Overcast skies in Schaumburg didn't slow down the energy inside the hall for day one of the Sim Gaming Expo. I spent a full Friday session walking the floor, catching up with manufacturers, and getting hands-on time with the latest hardware setups.
The check-in team set a great tone right at noon—shoutout to Kathy at registration, and the interactive map pin board showing where attendees drove in from was a great community touch. Jorge and the organizers put together a fantastic setup for the expo's second year.
Here is what stood out most from my time testing gear on the floor:
1. Simucube Active Pedals & Driven Dynamics Motion
Spent time chatting with Maria-Teresa at the Simucube booth. They were showcasing their Active Pedals, demonstrating how dynamic force feedback in the pedal feel completely transforms trail braking and ABS modulation. They’re also collaborating with Driven Dynamics for full-motion rig setups, pairing active pedal telemetry directly with chassis movement.
2. Moza Racing: OEM Expansion & The Mustang GT3 Rim
Caught up with Zack at Moza Racing to look at their expanding lineup of officially licensed wheels from Porsche, Lamborghini, and Ford. Getting hands-on with their new Mustang GT3 wheel was a highlight—the button layout and grip ergonomics felt surprisingly dialed in person.
3. Heusinkveld: Touch Control Panel & V2 Hardware Scoop
Hung out at the Heusinkveld booth to grab some content and get the breakdown on what they’re releasing next. They gave me the scoop on their upcoming touch control panel, pedal refinements, and V2 hardware updates. Their focus on zero-flex mounting and load-cell precision remains top-tier.
4. iRacing Booth Demos
Stopped by the iRacing booth to catch up with Cole (shoutout to the small crew holding down the fort on the floor!). I grabbed photos and footage of their live demo rigs running in real-time, showing how crisp a properly tuned force feedback and display setup feels when everything is dialed.
I packed a ton of footage into eight hours on the floor, including POV driving clips and hardware close-ups that I'll be sharing throughout the week. Up next on the blog: a dedicated photo walkthrough of the cool cars that showed up in the Expo parking lot!
