SimHub vs SimRacing Studio: Which Motion Software Should You Use?
SimHub vs SimRacing Studio is the software question most new motion owners end up asking within a week of their platform arriving. Both will drive a motion rig. Both support the big racing and flight titles. But they are built for different people, and on some platforms the choice has already been made for you by the manufacturer.
This guide compares the two honestly: what each one does well, which platforms each actually supports, how VR motion compensation works with each, and when you should ignore both and use the software your platform shipped with.
Quick answer
- Want the easiest start on a DOF Reality platform? Use SimRacing Studio. A Pro licence comes with every DOF Reality platform we sell, and it has ready-made profiles for 100+ titles.
- Want deeper tuning and VR motion compensation through OpenXR? SimHub's motion add-on is the stronger tool, especially for flight sim in VR. It costs extra and takes longer to set up.
- Own a SIMRIG, Qubic or ProSimu system? Neither is the main answer. These platforms run their own control software, built and tuned for their actuators.
- Running bass shakers or dashboards? SimHub is worth having anyway. Plenty of owners run it alongside whatever drives their motion.
What SimHub and SimRacing Studio actually are
SimRacing Studio (SRS) is a dedicated motion and immersion package. It reads telemetry from the game, turns it into actuator movement using game profiles, and gives you sliders to tune each axis. It has a free tier and a paid Pro tier, and newer versions include Intellitune, an assisted tuning tool that analyses a short driving session and suggests settings. We covered the full install process in our SimRacing Studio setup guide.
SimHub started life as a dashboard and bass shaker tool and became the default haptics app for a huge part of the sim racing community. Motion is a separate add-on. According to SimHub's own documentation, you need the main SimHub licence plus a dedicated motion add-on licence (the add-on is listed at €34.99 one-off, and there is a 2-in-1 motion pack). It runs fully featured for time-limited sessions without a licence, so you can test before paying.
That split explains most of the differences below. SRS is designed to get a commercial platform moving quickly. SimHub Motion is designed for people who want to understand and control every part of the signal.
SimHub vs SimRacing Studio: side by side
Which motion software works with which platform?
This is the part most forum threads skip. The software you can use depends on the controller inside your platform, not just your preference.
So the SimHub vs SimRacing Studio debate is really a DOF Reality and DIY question. If you own a SIMRIG, Qubic or ProSimu system, the manufacturer's own software is the tool built and tested for those actuators, and it is the one their support teams will help you with.
Specialist tip
Only one program can control your actuators at a time. If you install SimHub Motion to try it on a platform that already runs SRS, close SRS completely first. Two apps fighting over the same USB controller makes the rig behave erratically.
SimRacing Studio for motion: pros and cons
Pros
- Fastest route from unboxing to driving
- Ready-made profiles for 100+ titles
- Pro licence included with DOF Reality platforms
- Intellitune gives a sensible starting point without manual tuning
Cons
- Less control over how each effect is built
- VR motion compensation usually needs a separate tool
- Less suited to DIY or unusual platform geometries
SimHub motion setup: pros and cons
Pros
- Fine control over every effect and filter
- Feeds OpenXR Motion Compensation directly, no headset tracker needed
- One app for motion, bass shakers, belt tensioners and dashboards
- Low one-off cost, no subscription
Cons
- Needs accurate platform measurements before it works properly
- Two licences to buy (SimHub plus motion add-on)
- Only one primary geometry (2DOF or 3DOF) per setup. Stacked setups are not supported
- Setup mistakes can twist the rig, so axis testing matters
How to set up SimHub Motion, in short
SimHub's own getting started guide follows five stages. Install SimHub, enable the motion add-on under Add/Remove features and activate the licence. Choose your platform geometry and controller. Assign each controller output to the right axis and test every direction. Enter platform and actuator dimensions in millimetres. Then enable motion and test with the manual control panel before you load a game.
Deeper detail: first session settings that avoid problems
SimHub recommends reducing gain to 40 to 50% for your first gaming sessions and raising it gradually. Pay extra attention when testing traction loss, surge and the left and right axes on 2DOF platforms, because these are the axes most often wired or mapped in reverse. If any axis moves the wrong way during the manual test, fix the mapping before driving. Running a platform with a reversed axis can put stress on the frame.
Geometry matters more in SimHub than in SRS. The software calculates angles from the dimensions you enter, so measure from the actual mounting points rather than copying figures from a forum post.
SimHub motion compensation for VR
VR is where SimHub has pulled ahead for many owners. Without motion compensation, the headset reads the platform's movement as head movement, so your view tilts every time the rig does. Our guide to VR motion compensation explains the problem in full.
SimHub calculates where the rig is from its own geometry and sends that to the OpenXR Motion Compensation layer (OXRMC). OXRMC then subtracts the platform movement from your view, using the base of the seat as the centre of rotation. Because the position comes from the software rather than a sensor, you do not need a tracker strapped to the rig. One DOF Reality H6 owner on the MSFS forums described switching from SRS to SimHub with OXRMC after a couple of weeks and said it "works perfectly fine".
Two caveats. The game has to run through OpenXR, which covers titles like iRacing and EA WRC but not everything. And SimHub's documentation is clear that it only provides the motion data. The compensation itself is done by OXRMC, a separate free tool.
If you would rather not manage any of this, two platforms in our range do it natively. The SIMRIG SR2 has motion compensation built into SIMRIG Control Center, and the Yaw U supports OXRMC and Infuse VR out of the box. Pair either with a lightweight headset such as the Pimax Dream Air and VR on a moving rig becomes far less fiddly.
Best motion software for sim racing: our take
Our take
If you own a DOF Reality platform, start on SimRacing Studio. You already have the Pro licence, and it will have you driving in an evening. Give it a few weeks before changing anything.
Move to SimHub Motion if you fly or race in VR and want motion compensation without extra hardware, or if you already run SimHub for bass shakers and want everything in one place. The free time-limited sessions let you try it before you pay.
If you are still choosing a platform, look at the software story before the spec sheet. A platform with its own well-supported software, built-in VR compensation and a long warranty saves you hours of setup and troubleshooting.
If you are still choosing a platform
Most people searching for SimHub or SRS help own a DOF Reality platform or are about to buy one. It is a popular choice for good reason, and both programs support it well. But it is worth knowing what the alternatives offer on the software and support side.
- SIMRIG bolts to an existing 8020 rig, runs SIMRIG Control Center with native VR motion compensation, and carries a 3-year warranty, the longest in our catalogue.
- ProSimu platforms are ultra-quiet because the actuators never touch the floor, and every purchase includes 3 hours of free remote setup support from ProSimu's own team.
- Qubic System uses industrial linear actuators with integrated 100Hz haptics, so you may not need separate bass shakers at all, and Qubic Manager handles the profiles.
- Yaw VR is the only consumer platform with unlimited 360 degree yaw, with GameLink and native VR compensation included.
You can compare them all in our motion platforms collection or narrow it down in the 3DOF platforms range, which is where most home sim racers land.
Frequently asked questions
Is SimHub better than SimRacing Studio for motion?
It depends on what you want. SimHub gives deeper control and feeds OpenXR motion compensation directly, which suits VR users and tinkerers. SimRacing Studio is quicker to set up and comes with ready-made profiles, which suits owners who want to drive straight away. On DOF Reality platforms, both are supported.
Does SimHub Motion need a separate licence?
Yes. SimHub's documentation states you need the main SimHub licence plus a motion add-on licence, or the 2-in-1 motion pack. It runs fully featured for time-limited sessions without a licence, so you can test it on your platform first.
Can I use SimHub with a DOF Reality platform?
Yes. SimHub lists the DOF Reality H and P series as supported platforms. Close SimRacing Studio before running SimHub Motion, as only one program can control the actuators at a time. Your SRS Pro licence stays valid if you want to switch back.
Can I run SimHub and SimRacing Studio at the same time?
Yes, as long as only one of them drives the motion. A common setup is SRS for the platform and SimHub for bass shakers, belt tensioners and dashboards.
Do SIMRIG, Qubic and ProSimu work with SimHub?
They are not on SimHub's list of named platforms. Each ships with its own software: SIMRIG Control Center, Qubic Manager and SimTools-ProSimu. That is the software the manufacturers support and the one we recommend using. You can still run SimHub alongside for haptics and dashboards.
Do I need a tracker for VR motion compensation?
Not with SimHub and OpenXR Motion Compensation. SimHub works out the rig position from its geometry and passes it to OXRMC, so no sensor is needed on the rig. The game does need to run through OpenXR.
Need a hand choosing?
Software questions often come up after the platform has arrived. If you would rather sort it before you buy, email us with your rig, your games and whether you use VR, and we will tell you which platform and software combination makes sense. Every platform we sell comes with free UK delivery and full manufacturer warranty.