Playseat vs Thrustmaster:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Playseat had more branded searches than Thrustmaster among sim racing brands worldwide. Playseat had about 60,500 branded searches, while Thrustmaster had 45,900. Playseat made up 6.1% of all sim racing brand searches we track, and Thrustmaster accounted for 4.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about sim racing brands, Thrustmaster appeared in two of the four answers and Playseat in none.
Who do people search for more?
Playseat, about 32% more searches than Thrustmaster
Who does AI mention more?
Thrustmaster, mentioned in 2 of 4 answers, Playseat in 0
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Top sim racing brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Thrustmaster was mentioned in two out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and 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 Playseat or Thrustmaster more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Playseat and Thrustmaster 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 Playseat, Thrustmaster. 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 Playseat and Thrustmaster comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Thrustmaster took it in May 2026, Playseat took it in August 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Thrustmaster’s share of searches among sim racing brands worldwide moved from 5.7% to 4.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 80.6K to 45.9K.
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.
In September 2026, Thrustmaster rose from 7th to 6th among sim racing brands worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Playseat’s and Thrustmaster’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.
Playseat
1 branded search term
- playseat
Thrustmaster
2 branded search terms
- thrustmaster t300
- thrustmaster wheel
Other head-to-heads among sim racing brands
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