Who we are
Simulator Hardware is an independent research site for flight simulator hardware. Since 2020 we've helped sim pilots answer one question: what should I buy for the sim I fly?
We cover Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (and 2020) and X-Plane 12: the desktops, laptops, graphics cards and processors that run them, and the yokes, rudder pedals, flight sticks, throttles, VR headsets, monitors and seats that make them feel real.
Why this site exists
Flight simulators don't behave like other games. MSFS 2024 streams the whole planet, live weather and real air traffic, so it leans on the processor far more than most games do. X-Plane 12 leans harder on the graphics card. Generic "best gaming PC" lists miss that, and a wrong pick is an expensive mistake.
So we rank every product for each simulator separately, with that sim's own weighting. The same PC can rank differently in MSFS 2024 and X-Plane 12, because it really does run them differently.
What we've built since 2020
- 2020: Simulator Hardware is founded, weeks after Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 brought a new wave of pilots into the hobby.
- 2022–2023: buying guides and how-tos for MSFS 2020: the home cockpit guide, yokes, rudder pedals, VR headsets, graphics cards and processors, and a history of Microsoft Flight Simulator. Wikipedia's Microsoft Flight Simulator article cites two of them.
- 2024: coverage moves to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
- 2026: the site is rebuilt around data: a published scoring formula for each simulator, rankings for every major part and control, interactive tools (PC finder, cockpit planner, controller compatibility checker, storage calculator), and picks that are checked against Amazon's stock twice a day.
How we research
Every recommendation starts with the simulator's own published requirements. We add processor and graphics card ratings from independent benchmark rankings, each with its date, and each product's published specs and current listing. One formula per simulator turns that data into a score, and the whole formula is public, so you can check any number on the site.
We're a research site, not a hardware lab: we don't run our own benchmarks, and we never present a score as a test result. Our methodology shows every formula, weight and price band, and our editorial policy explains our sources, how we use AI and how we correct mistakes.
How we make money
When you buy through a link on this site, Amazon pays us a small commission at no extra cost to you. That's how the site pays for itself. Commissions never change a score or a ranking, and no brand can pay for a placement. Details are in our affiliate disclosure.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections and partnership requests go through our contact page. If you spot a wrong spec or score, tell us: we check every report and fix the page.