GOLF+ Arrives on Real Simulators

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GOLF+ has been quietly building something in plain sight.

You probably know GOLF+ as “that VR golf game.” The one where you swing a plastic adapter in your living room. The one with 40+ real courses and PGA TOUR branding plastered everywhere.

But GOLF+ is coming to your actual golf simulator.

Not VR. Not plastic clubs. Real launch monitors. Real swings. Real clubs hitting real balls into a net, but rendered through a Meta Quest headset so you see a 3D golf course wrapping around you instead of a flat screen.

This is not a rumour. GOLF+ officially announced GOLF+ Sim earlier this year. They have a waitlist live at sim.golfplusvr.com. They’re targeting a late 2026 launch. And they might finally solve the problem that no PC-based simulator software has cracked: putting.

What this means for the sim world, what we know so far, and why you should care even if you’ve never touched VR.

What Is GOLF+ Sim, Exactly?

GOLF+ Sim is a standalone golf simulation software platform. You connect your launch monitor to a Meta Quest headset (no gaming PC required), and the Quest runs the software natively. It supports third-party launch monitors the same way GSPro or E6 Connect does — your LM sends shot data, GOLF+ renders the ball flight in real time on 40+ real-world courses.

If you already play GOLF+ in VR, think of it as the exact same game you already know, now playable with real clubs and a real swing. Same physics engine. Same course library. Same competitive multiplayer. Just with a launch monitor feeding real data instead of a VR controller guessing your swing.

If you’ve never played GOLF+, think of it as the best-looking simulator software on the market (rendered natively for VR, so the graphics hit different) that also happens to run without a PC.

The Big Deal: Mixed Reality and Putting

Simulator putting is broken. Anyone who plays GSPro or E6 Connect knows this. The ball speeds are wrong, the distance control is unpredictable, and the depth perception is nonexistent because you’re staring at a painted circle on a flat screen. Most people just enable AutoPutt and skip it entirely.

GOLF+ solves this with mixed reality.

You put on a Meta Quest headset. Your launch monitor sits next to the ball. You swing your real putter at a real ball on a real mat. But through the headset, you see the green wrapping around you. The hole is a 3D object at the right distance, at the right depth, in the right position relative to your body. Your brain reads it the same way it reads a real putt on a real course.

This isn’t a gimmick. Depth perception is the missing piece in every simulator putting solution. You can’t fix it with better algorithms or better hardware. You need stereoscopic 3D — two images, one for each eye — which is something only a VR headset can deliver.

GOLF+ has nearly two million players and years of VR putting physics development. They’ve had time to get this right. And if they do — if simulator putting finally feels like real putting — the entire software market just got a new king.

What Launch Monitors Will Work?

GOLF+ confirmed broad compatibility, with the final list expected closer to launch. The announced targets include:

• FlightScope Mevo+
• SkyTrak / SkyTrak+
• Garmin Approach R10
• Bushnell Launch Pro / Foresight GC3
• Uneekor EYE series
• Rapsodo MLM2Pro
• Full Swing KIT

That’s a solid spread. Budget to premium. Radar and camera. Indoor and outdoor. If you own any of these, GOLF+ Sim will probably work with your setup.

No PC Required (This Matters)

Most sim software requires a gaming PC. GSPro needs at least an Nvidia GTX 3060 and 16GB of RAM. E6 Connect runs on an iPad but sacrifices graphics. Awesome Golf runs on iOS but has a fraction of the courses.

GOLF+ Sim runs directly on a Meta Quest 3 headset with zero PC required.

This changes the cost equation. A Quest 3 is $499. A gaming PC that runs GSPro well is $800-$1,200. If GOLF+ delivers the same course quality and better putting for $500 less in hardware, that’s a meaningful advantage for budget-conscious builders.

They also confirmed a PC VR Steam release is in the works for Summer 2026, so PC users aren’t left out. Cross-play means everyone shares the same physics and multiplayer regardless of platform.

40+ Courses Including Pebble Beach and St Andrews

GOLF+ already has one of the better course libraries in sim golf. Real-world venues include Pebble Beach, St Andrews, TPC Scottsdale, Royal Birkdale, Omni La Costa, and 35+ others. They’ve been adding courses steadily — over a dozen new ones in 2026 alone by their own roadmap.

The course library won’t match GSPro’s community-generated catalog (which is absurdly deep — thousands of courses). But the course quality in GOLF+ is arguably better. These are official licensed venues, not user-created approximations. And each one is built for VR, which means the visuals are already optimized for immersion.

