[This first-person review of a new Formula 1 racing simulator Arcade in Center City Philadelphia (the largest entry in a growing global franchise), includes some interesting insights about what consumers want in an out-of-home presence experience. See the original version of the story from The Philadelphia Inquirer via MSN for four more images. A different MSN story notes that “with nearly 30 additional U.S. venues planned over the next five years, the [F1] brand is rapidly expanding to meet demand for experiential, design-driven spaces.” –Matthew]

[Image: The interior of the new F1 Arcade in Center City. Credit: Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS]

Is the new F1 Arcade in Center City a wheely good time? Buckle up as we find out.

By Stephanie Farr, The Philadelphia Inquirer
May 30, 2025

Whenever I went to an arcade as a kid the first thing I ran to was a sit-down racing game called Cruis’n USA, a game so slick and so quick it didn’t have time for all of the letters in Cruising.

I felt cool playing that game, where I could pick my own car and track. Not Speed Racer cool, but close.

Eventually, I moved on to go-carts and real cars, but I still gravitate toward racing games at arcades because they let me live out my fantasy of driving as fast as I want and as poorly as Mr. Bean without any real-world consequences.

So I got pretty revved up when I heard about a new Center City arcade opening Thursday with state-of-the-art racing simulators so quick and slick they only have time for one letter and one number: F1.

Located in a prime 19,000-square-foot site on Chestnut Street near 13th that formerly housed a West Elm furniture store, the F1 Arcade is awash in neon lighting, features a surprisingly lovely art deco bar, and is filled with sleek racing modules, giving it a Tron meets Metropolis vibe.

I attended a media preview Tuesday, not to check out the food and beverage offerings — which there are plenty of — but to get in the driver’s seat and test out the experience.

I entered with controlled caution, given I know absolutely nothing about real Formula One racing, but I’m also of the belief that I shouldn’t have to totally understand it to play a video game based on it. I don’t know anything about being a short, mustachioed Italian dude and I still love playing Super Mario Bros.

Liz Norris, a vice president for F1 Arcade, and Jon Gardner, president of global development, gave me the rundown of the game and the simulators.

Each of the 80 simulators has two, large, curved high-def screens in front of it. The bottom is for the driver and the top screen is for spectators. The steering wheel, which looks more like a video game controller with thumbholes, is modeled after real F1 wheels and comes with all sorts of light-up buttons. I pushed exactly none of them because I was too busy driving.

Each simulator has five modes of play, from elite to rookie.

“In rookie you’re getting assists by the technology, but you can still feel everything. You’re still on the same track with people on any other level,” Norris said. “Then elite is completely manual. It’s you. There are no assists. There’s no guideline.”

Norris and Gardner put me in rookie mode and told me to use both feet on the pedals, which was awkward at first but quickly became second nature.

From the moment I hit the gas, I could tell this was an entirely different racing game than I’d ever experienced. The visuals and audio were clear, bright, and immersive (I was aware of very little going on around me as I played), but it was the motion of the seat that blew me away. This thing went every way you could imagine — up, down, side to side, front and back — and when I floored it, the seat vibrated in a way that made me feel like I might lift off and take flight.

“Fast is fun!” I have no recollection of saying but did, according to my audio recording.

I loved going fast so much that I began to snicker like a Warner Bros. villain when I got to do it and I came to hate the corners that forced me to slow down.

I was shocked when Gardner told me I only experienced about 5% of what the simulator can do.

“If you put it on expert mode, you feel even more,” he said.

Since I drove as a rookie, not only was my car in automatic, but when I spun out I was able to let go of the wheel, push the gas, and be automatically led back onto the track, which was very nice.

Despite all that, I still came in ninth out of 10th place and I’m pretty sure that’s only because my colleague I was playing with accidentally chose “casual” mode instead of rookie, and got stuck on a guardrail.

Sessions are paid for by time, not by the number of races, but people can typically fit three races in 30 minutes or five races in 45 minutes, according to Gardner and Norris.

During off-peak hours, you can get 30 minutes for $20 or 45 minutes for $30. At peak times, including weekends, that rises to $29 and $39, respectively.

In my opinion, it’s worth it. I hope my editors aren’t reading this but I’d definitely drop $20 on my lunch break to go around the track a few times. And if you give me a cocktail or two (after work, of course), I’d probably drop $39.

I was disappointed I didn’t get to choose my own car or racetrack — they are assigned for you — but it was a mild disappointment. It’s fine, really. I’m sure I’ll have the chance to pretend to drive an Aston Martin at some other point in my life.

Frequent players can develop a profile, track their progress, and earn points for things like free cocktails, but as of yet, there’s no way to compare yourself with other players at the venue over time. In this way, the F1 Arcade has not yet fully embraced our city’s love of trash talking, but I was told a leaderboard is coming and there were hints we may one day be able to hold competitions against other cities.

The arcade is available for events and large group gaming and it includes a private VIP room and semiprivate spaces with dedicated simulators.

F1 watch parties are held for all live races with a live host, competitions, DJs, and open gaming for a fee, starting at $49.99. The first watch party is from 8 to 11 a.m. June 1 for the Spanish Grand Prix.

DJs will also spin at the club Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

The first F1 Arcade opened in London in 2022, followed by one in Birmingham, England, and then locations in Boston and Washington, D.C. The company, which has a global exclusive license with Formula One, plans to open three more sites in the U.S. this year in Las Vegas, Denver, and Atlanta.

Philly’s F1 Arcade is the franchise’s largest location yet, though the Vegas site will eventually overtake it for that title. Gardner said the company has a long-term lease here and plans to stay in Philly for 15 to 20 years minimum.

With a Lucky Strike bowling alley on one side, a Barcade on the other, and the immersive Beat the Bomb experience a block away, this section of Chestnut Street is quickly becoming a hub for games — and gamers — both new and vintage.

Know before you go

• Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are accepted.
• Arriving 15 minutes early is advised. It takes two minutes and 40 seconds just to start up one of the simulators.
• Racers from ages 7 to 107 are welcome, but after 7 p.m., the venue becomes 21+.
• Want a crash course in F1 racing? Norris suggests watching the Netflix docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive. A fictional movie about Formula One racing starring Brad Pitt, called F1: The Movie, is also slated for release on June 27.