Bushnell LP Circle B: Battery Upgrade

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Six major golf media outlets wrote about the Bushnell Launch Pro “Circle B” editions last week. Breaking Eighty wrote two articles. MyGolfSpy published a piece titled “Why The New Bushnell ‘Circle B’ Launch Pro Series Has Me Confused.” Sports Illustrated, Golf Business News, The Golf Wire, and The Hackers Paradise all ran coverage.

That’s a lot of attention for a product refresh that uses the same camera hardware as the original.

So what actually changed? And why is MyGolfSpy confused? Let me unconfuse it.

What the Circle B Edition Actually Is

The Bushnell Launch Pro launched in 2021 as a retail rebrand of the Foresight GC3 — same triscopic three-camera system, same tour-level accuracy, but sold through Bushnell’s distribution channels instead of Foresight’s pro-fitting network. The difference was the business model: the GC3 cost $5,249 and included everything forever, while the Launch Pro cost $2,499 and required a $499/year Gold subscription for full sim features.

That’s still the story. But the Circle B Editions add three things:

1. A built-in battery. The original Launch Pro had no battery — it needed AC power. The Circle B Edition adds a 5-7 hour rechargeable battery, making it genuinely portable. You can take it to the range, to a buddy’s house, or move it between your garage and basement without finding an outlet. This is a bigger deal than it sounds: portability was the one feature the Launch Pro lacked compared to competitors like the Garmin R10 and Mevo+, both of which run on batteries.

2. Restructured subscription tiers. The original Launch Pro had three tiers: Basic ($99/yr, limited ball data only), Play Better ($249/yr, more data + app simulation), and Gold ($499/yr, full simulation + club data). The Circle B line simplifies to two: Silver at $199/yr (club data + basic simulation via Bushnell Golf app) and Gold at $499/yr (full simulation, FSX Play integration, all courses, the works).

The Silver tier is new. At $199/yr, it’s a middle ground that didn’t exist before — you get club data and enough simulation to be useful, without the full Gold price. For the casual sim owner who doesn’t need GSPro every session, Silver might be enough.

3. New branding and packaging. The Circle B name replaces the original “Launch Pro” moniker. The units look slightly different (green accents instead of gray), the box is different, and the branding emphasizes the “Circle B” heritage — a nod to Bushnell’s golf pedigree.

The Hardware Is the Same — And That’s Fine

Let me say this clearly because the coverage has been muddy: the Circle B Edition uses the same triscopic cameras as every Launch Pro and every GC3 ever made.

Same three cameras. Same 14-megapixel sensors. Same 8,000 fps capture rate. Same ball speed, launch angle, backspin, sidespin, and club data (with fiducial markers). Same tour-level accuracy — within 1-2% of units costing three times as much.

Nothing changed under the hood. The Circle B Edition uses the same triscopic cameras as every Launch Pro and every GC3 ever made — same 14MP sensors, same 8,000 fps capture rate, same tour-level accuracy within 1-2% of units costing three times as much. And honestly, not much needed to change. The Launch Pro was already the most accurate launch monitor under $5,000. Same cameras, same accuracy, same tier. Just with a battery and less confusing subscription structure.

Why MyGolfSpy Is “Confused”

MyGolfSpy’s headline caught my attention because it reflects a real problem: the Launch Pro product line has gotten confusing.

Here’s why. You can now buy:

• Original Launch Pro — $2,499, no battery, old subscription tiers (Basic/Play Better/Gold). Still available at some retailers.
• Circle B Edition — $2,499, battery included, new subscription tiers (Silver/Gold).
• GC3 — $5,249, no battery, no subscription, everything unlocked forever.
• GC3S — $3,299-3,799, no battery, $499/yr subscription after year one.

That’s four versions of the same camera hardware, with different subscriptions, different batteries, different price points. It’s a lot.

The confusion comes from trying to understand why these four versions exist and which one you should actually buy. MyGolfSpy’s article dances around this question but doesn’t land on a clear answer. Let me give you one.

The Unconfused Answer

Buy the Circle B Edition if you want a Launch Pro and you plan to use it outside your garage. The battery is the differentiator. If you’ll take it to the range, to a buddy’s house, or on a golf trip, the Circle B is worth the same $2,499 as the original with a meaningful upgrade. If it’s staying in your garage forever, save a few bucks and find an original on closeout.

Buy the GC3S if you want subscription pricing but don’t need portability. The GC3S ($3,299-3,799) uses the same cameras, costs more upfront than the Circle B, but gives you Foresight’s ecosystem directly with a lower total at 5 years than the Circle B with Gold ($5,295 vs $4,994 — the GC3S actually wins on 5-year TCO if you do the math right).

Buy the GC3 if you hate subscriptions. $5,249 once, done forever. No annual payment, no surprise price hikes, no wondering if Bushnell will change the terms again. Over 7+ years, it’s the cheapest option.

The subscription restructure actually helps clarify the decision. Silver at $199/yr is a real middle path for people who don’t need GSPro integration — you get club data and basic sim for the cost of a dinner out. Gold stays the same for the hardcore simmers who want FSX Play and full course libraries.

What This Means for Buyers

The Circle B Edition doesn’t change the fundamental Launch Pro calculus. It’s still the same camera hardware as the GC3 at less than half the upfront price. It’s still locked behind a subscription for full features. It’s still the best value at year 3 and worse at year 7.

What it adds is portability. The battery turns the Launch Pro from a stationary garage unit into something you can actually move around. That opens up use cases — range sessions, buddy visits, golf trips — that the original couldn’t touch.

For the buyer who knows they’ll use their launch monitor in one room and one room only, the battery is a nice-to-have, not a must-have. For the buyer who wants one device for garage sim AND range practice, the Circle B is worth the premium over closeout originals.

The Real Take

Bushnell did the right thing. They took a great product, added the one feature it was missing (battery), simplified the subscription tiers, and kept the price the same. MyGolfSpy’s confusion is about the product line, not the product — having four versions of the same camera hardware is noisy. But the Circle B Edition itself is a clean upgrade.

If you already own a Launch Pro, do you need to upgrade? No. Same cameras, same accuracy. The battery isn’t worth $2,499 if your Launch Pro works fine.

If you’re buying your first launch monitor in the $2,000-3,000 range? Get the Circle B. It’s the same camera system that powers Foresight’s tour-level launch monitors, with a battery, in a package that costs less than half of what the unbranded version costs. That’s not confused. That’s clear.

|Read the full Bushnell Launch Pro review for specs and accuracy data. See how it stacks up against the GC3 in the full comparison. Or check the Best Launch Monitors 2026 guide to see where the Circle B lands in our ranking.

Disclosure: MyGolfSpy, Breaking Eighty, Sports Illustrated, and Golf Business News all covered the Circle B launch. HGH’s analysis is based on product knowledge, spec sheets, and the GC3’s known performance — same cameras, same accuracy, same fundamental product with a better battery.