What PC or laptop do I need for golf simulator software?

In summary

It depends on the software, not the launch monitor. Awesome Golf runs on an ordinary laptop. GSPro, Foresight Premier, Uneekor REFINE, Full Swing GOLF and the new E6 Golf 2026 all need a Windows gaming PC, meaning one with a dedicated graphics card (a separate chip that draws the 3D picture). And some setups need no PC at all. Every figure below is from the software maker's own page, checked on 6 October 2026.

What each piece of software asks for

The makers describe their specs in different ways, so I've kept their own words for "minimum" and "recommended". Minimum means it will run. Recommended means it will run well at that resolution.

GSPro

Windows 10 or 11 only; there is no Mac version. For 1080p, GSPro's minimum is a "GTX 3060" graphics card (its wording; there is no such card, so read it as an RTX 3060), 16GB of memory and 10GB of free space. Its recommended spec for 1080p is an RTX 3060 Ti or 3070 with 16GB and 20GB of space. For 4K it recommends an RTX 3080 or better and 32GB. GSPro doesn't publish a processor requirement.

E6 Connect and E6 Golf 2026

TruGolf gives one spec for E6 Connect on a PC: an Intel i5, 8GB of memory, an Nvidia 1070 or better, 25GB of space and 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, with an internet connection. E6 Connect also runs on an iPad 5 or later, iPad Air 3 or later, iPad Mini 5 or later, any iPad Pro, or an iPhone 8 or later.

E6 Golf 2026 asks for much more: an Intel i7 10th generation or newer, 24GB of memory, an RTX 3060 with 12GB of graphics memory, and an NVMe SSD (a fast type of solid-state drive). It's Windows only for now. See what E6 Golf 2026 is.

Foresight Premier and FSX

Premier, Foresight's course software, is PC only. Its own site gives three levels:

• Minimum (1080p, low settings): an RTX 3060 Ti, 4060 Ti or RX 6600 XT with 8GB of graphics memory, a Core i5-12500 or Ryzen 5 5600, 16GB of memory and 20GB of storage.
• Recommended (1080p at full settings, or 4K medium): an RTX 4070, 3080 12GB or RX 7800 XT with 12GB, a Core i7-12700K or Ryzen 7 7700X, 32GB and a 512GB SSD.
• Ultra (4K high): an RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XTX with 16GB.

Foresight's help centre lists a higher spec again, so treat the figures above as the floor. The older FSX Play needs 64-bit Windows 10, a 7th-generation or newer Intel i5, i7 or i9, 8GB of memory and an RTX 3060 or better. Foresight says AMD processors are not recommended for FSX, and AMD graphics cards are not supported.

Uneekor VIEW and REFINE

Uneekor's minimum is a 12th-generation Core i5, Core Ultra 5 or Ryzen 5 5000, 16GB of memory, an RTX 3060 with 12GB of graphics memory, Windows 10 (22H2 or later), a spare Ethernet port and 25Mbps internet. For 4K or third-party software it recommends a Core i7 or Ryzen 7, 32GB and an RTX 4070 Ti or higher. Mac and Linux aren't supported. The VIEW Air app runs on an iPad, but Uneekor's units must be registered on a PC first.

Full Swing GOLF for KIT

Full Swing's KIT Studio page lists, for 1080p, Windows 10 or 11, an Intel i5, a GTX 1070, 16GB and 10GB of space. For 4K it lists an RTX 3080 or better, 32GB and 20GB, plus a USB-C port or Bluetooth. The KIT Studio Plus package includes a gaming laptop with the software loaded.

Awesome Golf

Awesome Golf runs on Windows 10 with a 2.2GHz dual-core processor, 4GB of memory and integrated graphics. You don't need a gaming PC. It also runs on Apple Silicon Macs, iPadOS and iOS 13 or later, and Android 8 or later.

TGC 2019

The only published spec is on its Steam page: an Intel i5-4670, 8GB and a GTX 660 recommended. I couldn't find an official page that still sells the simulator licence, so I wouldn't buy a PC around it.

Setups that need no PC

• Garmin Approach R50: runs Home Tee Hero on its own 10-inch screen and sends the picture to the projector by HDMI, at up to 1080p.
• Garmin Approach R10: Home Tee Hero runs in Garmin's Home Tee Hero app on a paired smartphone, which you can mirror to a compatible smart TV.
• Square Golf: its own app runs on iOS 13 or later and Android 10 or later, including iPads.
• FlightScope Mevo Gen2: the FS Golf app and its 8 included E6 courses run on an iPad.
• Rapsodo MLM2PRO: course play runs in Rapsodo's app on a phone or tablet.
• Awesome Golf and E6 Connect run on an iPad with many launch monitors.

To get a phone or tablet's picture onto the projector, use an HDMI adapter for its charging port, or wireless mirroring through a box such as an Apple TV.

Laptop or desktop?

A desktop gives you more graphics power for the money and is easier to upgrade. A laptop is easier to move between rooms or take to the range. Whichever you choose, check its graphics card and memory against the software you'll actually run. Two traps catch people: Uneekor REFINE and E6 Golf 2026 both ask for 12GB of graphics memory, and many cards with the same name come with only 8GB.

Our gaming PC against the specs

Our Golf Simulator Gaming PC has an Intel Core i7-12700KF, an RTX 5060 Ti with 8GB, 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD. That meets GSPro's 1080p minimum and recommended specs, Foresight Premier's minimum, Full Swing GOLF's 1080p spec, E6 Connect and Awesome Golf. It doesn't meet E6 Golf 2026 or Uneekor REFINE as published, because both ask for 12GB of graphics memory and E6 Golf 2026 asks for 24GB of memory. If either is your main software, message me before you order and I'll check the build with you.

For which software works with which launch monitor, see software by launch monitor.