Farming Simulator 25 Now Used as Educational Tool in Japanese Agricultural Schools

Farming Simulator 25 is making waves in the educational sector, particularly in Japan, where it is being The editorial team at Denfami visited Tokyo Metropolitan Agricultural High School, a vocational school specializing in agriculture in Tokyo, to observe how Farming Simulator 25 is being used as an educational tool. While the idea of using a farming game in the classroom might sound exciting, it’s not entirely new. This franchise has previously been showcased at agricultural events where real farmers participated, so it is no surprise that it’s being used in agricultural schools. In fact, it’s right where it belongs.

Farming Simulator 25 offers a highly realistic farming simulation. The game’s realism starts with the need to buy land, farming equipment, and seeds. From there, players begin plowing fields, sowing seeds, and harvesting crops. In some cases, it even includes processing and transporting the produce. Is this a game, or is it real work?

The tools used in the classroom include the game itself, specialized controllers from HORI, eye-tracking equipment from Tobii (which tracks the player’s gaze and adjusts the in-game view in real-time), and a large curved display (making it feel like sitting in a real machinery control room). All of this equipment was supported by Kazuhisa Goto from the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, the teacher in charge. He mentioned that he had traveled to Germany to meet the developers at GIANTS Software after being impressed by the game’s potential.

The use of games as a teaching medium in this way is part of the ‘Digital Twin’ concept—simulating the real world in a virtual environment. This method allows students to test things that are difficult to repeat in real life due to limitations in equipment, time, or location. Using Farming Simulator 25 is not just about controlling machinery, but also learning management skills like choosing the right crops for the season and calculating the profitability of different activities.

The Denfami team observed a class for one session, and the atmosphere was filled with excitement from both the students and the teacher. At first glance, it seemed like just playing a game, but in reality, it was a learning process. In fact, students rarely get to operate real machinery, so the game helps fill that gap.

After the class, Kazuhisa Goto conducted surveys and interviewed the students and teachers involved to analyze the effectiveness of Farming Simulator as an educational tool.

This type of learning through gaming is a significant step in integrating technology with agriculture and could represent a model for future education. Perhaps we will even see full-fledged classes that use Farming Simulator as part of their curriculum.

Farming Simulator 25, the highly realistic farming game, is now available for Windows, MacOS, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and is set to release on mobile devices later this year.