Explore Mode: A New Way to Experience the World in Skydive Sim

Skydive Sim has always been about skydiving, but one thing became clear as Google Earth locations became a bigger part of the experience: sometimes you want to look around before you jump.

That is why we added Explore Mode.

Explore Mode gives players a calmer way to experience locations in Skydive Sim. Instead of immediately jumping, flying canopy, or focusing on a landing area, you can move freely through the environment, scout the area, hover near landmarks, and take in the world from a different perspective.

In real life, whenever I go to a new dropzone, I always like to walk the landing area and familiarize myself with it before jumping there. I have done this at every new place I have jumped over the years. Explore Mode brings a little bit of that same instinct into Skydive Sim — giving players a chance to get familiar with a location before they commit to the jump.

What surprised me during testing was how easy it was to get distracted. I would load into a location to test something, then suddenly find myself flying around Manhattan, Paris, New Orleans, or another Google Earth location just because it was fun to explore.

A few days after we pushed the first version of Explore Mode, I happened to see write-ups about Google Earth’s browser-based Flight Simulator. The timing was completely coincidental, but it was interesting to see Google Earth putting attention back on the idea of flying around the world.

I remember trying their flight simulator years ago, and after testing it again, I had the same experience: the idea is amazing, but it is very easy to crash. That makes sense because it is a flight simulator. You are controlling an aircraft, managing speed, direction, altitude, and movement using a keyboard.

Explore Mode approaches the idea differently.

Instead of operating a plane, you can comfortably move through the world, slow down, hover, look around, and take in a location at your own pace.

That simple change makes a big difference.

You can scout a landing area before a jump, cruise around a city after testing a location, or just spend a few minutes exploring somewhere you have always wanted to see.

That is what I like about Explore Mode. It started as a practical feature for Skydive Sim, but it also made the world feel more accessible.

Skydiving is still the heart of Skydive Sim.

Explore Mode just gives you more ways to experience the places you jump.

FAQ

Is Explore Mode replacing skydiving in Skydive Sim?

No. Skydiving is still the heart of Skydive Sim. Explore Mode gives players another way to experience locations before, between, or after jumps.

Is Explore Mode the same as Google Earth Flight Simulator?

No. Google Earth Flight Simulator is aircraft-based. Explore Mode is designed for comfortable VR movement, letting players slow down, hover, scout, and look around without worrying about crashing.

Can you explore real-world locations in Skydive Sim?

Yes. Skydive Sim uses Google Earth locations, allowing players to jump, fly, and now explore real-world places in VR.

Why add Explore Mode to a skydiving simulator?

When I go to a new dropzone in real life, I like to walk the landing area and get familiar with it before jumping. Explore Mode brings that same idea into Skydive Sim, while also making it fun to simply take in the world from above.

Can Explore Mode be used just for sightseeing?

Yes. It started as a way to scout jump locations, but during testing it also became a fun way to slow down, hover, and explore places like cities, landmarks, and scenic areas.