● For Cinemas

Your Customers Are Already There.
Give Them Something to Do.

Cinemagoers arrive early, linger after, and have nothing to spend on beyond concessions. SimStation gives them a premium paid activity before or after the film, no extra staff, no construction, no significant floor space.

Book a Free Consultation → See the numbers ↓

$4K+

Revenue per unit / month

50 sq ft

Floor space required

Extra staff needed

<6 mo

Typical payback period

Who this is for

Built for competitive entertainment venues that want more from every square foot

SimStation works across venue types. If you run a space where people come to compete, socialise, and have a great time, the fit is straightforward.

Strong fit

Cinemas

Convert lobby dead time and mid-week gaps into a premium paid attraction before or after the film.

Bowling Alleys

Add a competitive draw for the crowd that stopped bowling at 22.

Family Entertainment Centers

Bring back teenagers and activate the adults who came as chaperones.

Sports Bars

Give the motorsport fan in every group a reason to stay longer.

Hotels and Resorts

The only amenity that earns instead of costs.

Breweries and Taprooms

Give your community a recurring reason to visit.

The opportunity

Your Lobby Is Already Full of People Ready to Spend. Give Them Something Worth Paying For.

Cinemagoers arrive early, linger after, and come in groups. That's an audience that's already in your building, already in entertainment mode, and already open to spending. SimStation captures that window.

Before and after a film, your customers are in your building, in entertainment mode, and ready to engage. SimStation turns that time into a paid premium experience without displacing anything that's already working.

Between screenings, during the day, and in quieter mid-week periods, SimStation gives your venue a draw that's independent of the release calendar. Racing fans, office groups, date nights that want more than just a film. Your building becomes a destination, not just a cinema.

Motorsport is a top 10 sport in the US. Tens of millions of fans watch it every week and have never had a way to participate. A SimStation rig is the first place many of them will ever actually race. That's a meaningful experience to offer, and a cinema, of all venues, understands what it means to give people access to something they could only watch before.

The solution

A premium paid attraction that earns before the first trailer plays

Cinemas understand the experience economy better than almost any other venue. Customers walk through your doors specifically because they want to feel something, not because they couldn't watch at home, but because they chose not to. That mindset extends directly to sim racing.

SimStation takes 50 square feet of your lobby. Customers tap the screen, pick a car and circuit, and race. The session is 30 minutes and $25–$30. By the time their film starts, they've already had a full experience, and they'll mention it to everyone they came with. For mid-week and off-peak hours, SimStation gives the building a reason to be visited beyond the screening schedule. For racing fans, corporate group pre-events, and date nights that want more than just a film, SimStation turns the cinema into an evening destination rather than a single-format venue.

✓Generates $4,000+/month per unit at standard pricing
✓Multi-modal operation: customers can fully self-serve, or you can manage sessions from your bar, kiosk, or front desk
✓Runs on ShiftOS, the same software powering Shift Arcade franchise venues
✓Installs in one day. Operational in one week.

Why it fits cinemas specifically

Customers already in entertainment mode, before and after the film

Cinemagoers arrive early and linger after. They're already in your building, already in entertainment mode. That time currently earns nothing beyond concessions. SimStation converts it into a paid activity without adding staff or displacing anything.

Film tie-ins are organic

When a racing-themed film is showing, or a major race weekend is running, SimStation is on-theme without any extra effort. The marketing alignment is built in.

Private hire events already exist

Cinemas sell private screenings for birthdays and corporate events. SimStation is the pre-show or post-screening activity for private hire customers, increasing package value with zero operational complexity.

Book a Free Consultation →

The numbers

The math works. Here's how.

Example: 10 hrs/day • $25–$30 per 30-min session • 20% utilization

Sessions per day

Daily revenue

$120

Monthly revenue

~$3,600

Payback period

~6 months

Even at 20% utilization, a single SimStation generates ~$3,600/month. For a cinema, the highest-utilization windows are predictable: the pre-screening period across multiple screens each day, and private hire events where the sim is booked as part of a package.

*Projections vary by venue, pricing, and utilization. Build your own estimate →

Book a Call to See Your Numbers →

Revenue Calculator

Model your numbers

Adjust the inputs to estimate your venue's return.

Hours open per day 10

4 hrs18 hrs

Price per 30-min session $30

$15$60

Utilization rate 20%

10%100%

Number of units 1

1 unit5 units

Sessions / day

$120

Daily revenue

$3,600

Monthly revenue

6 mo

Payback period

Try the full interactive calculator →

What you get

Everything you need. Nothing you don't.

