Dedicated sim racing and esports venues are spreading across the U.S., and the successful ones combine competition with food, drinks and private-event space. F1 Arcade now lists seven open U.S. locations, and Esports Stadium Arlington in Texas offers 100,000 square feet built for esports events. For event planners, the question is when to go to a venue and when to bring the simulators to your own space.
The sim racing venue: F1 Arcade
F1 Arcade opened its first U.S. location in Boston's Seaport in April 2024. Formula 1 described a 16,000-square-foot venue on two floors with 69 full-motion simulators, a 37-foot bar, F1-themed cocktails, and a private room for up to 200 guests. The company's locations page now lists seven open U.S. venues: Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Denver, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Chicago. None is in Florida as of this writing.
The format matters more than the brand. These venues are restaurants and bars where the main activity is racing, built for groups, dates and corporate bookings, not hardcore sim racers.
The esports arena: Esports Stadium Arlington
Esports Stadium Arlington in Texas describes itself as the largest dedicated esports facility in North America, at 100,000 square feet, and positions itself as a turnkey space for esports events and productions. Arenas like this host tournaments and broadcasts; the sim racing venues above are built for everyday visitors.
Brands are doing it too
Car makers run their own simulator experiences. At its museums in Maranello and Modena, Ferrari sells 7-minute F1 and GT simulator races to visitors, with a staff briefing before each drive.
A reality check on esports audiences
Venues built around playing do better than venues built around watching. Even Formula 1's official sim championship draws a niche audience: The Race reported it averaging over 205,000 views per event in 2026, compared with about 11,000 for eNASCAR. Most people would rather race than watch someone else race.
Venue vs. bringing simulators to you
| Choose a venue when… | Bring rigs to your space when… |
|---|---|
| You want a casual night out for a small group | Your event already has a venue: an office, hotel ballroom, home or tent |
| You don't need your own branding | You want the rigs wrapped in your brand |
| There is a venue near your guests | Your guests are in a city without one |
| Food and drinks should be handled for you | You are already working with a caterer or bar |
In Miami
Our showroom at 2920 NW 5th Ave, Suite 105, Miami, is shared with Shift Arcade Miami. For events, SimsForHire brings simulators to hotels, event venues, offices and homes, and we deliver, set up, staff and tear down. Our fleet is 10 full-motion rigs built on SIGMA Integrale 2DOF/3DOF motion platforms, which use electric actuators. Full-motion rigs are $2,750 per rig per day, with a $2,000 event minimum — all plus tax and insurance. Delivery is free within 50 miles of Miami; farther out, we quote the delivery fee on request. Call (754) 228-5654, email hello@simsforhire.com, or start a booking. We reply within 24 hours.