I got you! Let’s officially announce the first Avitar related product on the Horizon!
Man’s Best Friend: Deluxe Edition
In Development for MSFS 2020 & 2024
What is “Man’s Best Friend?”
Man’s Best Friend brings a new kind of companion to Microsoft Flight Simulator. Instead of flying alone, you can fill the copilot seat with a hand-crafted collection of dogs, cats and other animal companions, each designed to add personality, charm, and a little extra life to every flight. Every Avitar will feature detailed 3D models, high-quality textures, and unique idle animation work created specifically for its size and personality. Whether you are heading out on a quiet sightseeing flight, exploring the backcountry, or simply capturing the perfect screenshot, your companion can come along for the adventure.
What is in the “Deluxe Edition?”
The Deluxe Edition gives you access to over 40 different animal types and breeds, along with a wide assortment of Animal Liveries that expand the full selection to more than 100 unique companions. Whether you want a familiar favorite or something a little more unique, the Deluxe Edition is designed to give you far more ways to bring the right pet along for the ride. On top of that, animations across the entire collection have been significantly improved, with a wide range of fixes, smoother transitions, new idle behaviors, and much more natural overall movement.
The biggest addition coming to the Deluxe Edition is our all new Avitar Nest technology, a powerful 6 axis pet alignment and positioning system that gives you full control over exactly where each companion is placed. You can move your pet forward, backward, left, right, up, or down, then fine tune their tilt, lean, and facing direction to better match the layout of nearly any aircraft interior. This allows each Avitar to feel more naturally integrated into the aircraft rather than simply being dropped into a fixed position.
Even better, these position settings are saved automatically for each individual aircraft variant while you make adjustments, allowing every Avitar to return to its preferred location the next time you load into the simulator and fly. We also made sure Avitar Nest is not limited to the copilot seat alone. If you want to place your companion in the cabin, beside the aircraft, out on the ground, or somewhere else entirely, you can. From casual cockpit company to creative screenshots, scenic setups, and memorable photography sessions, Man’s Best Friend: Deluxe Edition turns your favorite companion into a real part of the journey.
So, Dual-Sim Support?
Plus Console Announcement!
Thanks to this breakthrough technology, Man’s Best Friend: Deluxe Edition will be available for both Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024. We are also thrilled to announce its planned release on Xbox Series X|S, marking the very first time console pilots will be able to bring pets into the simulator and fly alongside their own companions.
Wait… a Tortoise? New Animals?
Yes! Man’s Best Friend: Deluxe Edition is expanding well beyond the original collection, with plenty of new companions for pilots to choose from. While dogs will always remain at the heart of the experience, we wanted the Deluxe Edition to feel like a true celebration of the animals people love, whether they are furry, feathered, scaled, or simply a little unexpected.
Each companion is being carefully integrated to feel like more than a simple cockpit decoration, with its own appearance, animations, personality, and natural behavior. Whether you prefer a loyal copilot sitting beside you, a relaxed passenger enjoying the journey, or a tortoise calmly tagging along for the adventure, there should be a companion that feels right at home in your aircraft.
As of right now, here is the list of Avitars we can officially confirm for the Deluxe Edition:
Dog Breeds:
» Akita
» Beagle
» Border Collie
» Boxer
» Bull Terrier
» Bulldog
» Corgi
» Dachshund
» Dalmatian
» Doberman
» French Bulldog
» Golden Retriever
» Husky
» Jack-Russel Terrier
» Labrador Retriever
» Labrador Puppy
» Pitbull
» Poodle
» Pug
» Mixed Breed
» Rottweiler
» Samoyed
» Schnauzer
» German Shepherd
» Shiba Inu
» Spitz
» Toy Terrier
» York Terrier
Cat Breeds:
» Standard
» Heavy
» Stray
Miscellaneous:
» Duck
» Tortoise
» Rabbit
Is This Using Any Workarounds?
No. Man’s Best Friend: Deluxe Edition uses the built-in Copilot system provided by Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024. Your selected companion can be changed directly through the simulator’s menu before each flight, without requiring aircraft-specific installations or modifications.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, interior copilot visibility is still controlled by each individual aircraft developer, so compatibility may vary between aircraft. Fortunately, the updated Copilot system used by most native Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 aircraft supports interior companions by default, allowing your selected Avitar to appear naturally across a much wider portion of your hangar.
MSFS 2024:
MSFS 2020:
What about the original Avitar: Man’s Best Friend?
The original MSFS 2020 Edition of Avitar: Man’s Best Friend will remain available as a free download from our website. However, it will be considered a legacy product and will not receive these future updates, Avitar Nest functionality, or MSFS 2024 compatibility. The Deluxe Edition is the result of more than a year of development, testing, and problem-solving to build a far more flexible system that works across both simulators and supports a much larger collection of companions. Given the scope of that work and the technology behind it, we believe a paid Deluxe Edition is the right path forward while still keeping the original release freely available for anyone who wants it.
» When Deluxe Edition Releases, it will be offered at $9.99 (USD)
When Can We Fly With Them?
We do not have an official release date to share quite yet, but there is very little development work left to complete. At the moment, we are simply waiting to resolve a minor issue within MSFS 2024 that will allow us to take full advantage of the simulator’s new Copilot system. Rather than force an unreliable workaround, we want to ensure Man’s Best Friend works exactly as intended across both simulators, providing every companion with a stable foundation and the ability to fly aboard nearly any aircraft in your hangar. Once that final piece falls into place, we will be ready to bring your new copilots aboard.
Until then, stay tuned. Your best friend is almost ready for takeoff… or perhaps a nice drive!
