The Best Things I Saw At SimRacing Expo Charlotte 2026

For the last six years, there’s been a boom in the sim racing community. Player numbers are up across the board, and more and more people are investing in setups ranging from a few hundred dollars to over $150,000. 

It’s led to the first-ever SimRacing Expo to be held in the United States. An event over 10 years in the making, the SimRacing Expo began in 2014 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife and grew in Germany into an event with over 24,000 visitors in 2025. This year, the event was brought to Charlotte, North Carolina, and Insider Gaming was privileged to be invited to the show to speak with and see some of the latest advancements in sim racing.

Over 30 exhibitors took part in the show, including Fanetec, Thrustmaster, iRacing, Asetek Racing, and more. While everything there was impressive, there were some products that stood out above the rest.

Here are the best things I saw at SimRacing Expo Charlotte. 

SimRacing Expo Charlotte – The Best Things I Saw

GameSir Swift Drive Controller

There are so many gamers out there who want the feeling of using a racing wheel, but just don’t have the space or budget for a wheel setup. That’s where GameSir is trying to come in.

The Swift Drive controller—still a WIP name—was available for use as an early prototype. The controller is similar to many others, but comes with a wheel in the center. Using your thumbs, the wheel is responsive and smooth when driving with any type of vehicle. Driving around in a Formula 1 car felt better than using thumbsticks and almost as fluid as a real wheel. It won’t replace a wheel for everything, but it’s going to be something that racing enthusiasts will want to check out.

Conspit FC Series Cockpit and Halo 270 Screen

All over the floor were setups in the five-to-six-figure price range. One such set was the FC Series Cockpit and Halo 270 Screen from Conspit. Sitting low in the cockpit and tucked away, you get a really impressive feel for the vantage point Formula 1 drivers have. Pair that with the immersive Halo projector screen, and it’s the closest you’ll feel in terms of height and perspective of being a real driver.

Trak Racer TRZ Mortorbike Simulator

Unveiled to the world at SimRacing Expo Charlotte, I was one of the first people to try out the new TRZ Motorbike Simulator from Trak Racer. The world’s first motorcycle simulator designed for home use, the TRZ is accessible no matter how comfortable you are.

It can go from as casual as the bike racers at an arcade to as realistic as being on a racing circuit. Its weight transfer and balance might take those who’ve never ridden a motorcycle before a while to get used to, but it’s the first time I’ve felt the same counter-steering and movement that you get on a real bike. Retailing for $2,000, it’s one of the more affordable high-end simulation rigs from the event, and is something I see a lot of street racers picking up to get track time when the weather is rough.

BDH Race Sim Hardware Cockpit Prototype

Another prototype available to test, the BDH Race Sim Hardware cockpit was focused more on how a car feels when going around a track. Going over curbs had the cockpit dip how you’d expect, and the movement when taking turns and hills gave you the feeling that you could lose control at any moment. It’s still early on in its development, but what BDH brought to the show has a lot of potential for a company primarily known for shifters.

SimCraft Apex GT

The star of the show for many was the Apex GT from SimCraft. A $150,000 piece of technology, it’s hard to even put into words how this makes you feel when inside. The Apex GT can be customized to how you feel in a car, and it left me feeling kind of jittery and on edge by the time I was done taking my laps in a Cup Series car at Darlington.

The most unique part about the Apex GT, and SimCraft in general, is how they use science to create experiences that have even been used to help people heal. With the ability to gear the sim to how your brain functions, SimCraft has been able to help patients with severe medical ailments improve motor function, help recover from post-concussion issues, improve executive function in childhood cancer survivors, and a lot more.

What do you think of some of the hardware shown at the SimRacing Expo in Charlotte? Leave your thoughts on the annual event in the comments below, or join the discussion in the official Insider Gaming Discord. And stay tuned for more coverage of the SimRacing Expo 2026.