Fanatec vs Playseat:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Fanatec had more branded searches than Playseat among sim racing brands worldwide. Fanatec had about 201,000 branded searches, while Playseat had 60,500. Fanatec made up 20.2% of all sim racing brand searches we track, and Playseat accounted for 6.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about sim racing brands, Fanatec appeared in two of the four answers and Playseat in none.
Who do people search for more?
Fanatec, about 3 searches for every 1 for Playseat
Who does AI mention more?
Fanatec, mentioned in 2 of 4 answers, Playseat in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Fanatec, the only one of the two named
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Top sim racing brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Fanatec was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Playseat did not appear in any of the four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Moza4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Logitech3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers- Fanatec2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Thrustmaster2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Simagic1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Simucube1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Playseat0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Next Level Racing0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Trak Racer0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Sim-Lab0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about sim racing brands
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best sim racing wheel for beginners?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which sim racing brand should I buy from?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best direct drive wheel for sim racing?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sim racing wheel”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sim racing rig”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 27, 2026.
Is Fanatec or Playseat more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Fanatec and Playseat by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 sim racing brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Fanatec, Playseat. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Logitech | Fanatec | Moza | Playseat | Simagic | Thrustmaster | Next Level Racing | Simucube | Trak Racer | Sim-Lab | Heusinkveld | Asetek SimSports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 36% | 25.8% | 6.5% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 5.7% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 1.6% | 0.69% | 0.39% |
| Nov 2025 | 35.1% | 29.1% | 7% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.2% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 0.64% | 0.36% |
| Dec 2025 | 37.9% | 25.8% | 6.4% | 7.7% | 5.2% | 5.6% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1% | 0.57% | 0.23% |
| Jan 2026 | 36.4% | 26.2% | 8% | 6.4% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 0.86% | 0.28% |
| Feb 2026 | 37.1% | 25.2% | 7.7% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 5.6% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 0.83% | 0.27% |
| Mar 2026 | 35.3% | 25.4% | 7.8% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 5.7% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 0.84% | 0.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 37% | 26.7% | 8.2% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 4.9% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.88% | 0.28% |
| May 2026 | 38.8% | 24.7% | 8.8% | 5% | 6.1% | 5.6% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.66% | 0.27% |
| Jun 2026 | 36.5% | 24.7% | 8.3% | 5% | 7.4% | 5.6% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 1.5% | 0.66% | 0.26% |
| Jul 2026 | 41% | 19.8% | 9.1% | 4.9% | 7.3% | 5.4% | 4% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 0.29% |
| Aug 2026 | 39.3% | 20% | 10.8% | 4.9% | 6% | 4.6% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 4% | 1.8% | 0.8% | 0.26% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.8% | 20.2% | 10.9% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 4.6% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.81% | 0.23% |
How has the Fanatec and Playseat comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Fanatec was ahead of Playseat in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Fanatec’s share of searches among sim racing brands worldwide moved from 25.8% to 20.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 201K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Playseat’s share of searches among sim racing brands worldwide moved from 6.3% to 6.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 60.5K.
How did search popularity change for sim racing brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Playseat overtook Simagic and Next Level Racing to rank 4th among sim racing brands worldwide, with 6.1% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Fanatec worldwide fell 45.4% over 12 measured months, from 368K to 201K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Fanatec’s and Playseat’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among sim racing brands
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