Big Update: Royal Birkdale + The Open Partnership (July 8, 2026)

GOLF+ just dropped news I didn’t see coming: they partnered with The R&A to bring Royal Birkdale to the platform as an official The Open experience.

This is a first. No sim golf platform has ever done an official major championship integration like this.

What’s happening:

• Royal Birkdale releases July 8, 2026 on GOLF+ — championship-themed edition with grandstands, spectator areas, and Open branding throughout the course
• VR Open tournament: July 16-22 — coincides with The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. You play the same course the pros are playing that week
• Grand prize: VIP trip for two to The 155th Open at St Andrews (2027). That’s travel, accommodation, and tickets to the biggest event in golf
• Promo offer (June 22 – July 15): Meta Quest headset bundle + free Royal Birkdale course. If you’ve been on the fence about trying GOLF+, this is the perfect entry point
• GOLF+ Sim (real LM version): still on track for late 2026 — this Royal Birkdale content is for the VR version, but the sim version will have access to the same course library

This is a legitimately big deal for sim golf. The Open is one of the most prestigious events in sports, and GOLF+ has the exclusive VR/sim rights. If you play GSPro, E6, or TGC 2019, you won’t get to play Royal Birkdale as an official Championship experience — that’s a GOLF+ exclusive.

For the full breakdown of how GOLF+ Sim stacks up against GSPro and E6 Connect, read the three-way comparison →

The Big Question: Pricing

GOLF+ hasn’t announced pricing yet.

The current VR version costs $29.99 for the base game with courses sold individually ($3-$9 each) or through season passes. But simulator software is a different beast. GSPro is $250/year. E6 Connect is $300-$600/year. Awesome Golf is $15/month or $350 lifetime.

My guess? GOLF+ Sim will land somewhere between Awesome Golf and GSPro on pricing. Maybe a subscription model with a lower entry point. Maybe a bundle with the Quest 3. Maybe a paid base game with optional course packs.

Whatever they choose, the “no subscription” crowd will be watching closely. GOLF+ VR doesn’t require a subscription — you buy the courses you want. If GOLF+ Sim follows the same model, it would be a direct shot at GSPro’s subscription-first approach.

What This Means for the Sim Software Market

GSPro has owned the serious-sim market for years. E6 Connect has the broadest hardware support and iPad compatibility. Awesome Golf dominates the family / casual segment. TGC 2019 survives on its loyal online community and perpetual license pricing.

GOLF+ enters this market with three weapons nobody else has:

1. Mixed reality. No other software renders a 3D course around you while you swing real clubs. The putting advantage alone could be enough to convert GSPro users.

2. No PC required. The Quest 3 is a $499 all-in-one device that runs the software natively. That’s an entirely new price tier for sim computing.

3. 1.5 million existing players. GOLF+ already has an install base that most sim software can only dream of. Every one of those players is a potential GOLF+ Sim user when they build or upgrade their home sim.

The market is about to get interesting.

The Catch (There’s Always a Catch)

You need a Meta Quest headset. GOLF+ Sim runs on Quest, not on PC (at least at launch, though PC VR is coming). If you don’t want to wear a headset while golfing, this isn’t for you.

Also, the mixed reality mode requires a well-lit space. The headset cameras need to see the real world clearly to overlay the virtual course. That’s fine for most garage setups with decent lighting, but it’s something to plan for if you’re designing a build around GOLF+ Sim.

And obviously, it’s not out yet. Waitlist members will get first access to beta invites, pricing info, and the final compatibility list. But “late 2026” could mean anything from October to “we’ll see you next year.”

Your Next Move

Join the waitlist at sim.golfplusvr.com. It takes ten seconds. If you’re planning a sim build for late 2026 or early 2027, GOLF+ Sim should be on your radar — it might change what software you choose, what PC (if any) you need, and whether you can finally work on your putting indoors without destroying your stroke.

For the full head-to-head comparison of GOLF+ Sim vs GSPro vs E6 Connect — covering pricing, putting, course libraries, PC requirements, and who should buy what — read the complete three-way comparison →

I’ll be watching this one closely. If GOLF+ delivers on the putting promise, the sim software conversation just got a whole lot more interesting.

If you want to catch up on the current software landscape while you wait, read the GSPro review and the E6 Connect review. Those are your options right now. GOLF+ Sim might be your option next year.