Nope, but I tell you looking at what they've done w/ MS Flight Simulator--the base platform, the SDK (as w/ all prior versions), porting to Xbox & PC, they have the makings of what I've always wanted in a truly fully state-of-the-art golf sim. Being released as recently as Aug 18th, 2020, it's remarkable to see what is appearing in the 'Marketplace' GUI that is part of the program. They've built a scenery engine that is miles ahead of anything else--it's streamed photoreal satellite data w/ some photogrammetry and presumably considerable customized work, but as I say it's a new ball game, and it's uber-efficient, for what is being processed. I'm comparing against Lockheed Martin's Prepar3D DX12 enhanced v5.x, and Xplane w/ its new Vulcan graphical API.
What I see could be duplicated in the golf sim arena w/ fully Lidar-generated mesh and full on photoreal (yes, similar to I think it's Trackmans's engine). On the Marketplace tab, you open up courses to purchase, along w/ super high resolution motion-captured tour player animations, once again, purchased per item. The on board weather system will be linked to realtime weather per the local of the course location, as is done in the flight sim world. MSFS does this already built-in, though it needs a bit of work. An override for manual weather conditions as well, of course. Next comes the swing mechanism: options for sure: 3-click (hate it personally), 1st person which a creative mind could do miracles with I can already imagine, and something similar to what we have now in the HBS sims. Super robust customizeable cameras--this is in MSFS in spades now, and what you want for a durable base platform designed to last years.
MS is, once again, hunkering down for the longer haul w/ robust 3rd party support and SDK. This is where a golf sim will perhaps deviate if the gold standard is ultra high resolution photo-real lidar based courses. Perhaps they or their contractor can do real courses this way and charge whatever per course, and the SDK can be used as is the case now on the HBS games, or something along those lines.
I've used desktop flight sims for upwards of 30 years now and the current offering is getting far closer reality than anything else in terms of the scenery engine in particular. As a 'simulator', it needs work and likely will get it. Always room for improvement as bandwidth permits, but the basic approach is solid. They will do some ports to DX12 but I seriously doubt they will do more than keep building on the same core engine for many years--they will make revenue off of sales and especially the built-in Marketplace. Can't wait to buy KORD (Chicago O'hare) for ... $19.95 or something along those lines. Incredible work!
Enjoy this hx of MSFS--and imagine the same in the golf arena:
What I see could be duplicated in the golf sim arena w/ fully Lidar-generated mesh and full on photoreal (yes, similar to I think it's Trackmans's engine). On the Marketplace tab, you open up courses to purchase, along w/ super high resolution motion-captured tour player animations, once again, purchased per item. The on board weather system will be linked to realtime weather per the local of the course location, as is done in the flight sim world. MSFS does this already built-in, though it needs a bit of work. An override for manual weather conditions as well, of course. Next comes the swing mechanism: options for sure: 3-click (hate it personally), 1st person which a creative mind could do miracles with I can already imagine, and something similar to what we have now in the HBS sims. Super robust customizeable cameras--this is in MSFS in spades now, and what you want for a durable base platform designed to last years.
MS is, once again, hunkering down for the longer haul w/ robust 3rd party support and SDK. This is where a golf sim will perhaps deviate if the gold standard is ultra high resolution photo-real lidar based courses. Perhaps they or their contractor can do real courses this way and charge whatever per course, and the SDK can be used as is the case now on the HBS games, or something along those lines.
I've used desktop flight sims for upwards of 30 years now and the current offering is getting far closer reality than anything else in terms of the scenery engine in particular. As a 'simulator', it needs work and likely will get it. Always room for improvement as bandwidth permits, but the basic approach is solid. They will do some ports to DX12 but I seriously doubt they will do more than keep building on the same core engine for many years--they will make revenue off of sales and especially the built-in Marketplace. Can't wait to buy KORD (Chicago O'hare) for ... $19.95 or something along those lines. Incredible work!
Enjoy this hx of MSFS--and imagine the same in the golf arena:
