SimRacing Expo 2026 Frankfurt: What UK Motion Sim Buyers Need to Know
SimRacing Expo 2026 took over Hall 12 of the Messe Frankfurt from 16 to 18 October, its first year in Frankfurt after moving from Dortmund. Most of the headlines were about wheels, pedals and prototypes. For anyone in the UK thinking about a motion simulator, though, the show had a handful of stories that matter far more than another steering wheel: a big wheel brand launching its own motion system, a new traction loss platform from Qubic System, and a clearer picture of what is actually coming before Christmas and what is not due until 2027.
This round-up is written for UK motion and VR buyers. It is built from public coverage and manufacturer announcements from the show, with our own notes on what each one means if you are buying in the UK. Where we quote a price for something we sell, it is our current UK price including VAT and free UK delivery. Where something is not yet on sale here, we say so.
Key takeaways
- MOZA HMA150 was the biggest motion story. It is MOZA's first motion system: four actuators, 3DOF (pitch, roll and heave), 150mm stroke and a £2,799 UK price. New orders are showing a mid-November dispatch estimate.
- Qubic System premiered the QS-TP1 Traction Pro, a surge and yaw platform that goes under the cockpit, alone or under a QS-210 or QS-220 set for five axes. No UK price yet.
- Plenty of 2027 kit. Simucube's ActivePedal Sport (€901 ex VAT), Fanatec's Project Obsidian wheel and ClubSport Pedals V4, and Asetek's GT Nova wheel are all early 2027 or later.
- No new VR headset launch came out of Frankfurt in the coverage we followed.
- Our view: nothing shown makes the current motion platforms on sale in the UK obsolete. If you were planning to buy this winter, the show is not a reason to wait.
SimRacing Expo 2026 at a glance
The European edition of the SimRacing Expo moved to Frankfurt this year, with organisers citing a lack of space at the old Dortmund venue. The show ran over three days, Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October, across more than 14,000 square metres in Hall 12. Pre-show listings named 54 exhibitors, including Fanatec, MOZA Racing, Simucube, Asetek, Simagic, Heusinkveld, Sim-Lab, Trak Racer, SIMRIG and DOF Reality, plus a stage programme of more than twenty hours of talks from the likes of iRacing, Kunos and Simucube.
Several brands we work with were present in some form. SIMRIG and DOF Reality were listed exhibitors. Qubic System showed its new products on partner stands rather than its own. MOZA ran demo stations including a full motion rig. We have pulled out the parts relevant to motion simulators first, then on-rig kit and VR.
The motion news from SimRacing Expo Frankfurt
MOZA HMA150: a wheel brand moves into motion
MOZA's iRacing demo station in Frankfurt paired an R21 Ultra wheelbase, a Porsche Mission R wheel and mBooster pedals with the HMA150 motion system. The HMA150 was announced earlier in the year and opened for orders on 28 July, but the expo was the first chance for many European buyers to try it.
On paper it is a serious 3DOF system rather than a toy. The headline figures from MOZA and UK retailer listings:
- Layout: four actuators giving pitch, roll and heave
- Stroke: up to 150mm per actuator
- Speed: up to 300mm/s at 250kg, dropping to 150mm/s at the 350kg maximum
- Payload: 350kg maximum
- Vibration: up to 200Hz through the actuators
- Mounting: bolt-on, for rigs built from 40x80mm or larger aluminium profile
- Software: MOZA Motion Manager, with an AI Motion feature that reads in-game visuals and audio for titles without native telemetry
The UK price is £2,799 for the four-actuator set. Orders that were expected to ship in early October are now showing a mid-November dispatch estimate for new orders, according to BoxThisLap.
We do not sell the HMA150, so take this as an outside view. It is a strong price for four actuators and 150mm of travel, and a big wheel brand entering motion is good news for the whole category. The things we would want to see before recommending it are long-term reliability data, real-world noise in a home, how well the AI Motion feature works compared with proper telemetry, and VR motion compensation support, which MOZA's launch material does not mention. Those are exactly the areas where the established platforms have years of track record.
