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