Professional Racing Simulator

Commercial-grade sim rig purpose-built for high-traffic, public-facing venues. The same hardware used in our own Shift Arcade locations.

Large-Format Display

A wide-format display purpose-built for full peripheral vision. The way sim racing is meant to be experienced.

ShiftOS Software License

Session management, bookings, payments, leaderboards, and driver profiles. The operating platform built for sim racing venues. Multi-modal by design: fully self-service for customers, or operator-controlled from a kiosk, bar tablet, or front desk.

Racing Content Library

50+ cars and 20+ real-world circuits, including laser-scanned tracks your customers have watched and always wanted to drive.

White-Glove Installation

Fully assembled, configured, tested, and delivered ready to run. On-site installation included. Staff trained before we leave.

Ongoing Support

Software updates, remote diagnostics, and technical support included with your ShiftOS license. Most issues resolved remotely.

SimStation racing simulators at Shift Arcade

Timeline

Four steps from first call to first race

Typically completed within 4-8 weeks depending on configuration and availability.

Step 1: Consultation

We assess your space, traffic, and goals. Free, 30 minutes. No pressure, no obligation.

Step 2: Ship

Your SimStation is built, configured, and tested at our facility before it ships. It arrives at your venue fully assembled and ready to connect.

Step 3: Build On Site

Our team installs and commissions your SimStation at your venue. Travel and expenses are included. No third-party contractors, no coordination overhead.

Step 4: Go Live

ShiftOS is configured, staff are trained, and your first session is live. You start earning from day one.

From the people who built it

"SimStation isn't just something we sell. It's what we use to run our own venues every day. The hardware is handpicked from years of experience in high-traffic environments. The software is the exact same ShiftOS platform we built to power our franchise system."

Paul Baillie, Co-Founder, Shift Arcade

Cinema customers already pay to feel something they can't feel at home. SimStation is the same impulse: the visceral first-person experience of doing something at speed, with full peripheral vision, haptic feedback, and a leaderboard. They came for a film. They're leaving with a racing story too.

Pricing

Transparent pricing. No hidden fees.

Hardware

Full build, configuration, delivery, and installation

$20,000 per unit

Software

ShiftOS license, updates, and remote support

$100 /month per simulator

Financing

24-60 month terms available

~$500 /month

At $4,000+/month in revenue, the unit pays for itself before the first finance payment is due.

Questions

The things that actually block a decision

How much does it cost? +

$20,000 per unit, which includes the full build, configuration, delivery, and installation. ShiftOS software is $100/month per simulator. We recommend installing 2 or more units so guests can race head-to-head, which is where the social experience really comes alive. A single unit works well as a standalone attraction. Financing is available through our finance partners on 24-60 month terms, starting around $500/month.

How much space does it actually need? +

About 50 square feet per unit. That's a corner of a lobby or an underused area adjacent to a concession stand.

Does it need a staff member to supervise it? +

No ongoing staff presence is required. SimStation is fully self-service: customers book, pay, and race from the on-screen interface. Attendant portals are also included for venues that want staff to manage sessions, take bookings, or assist customers from a separate interface.

Can it integrate with private hire and event packages? +

Yes. A SimStation session is a natural add-on to private screenings, birthday events, and corporate bookings. ShiftOS supports group bookings and event formats that can be offered as part of existing hire packages.

Do I need special electrical or construction work? +

No. SimStation runs on a standard 120V outlet. You can fit 2 units on a single circuit. No construction, no permits, no contractors.

Can I start with one and add more later? +

Yes. We recommend starting with 2 units so customers can race head-to-head. The competitive dynamic is what drives repeat visits. A single unit also works well as a standalone lobby attraction. Adding more later is straightforward.

What if something breaks? +

Remote diagnostics and support are included with your ShiftOS license. Most issues are resolved remotely. Manufacturer warranties cover hardware defects. As the hardware owner, warranty claims are yours to manage directly with the manufacturer.

Is financing available? +

Yes. Monthly payments start around $500, which the unit typically covers in its first week of operation.

Apply to Become a SimStation Venue

Fill out the form below and we'll send you two things:

1) A revenue calculator: so you can model your own numbers before we ever get on a call.

2) A sample SimStation proposal, with pricing, specs, and deployment details.

If it looks like a fit, you'll get a link to book a call directly with us.

Your Customers Are Already There. Give Them Something to Do.