Corsair Expands Fanatec Sim Racing with Trak Racer Acquisition

Corsair has made a significant move by acquiring the assets of Trak Racer, an Australian company specializing in simulation hardware, further solidifying its presence in a gaming niche where enthusiasts can invest thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars into a single setup.

While the financial details of the deal remain undisclosed, Corsair has not specified which legal entities, assets, or liabilities were part of the acquisition, nor has it shared any revenue or profitability data for Trak Racer. Matt Sten, the founder of Trak Racer, will step into the role of chief technology officer for Sim Solutions at Corsair.

Based in Melbourne, Trak Racer offers a diverse range of products, including aluminum-profile and tubular cockpits, seats, monitor mounts, motion and haptic systems, and flight simulation gear. Corsair believes that Trak Racer will enhance its existing offerings, particularly complementing Fanatec, the German sim racing brand it acquired in 2024, which primarily focuses on wheelbases, steering wheels, pedals, and shifters.

This acquisition signals a shift towards a more integrated product strategy: Fanatec provides the electronic controls, Trak Racer delivers the structural components, and Corsair can incorporate gaming PCs, monitors, streaming gear, and other peripherals from its extensive lineup.

Sten emphasized the potential for expanded distribution, stating that Corsair’s global reach, combined with Fanatec’s engineering capabilities and product range, will enable Trak Racer products to reach a broader audience while remaining true to the community that built the brand.

This acquisition is part of Corsair’s ongoing expansion into sim racing, which began prior to its ownership of Fanatec. In June 2024, Corsair showcased a prototype modular sim racing cockpit at Computex, featuring a steel frame that could transition between an upright GT position and a semi-reclined Formula-style setup.

A similar product is now available through Fanatec as the ClubSport GT Cockpit, which retains the prototype’s 50-millimeter round steel tube construction and adjustable seating options, priced at €914.95 EUR ($799.99 USD) before adding a seat, which Fanatec sells separately for €339.95 ($299.99). Reports indicate that the Fanatec cockpit is essentially the former Corsair rig, rebranded post-acquisition.

Trak Racer not only introduces Corsair to cockpit hardware but also expands its portfolio with a wider array of frames, accessories, commercial simulators, and motion-ready systems than it had previously developed in-house.

However, this acquisition also creates product overlap. Fanatec offers both the ClubSport GT and more affordable CSL cockpits, while Trak Racer has its own competing aluminum and tubular platforms. Corsair has yet to clarify whether these product lines will coexist, be repositioned at different price points, or eventually merged.

This deal follows Corsair’s acquisition of Fanatec’s operations from the insolvent Endor AG in September 2024. While the terms were not disclosed at that time, a subsequent quarterly report indicated that the cash consideration was approximately $43.7 million, after accounting for $4.5 million in cash acquired. Corsair was already a creditor, with about $16.6 million in loans owed by Endor offset against the purchase price. Endor reported around $110 million in unaudited Fanatec product sales for 2023, a figure Corsair referenced in its acquisition announcements.

Sim racing stands out as a lucrative hardware segment within competitive gaming, as it allows for much larger customer investments compared to traditional esports peripherals. While a typical esports player might replace a mouse, keyboard, or headset, a dedicated sim racer builds an interconnected system that can include a cockpit, seat, wheelbase, multiple steering wheels, pedals, displays, mounting hardware, a gaming PC, and potentially motion or haptic equipment.

Trak Racer’s offerings highlight this diversity. For instance, its TR8 Pro frame is priced at $699, while a TR160 V5 configuration with four D-BOX motion actuators is listed at $6,384, down from $6,720. Fully configured turnkey simulators range from approximately $15,400 to $35,000, depending on the components selected.

These price points create opportunities for accessory sales and ecosystem purchases, but higher selling prices do not necessarily equate to better profit margins. Cockpits are bulky and heavy, leading to increased costs for warehousing, shipping, returns, and support compared to smaller items like mice or headsets. Corsair’s logistics and retail network could enhance Trak Racer’s market reach, as Sten noted, although physical retail also requires more complex inventory and showroom management than direct online sales.

Additionally, Trak Racer provides Corsair with a significant foothold in flight simulation, featuring products like the TR550 Flight Simulator. Beyond gaming, Trak Racer has established licensing relationships with notable entities such as Alpine’s Formula One team, Aston Martin’s F1 team, Porsche, Hot Wheels, and Airbus, broadening Corsair’s appeal beyond esports into motorsports licensing and commercial simulation.

The timing of this acquisition is noteworthy, as Corsair is set to report its second-quarter results shortly after announcing the deal. The release did not specify whether management would address Trak Racer’s financial impact, integration costs, or anticipated revenue during that call.

Key details still remain unclear, including the purchase price, which Trak Racer entities and liabilities were transferred, the company’s revenue and profitability, the number of employees retained beyond Sten, whether overlapping cockpit lines will be consolidated, and how this acquisition will affect Corsair’s financial outlook.

For Corsair, this transaction transforms sim racing from a collection of peripherals into a comprehensive systems business. The larger challenge will be managing the integration of three overlapping product development histories—its original cockpit, Fanatec’s existing lineup, and Trak Racer’s offerings—without complicating the experience for customers or its distribution network.