2024 Launch Monitors – Best for Playing GSPro

2024 update!

Launch Monitors – 2024 Full List Update

• EyeXO (my #1 pick, it would be the ideal sim for my setup and could fit right and left handers easy – plus have a totally protected and dialed in sim setup and cameras that play back ball impact would be super sweet. If Uneekor is reading this then feel free to hook me up with a demo unit!)
• EyeXO 2 – larger hitting zone width than the first XO. This is because there is an additional camera that allows a wide hitting zone (good for R/L players)
• Foresight GC2 – no longer produced but available on resale market. This is what I currently have and am still very happy with, especially for GSPro. There are no monthly subscription fee’s to worry about and it is accurate and fast.
• Mevo+ 2023 – once dialed in it’s the least expensive solution if you have the space for a ground based radar unit.
• EyeXO Mini – the new ground based LM from Uneekor. It gives similar performance to the XO from a portable ground based unit.
• GC3 – more expensive than the Bushnell Launch pro initially but the GC3 has a lower monthly cost than the BLP as well as more data available.
• Bushnell Launch Pro – nice and low initial price point and can get away with a fairly small subscription at the basic price point, which allows you to play GSPro (once you purchase it obv).
• Garmin R10 – least expensive of the group but also no putting (yet, Feb 2023) and some claim it’s not as accurate, but it’s pretty darn good once dialed in for the price point. There are no-putt options on GSPro and plenty of people play it with the r10.
• Rapsodo MLM2PRO – newest LM to hit the market that includes a camera and radar. Great price point at $699 and it does work with GSP.
• Wiz-I – new launch monitor that has came with mixed reviews (as many of them have) but seems to integrate with our favorite golf sim software.
• Skytrak – And now the new model the Skytrak+. The old reliable launch monitor that has been on the market for many many years. You can now find pretty good deals on these as previous users are upgrading or selling.

*There are a lot more launch monitors on the market, from inexpensive devices that tell your basic data to much higher cost and expensive launch monitors like the high end Trackman’s and some of the Flightscope.

A friend asked me if I were to build a new sim from scratch, what launch monitor would I buy today?

The main thing that is different today than when I was building my simulator is the quantity and variety of launch monitors now available. These are the most expensive part of a golf sim setup so having multiple options here can make a world of difference.

So what would I buy today if I were building my golf simulator from scratch? My budget is styled as the ‘best bang for my buck’. I’m not looking for the cheapest of cheap but I am also not looking to spend Tiger Woods kind of money on a golf simulator. This blog post will cover the launch monitors that I would have considered and researched more in depth before making my decisions where I buying one now. You can do the same.

This blog post will be looking at launch monitor options that start at the $1000 entry level solutions up to around the $10,000k launch monitors on the high end. I am only going to be listing launch monitors that will work with a full simulator style setup where you can play GSPro.

A lot has changed since I built my golf simulator in 2019. Today in 2023 there are a lot more launch monitors on the market that make building DIY a golf simulator even more affordable.

I thought it was a good question and would make a good blog post. I’ll give you my short list of considerations here.

Entry Level and Lowest Price Launch Monitors

Garmin R10 – $599. (crazy backordered and about $900/1000 on ebay at time of this posting). This little guy offers the lowest entry point by far to the world of simulator golf coming in at just under $600 bucks MSRP.

Garmin R10 would be a consideration for me because of what you get for the low price. Accurate distances, works with GSPro (minus putting and the short chip shots).

If I was trying to get the absolute most bang for my buck and wanted to keep costs super low this is what I would try to make work. The drawbacks to this unit would probably make me hold out and go with one of the higher priced options.

The drawbacks as there is no putting interface (yet) and it does not measure sidespin accurately Nor does it pick up on short chips. Players are having to hit high flops in order to get the r10 to register the shot and to get the ball where they need it to be. Not ideal when you are playing sim golf. It also seems to take a decent amount of tweaking and fine tuning in your setup to avoid bad reads. However, once people get their system dialed in the R10 is really pretty accurate for all other shots in the bag including driver.

