The software landscape just got a third player.
GSPro and E6 Connect have been the only real options for years. Two platforms. Two philosophies. One costs $250 and gives you 4,000 courses. The other costs $600 and gives you the best graphics you’ve ever seen on a projector.
That simple binary is ending.
GOLF+ Sim is coming in late 2026. It’s a software platform from the makers of GOLF+ — the VR golf game with nearly 2 million players. And it does something neither GSPro nor E6 Connect can do: it puts you inside the course instead of in front of a screen.
The Quick Comparison
| Feature | GSPro | E6 Connect | GOLF+ Sim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $250/year | $300-600/year | TBD (late 2026) |
| Courses | 4,000+ (community) | 100+ (licensed) | 40+ (licensed, growing) |
| Graphics | Good, improving fast | Best in class | VR-native, stunning immersion |
| Putting | Good (has improved) | Solid | Potentially game-changing (mixed reality) |
| PC Required? | Yes (Windows) | No (iPad/PC) | No (Quest 3 headset) |
| Online Play | Growing, community | Mature, matchmaking | VR social (unique niche) |
| Setup | Technical (bridge apps) | Plug-and-play | Quest + LM connection |
| One-time purchase? | No | No | TBD (GOLF+ VR is per-course) |
The Three Platforms, Explained
GSPro: The Value King
GSPro is what happens when sim golf enthusiasts get tired of waiting for the industry to build what they want, so they build it themselves.
It started as a community project. It still operates like one — in the best way. The open architecture means anyone can build courses. That’s why it has 4,000+ of them while the “official” competition has 100. Augusta. Pebble. St Andrews. Your local muni. That course you played on a bachelor party in 2018. If it exists in the real world, someone has built it for GSPro.
The physics engine is community-tuned. Thousands of real golfers with real launch monitors hit thousands of real shots, compared the sim results to real ball flight, and reported discrepancies. The dev team adjusted the physics model. Repeat. Thousands of times. Over years. The result is a ball flight engine that handles almost everything realistically.
The downside: it’s Windows-only. Setup requires some technical comfort — SkyTrak+ and Garmin R10 users need a bridge app to connect. Online play works but doesn’t feel like a polished matchmaking system.
But $250/year, everything included, no tiers, no upsells. That’s hard to beat.
E6 Connect: The Premium Polish
E6 Connect is what you see at golf retailers, pro shops, and commercial sim bays. It’s the established player with the licensing deals and the polished installer that doesn’t require a forum deep-dive before you hit your first ball.
The graphics are the best in sim golf. The lighting, the textures, the atmospheric effects — fog, rain, dusk — actually look real. If you have a 4K projector, E6 makes it sing.
The course library is smaller but every course is officially licensed and professionally mapped. Pebble Beach looks like Pebble Beach because TruGolf paid for the rights and mapped it properly. No one guessed the 14th hole.
Online play is mature. Tournaments, peer-to-peer matches, leaderboards, a large active player base. If you want to play golf against other people from your garage, E6 is the best option.
The problem: to get the full course library — the one that actually makes E6 worth having — you need the Premium tier at $600/year. Base is $300 but only gives you about 60 courses. So the real comparison isn’t $300 vs $250. It’s $600 vs $250.
GOLF+ Sim: The Mixed Reality Wildcard
GOLF+ Sim is entering a market that’s had two players for years and saying “what if we did it completely differently?”
The headline feature is mixed reality. You wear a Meta Quest headset. Your launch monitor sits next to the ball. You swing your real clubs at a real ball on a real mat. But through the headset, you see a 3D golf course wrapping around you instead of a flat screen.
The putting difference is the thing that has everybody’s attention.
Simulator putting is broken. You know it. I know it. The ball speeds are wrong, the depth perception is nonexistent because you’re staring at a painted circle on a screen, and most people just enable AutoPutt and move on.
GOLF+ Sim solves this. Depth perception is the missing piece in every simulator putting solution — and stereoscopic 3D through a VR headset is the only way to get it. Your brain reads the hole the same way it reads a real putt on a real course.
The second big advantage: no PC required. GOLF+ Sim runs directly on a Meta Quest 3 headset. A Quest 3 is $499. A gaming PC that runs GSPro well is $800-$1,200. That changes the cost equation for budget-conscious builders.
First look: everything we know about GOLF+ Sim →
Where They Compete
Putting
This is the single biggest differentiator in the three-way comparison.
GSPro: Putting has improved dramatically. The 2025 and 2026 updates fixed the greens that used to feel too fast and punishing. Three-footers don’t auto-miss anymore. Thirty-footers break like they should. But it’s still a flat-screen putting model. You’re staring at a 2D representation of a 3D green.
E6 Connect: Solid putting. Green speeds feel right. Break reads correctly. The physics are professionally validated. But same problem — flat screen, no depth perception.
GOLF+ Sim: Stereoscopic depth perception through a VR headset. Your brain sees the hole at the right distance, at the right depth, in the right position relative to your body. The ball speed and distance control should match real putting because you’re using your real depth perception.
Winner in 2026: GSPro and E6 are tied for flat-screen putting. GOLF+ Sim wins if it delivers on the mixed reality promise. We’ll know when it launches.
Course Library
GSPro: 4,000+ courses. Quality varies — some look incredible, some look like a PS2 game. But the famous ones are all there and well-done. Augusta, Pebble, St Andrews, Sawgrass, Bethpage. New courses drop every week.
E6 Connect: ~100 courses. Every one is officially licensed, professionally mapped, and visually consistent. You’re never wondering if the course model is right. See our best courses on E6 Connect guide for the top 10 ranked. But you’re limited to what TruGolf has licensed.