Qubic System QS-TP1 Traction Pro premiere
Qubic System brought three products to Frankfurt, shown on the SimRacing Shop, Simufy and SimUltimate stands:
- QS-TP1 Traction Pro (premiere): a two-axis platform that adds surge and yaw. It mounts under the cockpit and can run on its own or underneath a QS-210 or QS-220 actuator set for a five-axis system.
- QS-HVS62 Haptic Vibe System (first look): eight haptic channels from one box, six high-power for seat and cockpit transducers and two low-power for pedal haptics, driven by game telemetry with no separate sound card or amplifier.
- QS-GC3 (first look): body haptics built into a bucket seat that move the cushion itself. Qubic describes it as patent pending.
The QS-TP1 is the interesting one for UK buyers. Today, the route to surge and yaw in the Qubic range is the QS-CH2 platform, which sits at £9,000 with us. A compact traction loss module that bolts under an existing Qubic System setup could make five axes a much more realistic upgrade path. Qubic has not published full specifications or UK pricing yet, and we will not guess at either. If you already run a QS-210 or QS-220 set, it is worth knowing it is coming before you spend money elsewhere.
ImSim and Porsche: the Raceborn
Portuguese simulator maker ImSim unveiled the Porsche Raceborn, a design-led cockpit made with Porsche for collectors and commercial buyers. The reference spec includes a four-point motion platform, four ButtKicker transducers, a 21Nm MOZA direct drive base and an integrated belt tensioner. No official price was given; Traxion understands it will land somewhere around €50,000 to €70,000 depending on configuration. It is a different world from home motion, but it shows where the top end of the market is heading: motion, haptics and belt tension treated as one package.
Other motion and haptics notes
- Sim Scapers used the show to debut the Dynamic X DX2 Ultra motion platform, according to the organisers.
- Fanatec announced D-BOX G5 mounting brackets for the ClubSport GT Cockpit at €99.95, due before the end of 2026. Fanatec only confirms compatibility with the D-BOX G5.
- SIMRIG and DOF Reality were both exhibitors, but we did not see any new motion hardware announced by either in the coverage from the show.
How the MOZA HMA150 compares with 3DOF platforms on sale in the UK
The obvious question after Frankfurt is whether to wait for the HMA150 or buy an established 3DOF platform now. Here is how it lines up on the facts that are public. The HMA150 figures come from MOZA and UK retailer listings; the others are from our 3DOF platforms range.
Lead times are current estimates, not guarantees. The table shows why the HMA150 has caught attention: it undercuts the established bolt-on systems on price for a four-actuator setup. What it cannot show yet is how it holds up after a year of daily use.
For most people with an aluminium profile rig, the SIMRIG SR2 remains the one we point to. It has VR motion compensation built into its software, a three year warranty, a 225kg rating that covers a well-loaded rig and driver, and a track record in UK homes. If you want industrial actuators and a path to five axes, the Qubic sets are the premium route, and the QS-TP1 makes that path more interesting.
Reasons to wait for the HMA150
- Strong price for four actuators and 150mm stroke
- 350kg maximum payload on paper
- Natural fit if your whole rig is already MOZA
- AI Motion could help with titles that lack telemetry
Reasons to buy an established platform
- No long-term reliability data on the HMA150 yet
- VR motion compensation support not stated at launch
- Dispatch dates have already moved once
- Proven support and setup guides from UK specialists
Wheels, pedals and on-rig kit: what is new and when
Away from motion, most of the SimRacing Expo 2026 news was about the kit that sits on the rig. A lot of it is not due until 2027, which matters if you are deciding whether to buy now.
MOZA also had its PS5-compatible R5S Pro and R16S Ultra bases on show, first revealed in September, with no confirmed UK price or date at the time of writing.