Mevo+ 2023 Edition – Around $2200 – this comes in at a similar price point to the Skytrak and I would have likely gone this route assuming I could make the radar based system work in my metal building I built my sim in. It’s fast, it’s accurate and once dialed in works really well. In an indoor simulator, as long as you have the proper setup and space needed for the system it is pretty darn accurate for a good bit less than the next step up of launch monitors. It works well with GSPro and there is an active group of players who can help get you up and running https://discord.com/channels/272602194094587915/758184580279697419

Skytrak – Around $2000 – The old faithful photometric photometric launch monitor that launched the home golf simulator possibility to the masses. Still a fantastic and accurate launch monitor for the golfers who have a smaller space or where radar based systems simply won’t work. It works with GSPro by integrating a 3rd party API. Learn more about Skytrak here. They have now announced the Skytrak+ launch monitor that is upgraded and improved. As of August, 2023 there is a beta and mostly working interface that works with GSPro (no putting yet).

Rapsodo MLM2PRO – just announced at the PGA show at the end of January 2023, this $699 launch monitor offers radar and camera. And has pretty decent reviews at the moment. I do not know if it works with GSPro yet. You do need to use special RCT balls (callaway chrome soft with dots). It’s cool because it utilizes both a camera and radar to track the ball and create it’s data.

Mid Level Launch Monitors

Foresight GC2 – Used only and prices vary – These are no longer produced but are available on a healthy resale market and certified pre-owned. This is the launch monitor I bought back in 2019 (see my GC2 review). Today that version is no longer made but they do have a GC3 that replaces it.

Foresight GC3 – around $7500 – This is from Foresight which are pretty much the gold standard for portable and photometric launch monitors. You see the pro’s carrying around the top end version of this system, the ‘GCQUAD’. You get ball data and club data with the GC3. It works officially with FSX however it also works with third party integration with GSPro. It is the upgrade from the GC2 but still not the huge price point of the GCQuad. See my GC3 review

Bushnell Launch Pro – $3999 – This is a bushnell branded “locked” GC3. To unlock all of the data points available and features they sell a yearly subscription plan that range from $99 to $799 per year. To play GSPro with this unit you need the basic package. If you want more data then you can upgrade to silver or gold yearly subscriptions.

Uneekor EyeXO Mini – $4500 – the EyeXO Mini came in priced a little above the BLP and below the GC3. This is the first non-ceiling mounted Uneekor launch monitor.

Uneekor QED – $7000 – This overhead unit is Uneekor’s lowest priced and first generation overhead launch monitor. It is photometric with super fast response times. Can take right and left handers since it is an overhead unit. It reads ball data with special marked balls and club data with club stickers. It works great with GSPro.

Uneekor EyeXO – $10,000 – If I were to go with an overhead unit I would likely save up for this one. It reads any ball and is the flagship Uneekor launch monitor. It is their second generation unit and can capture club data with stickers. They also have some software options you can integrate as well as high speed cameras that capture your ball strike and play it back to you.

So, which launch monitor would I buy today?

It would be sweet to go with the overhead simulator as my space allows it. I would save up and make the investment into the EyeXO. I’ve played enough simulator golf and still enjoy it as much today if not more than when I first got the system.

If I were to get a ground based launch monitor I would probably end up with a GC2 again. Maybe the Uneekor Mini as a camera and club data would be nice. The club head attachments for GC2’s are resale for around $3000 so I could buy a Mini for less than price. If I were wanting to spend as little as possible up front but pay a little bit each month then the Bushnell Launch Pro and the basic package to get my GSPro fix would be the plan.

Good luck out there and check out some of my other content:

• My Golf Simulator Setup
• The Ultimate GSPro Review
• Carls Premium Impact Screen Review – 3 Year Update
• Video of my GC2 Getting Hit With Golf ball
• Shop Indoor Golf for more golf sim gear
• Buy an all in one EyeXO system