GOLF+ Sim: 40+ courses and growing. Official venues like Pebble Beach, St Andrews, TPC Scottsdale, Royal Birkdale. The course library won’t match GSPro’s depth, but each course is built for VR, which means the visuals are optimized for immersion.
Winner: GSPro by a mile. 4,000+ is not comparable to 100 or 40. But if you only play the top 20 famous courses, you won’t notice the difference.
Graphics & Visual Quality
GSPro: Good, improving fast. Each major update closes the gap. But it still looks like a well-made indie game, not a AAA title.
E6 Connect: Best flat-screen graphics in sim golf. The lighting, textures, and atmospheric effects are noticeably better. On a 4K projector, E6 is a different experience.
GOLF+ Sim: VR-native graphics are a different category. Through a Quest headset, the immersion is unmatched. The course wraps around you. You look down and see your own body. It’s not prettier in a traditional sense — it’s a completely different way of experiencing a golf course.
Winner: E6 for flat-screen. GOLF+ Sim for immersion. They’re different experiences. If you want the best looking flat image on a projector, buy E6. If you want to feel like you’re actually on the course, GOLF+ Sim is the only option.
Pricing
GSPro: $250/year. Everything included. No tiers. No upsells. Five-year cost: $1,250. For a full comparison of every subscription model across all sim software, see our golf simulator subscription costs guide.
E6 Connect: $300/year base (~60 courses). $600/year Premium (full library). Five-year cost: $1,500 (base) or $3,000 (Premium).
GOLF+ Sim: Pricing TBD. The VR game costs $29.99 base with individual courses at $3-$9. If GOLF+ Sim follows the same model, it would be a one-time purchase with optional course packs — a direct shot at GSPro’s subscription approach. Plus, you need a Quest 3 headset ($499).
Winner: GSPro. $250/year with everything included is the best deal in sim golf. It’s not close. GOLF+ Sim could compete if it goes the buy-once route, but we don’t know the pricing yet.
PC Requirements
GSPro: Requires a Windows PC. Mid-range gaming rig at minimum ($700-$1,200). No Mac. No iPad. No mobile.
E6 Connect: Runs on PC and iPad. The iPad version has reduced graphics but gives you a portable option without a gaming PC.
GOLF+ Sim: Runs on the Quest 3 headset natively. No PC required at all. A Quest 3 is $499 — cheaper than even a budget gaming PC.
Winner: GOLF+ Sim. $499 for the headset vs $700-$1,200 for a gaming PC is a meaningful difference. The “no PC required” angle is the strongest cost advantage any sim software has ever had.
Online Play
GSPro: Works but feels community-driven. You coordinate matches through Discord. Matchmaking is not a polished experience.
E6 Connect: Mature online play. Tournaments, leaderboards, peer-to-peer matches. Large active player base. Easy to find opponents.
GOLF+ Sim: VR social is genuinely unique. Playing a round with someone in VR feels more like being on a real course — you see their avatar, you hear their voice, you’re standing next to them on a virtual tee box. No other sim software offers this.
Winner: E6 for traditional online play. GOLF+ Sim for the social VR experience. Different tools for different needs.
The Decision Framework
Buy GSPro if:
- You want the best value ($250/year, everything included)
- You want to play 4,000+ courses
- You have a Windows PC
- You’re fine with a slightly technical setup
- Online matchmaking doesn’t matter to you
- You want the physics to be as close to real as possible
Buy E6 Connect if:
- Graphics are your priority — you want the best-looking sim
- Online tournaments and matchmaking are your main use case
- You need iPad compatibility for portable setups
- You want plug-and-play with zero technical hassle
- You’re building a sim for commercial use or hosting guests
Wait for GOLF+ Sim if:
- Putting is the worst part of your sim experience (it is for all of us)
- You don’t want to buy a gaming PC
- You’re building or upgrading in late 2026 or early 2027
- You want the most immersive golf experience money can buy
- You don’t need 4,000 courses — 40 quality ones are enough
The Honest Verdict
The three platforms are not competing for the same buyer. Not really. GSPro is for the guy who wants the most golf for his dollar and is okay doing a little work. E6 is for the guy who wants the prettiest setup and will pay for the privilege. GOLF+ Sim is for the guy who wants a fundamentally different experience — mixed reality, no PC, putting that actually works.
If you’re building a sim today, buy GSPro. It’s $250 a year, has 4,000 courses, and the physics are excellent. Spend the money you saved on a better launch monitor, a bigger screen, or golf balls. You won’t regret it.
If you’re building a sim in late 2026 or early 2027, wait on the software decision. GSPro isn’t going anywhere. E6 isn’t going anywhere. But GOLF+ Sim could change the conversation entirely. If they deliver on the putting promise — and I have reasons to believe they will, given their VR putting physics development over years and nearly 2 million players worth of feedback — the “which software should I buy” question gets a lot more interesting.
If you have a Quest 3 and a compatible launch monitor, join the GOLF+ Sim waitlist. It’s free. You lose nothing by getting in early. And if the beta drops and the putting is everything they promise, you’ll be first in line.
The short version: GSPro today. GOLF+ Sim tomorrow. E6 if you have an iPad and want the prettiest flat screen.
You’ve read the comparison. You know your budget. You know your priorities. Pick your platform and go build your sim.
Read the full GSPro review → Read the E6 Connect review → Read the GOLF+ Sim first look → Compare all seven software platforms → Read the complete golf simulator software guide →
GSPro costs $250/year. E6 Connect costs $300-$600/year. GOLF+ Sim pricing is TBD. All prices are approximate and may change. We may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page — but this comparison is independent and based on actual testing of GSPro v3.2, E6 Connect 2026, and publicly available GOLF+ Sim information. See the full lineup at our Software Hub.