If you are building a motion rig this winter, the kit you can buy today is still the sensible choice. The MOZA Racing range we stock includes the R25 Ultra direct drive base at £898 and the mBooster active pedal set with CRP2 throttle at £908, and the Simucube 3 Sport is £1,158. All three are dispatched from UK stock.
VR at SimRacing Expo 2026
There was no new VR headset launch from Frankfurt in the coverage we followed. The VR news was on the software side, with RaceRoom adding OpenXR support for VR in its update. That is good news for anyone running a modern headset, because OpenXR is the route most new VR features and tools now use.
For a motion rig, the headset choice still comes down to weight, clarity and how well it works with motion compensation. Our in-stock pick for sim racing and flight sim remains the Pimax Dream Air at £2,129. At 170g it is light enough to stay comfortable on a moving platform, which matters more on a motion rig than on a static one.
Specialist tip
Trade show demos are tuned to impress in a two minute run. A motion system that feels great on a show floor can feel very different at home after an hour, on your own rig, at 11pm with someone asleep upstairs. Before you buy any motion platform, new or established, check three things: the load rating with your full rig and your own weight, the noise level for your room, and whether it supports VR motion compensation if you race in VR.
Our take
The most important thing to come out of SimRacing Expo 2026 for motion buyers is that the big wheel brands now see motion as the next step. MOZA's HMA150 will push prices and expectations, and Qubic's QS-TP1 gives existing Qubic owners a clearer route to five axes. Both are healthy signs for the category.
Neither changes the advice for someone buying this winter. The established platforms have the warranty, software support and track record that a first-generation product cannot have yet. If you want motion for the long dark evenings, buy a proven system now. If you are happy to wait and see how the HMA150 performs in real homes, that is a reasonable choice too. Just do not wait for a product with no UK price or date.
SimRacing Expo 2026: frequently asked questions
When and where was SimRacing Expo 2026?
The European SimRacing Expo 2026 ran from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October in Hall 12 of the Messe Frankfurt, Germany. It was the first year in Frankfurt after the show moved from Dortmund.
How much is the MOZA HMA150 in the UK?
MOZA lists the HMA150 four-actuator set at £2,799 in the UK. New orders were showing a mid-November dispatch estimate at the time of writing. SimTorque does not sell the HMA150.
Is the MOZA HMA150 better than a SIMRIG SR2?
It is too early to say. On paper the HMA150 offers more stroke and a higher payload for less money. The SIMRIG SR2 has a three year warranty, built-in VR motion compensation and a long track record in UK homes. We would wait for real-world reviews before calling the HMA150 the better buy.
What is the Qubic System QS-TP1?
The QS-TP1 Traction Pro is a two-axis platform from Qubic System that adds surge and yaw. It mounts under the cockpit and can be used alone or underneath a QS-210 or QS-220 actuator set to build a five-axis system. Qubic premiered it at SimRacing Expo 2026 and has not yet published UK pricing.
When is the Simucube ActivePedal Sport coming out?
Simucube announced the ActivePedal Sport for early 2027 at €901 excluding VAT for a single pedal. A complete setup also needs a Simucube Link Hub and other pedals, so the full cost will be higher.
Should I wait for new kit before buying a motion platform?
For most people, no. Most of the new hardware shown is either not yet shipping or not due until 2027, and none of it makes current motion platforms obsolete. Buy for the space, rig and budget you have now, and choose a platform with a clear upgrade path.
Choosing your motion platform after the show
If the expo has you thinking seriously about motion, start with our full motion platforms range, which covers everything from seat movers to six-axis systems. Our UK motion simulator price guide breaks down what each budget actually buys, and if you have been looking at DOF Reality, our guide to DOF Reality alternatives in the UK covers when SIMRIG, ProSimu or Qubic is the better fit. Still not sure? Email us with your rig, your weight and what you drive or fly, and we will give you a straight answer.