reddit Q&A: 

 

[Eeafanas]

What surprises me most is that, in addition to aircraft, there are also ground vehicles listed here.
We eagerly await news about tanks.
 

[Mainstay]

Ehm let me get this correct… QVFOV isn’t going to be implemented next to OpenXR?

[Kubert]

I like that Pilot body in first person is optional. 

[JD007]

Looking forward to the release of this great looking sim, hopefully it will be out soon.

 

Very pleased that the pilot body will be visible, this is a feature that I would love to see added to the Great Battles series too.

[Talisman]

8 hours ago, 1PL-Husar-1Esk said:

It’s great to see that OpenXR support is included from the start. Eye tracking would also be a valuable addition, in my opinion.

 

I hope the FSR implementation uses the latest version — and I’m curious why DLSS support isn’t available.

 

Is the HDR implementation true HDR (for HDR-capable monitors), or is it the same pseudo-HDR used in ROF and GB?

 

To me, the term modern game implies support for the latest technologies available in contemporary hardware.

 

Yes, for VR, Eye Tracking and associated Dynamic Foveated Rendering should be on the cards I would have thought.  Very much hope so anyway.

 

Happy landings,

 

Talisman

[Aapje]

17 hours ago, LukeFF said:

Han talks about the decisions regarding DFR here: https://www.reddit.com/r/IL2Series/s/Eh6s8cn1sV

 

I responded on Reddit with the suggestion to contact Mbucchia and have him analyze the implementation. He already worked with the MSFS devs, who have an engine that also uses deferred rendering. He is very passionate and knowledgeable, so he is probably willing to help.

 

His analysis might help improve the VR implementation both with and without QVR.

[Aapje]

On 11/8/2025 at 10:25 AM, 1PL-Husar-1Esk said:

I hope the FSR implementation uses the latest version — and I’m curious why DLSS support isn’t available.

 

That they chose to do only FSR suggests that they made this decision before January 2025. Back then DLSS 3 was better than FSR 3, but FSR did work on both platforms, so it might have seemed like a reasonable choice. However, now FSR 4 is AMD only and is much improved over 3 (and has less of a gap to DLSS 4 than FSR 3 had to DLSS 3). And DLSS 4 is much improved over 3, being much less fuzzy.

 

So while I understand that it might not fit the release plans to add DLSS 4 (and probably FSR 4) now, my suggestion to the devs would be to at least promise support and do it after the release. Because my prediction is that otherwise people will just keep complaining forever about this and will see it as a big downside of the new engine.

Edited yesterday at 12:18 PM by Aapje

[Picchio]

For the love of God, either have true HDR support or just name that setting something else.

[Dagwoodyt]

"I've pointed out before that we already have investigated this issue and made some tests. It shows very small advantage in modern  DX12+deferred pipeline (less than 10%)."

 

Could someone provide explanation of what Han is saying in this quote? My impression is that almost any little performance boost is potentially helpful for VR. 

[Aapje]

4 hours ago, Dagwoodyt said:

Could someone provide explanation of what Han is saying in this quote? My impression is that almost any little performance boost is potentially helpful for VR. 

 

Based on mbucchia's analysis of MSFS, we might have a similar situation where the graphics implementation is not optimal for foveated rendering. Although Matt also said that you can't make things optimal for all use cases, so it is always a tradeoff.