High Speed Fun at F1 Arcade Boston: My Full Review

Engines ready. Lights out. It’s time for the green flag! F1 Arcade Boston Seaport is a high-octane, high-energy simulator racing experience. You don’t need to be a die-hard Formula 1 fan or an ultra-competitive gamer – it’s ideal for anyone who wants a fun way to pass a couple of hours. 

My family visited F1 Arcade as guests of Meet Boston in July 2025. We quickly realized that it’s one of those rare attractions that works for all ages. It’s great fun for kids, but exciting enough for teens and adults. 

Read on to learn more about our racing experience at F1 Arcade and discover if I’d rate it as one of the best things to do in Boston.

What is F1 Arcade?

F1 Arcade is a premium social gaming venue dedicated to the thrills of Formula One racing. It offers an immersive simulator racing experience that’s perfect for big fans of the F1 World Championship, but also great fun for everyone else. 

There’s modern F1-inspired decor, a full food and drink menu, and a really lively, fun atmosphere. F1 Arcade also hosts F1 watch parties on the arcade’s big screens, offering F1 fans a thrilling Grand Prix experience.

The first F1 Arcade opened a couple of years ago in London. They’re now available in the UK, Spain, and four locations in the United States. These include Las Vegas, Washington DC, and Boston, MA. 

Where is F1 Arcade Boston Seaport?

Boston was F1 Arcade’s first US location when it opened in April 2024. It’s in the bustling Boston Seaport neighborhood, close to some other great Boston attractions, like the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, Puttshack, and the New England Aquarium.

The 16,000 square feet arcade has very sleek styling with lots of glass and polished metal trim. It’s filled with Formula 1 decor and memorabilia from different eras. 

There are 69 full-motion racing simulators, some in the main area and others in separate racing pods. 

You’ll also find some other mini-games around the arcade, a massive bar, and a seating area on the balcony. 

Whether you’re visiting with one friend or a party of 20, there’s plenty of space and seating. You can also rent a private room, which would be perfect for private watch parties or hosting other events. 

High speed fun at F1 Arcade

F1 Arcade is a high-tech, high-intensity entertainment experience. Let’s take a look at what makes it so much fun.

The Simulators

F1 Arcade’s simulators are a step up from the car racing games at your local arcade. They’re full-motion racing simulators, so when you hit the brake pedal, you’ll feel your seat lurch forward. When you press on the gas, you’ll feel as if your car is speeding up. 

The steering wheel has feedback that makes steering more difficult if you go into a corner too quickly. Each simulator also has a wraparound screen, so you can see when a car is creeping up alongside you. 

It’s a unique racing experience, and probably the closest that most of us will ever get to driving an F1 car. 

However, just a word of caution for anyone who suffers from motion sickness. When I was watching other people racing, I felt like the images were jumping around a lot. It made me feel a little dizzy and queasy. 

If you’re sensitive to a lot of motion on the screens, it could be a little challenging for you. 

Racing Modes

The simulators are very high-tech, but don’t panic if you’re new to this kind of gaming or you’re visiting F1 Arcade with kids. 

The simulators have five difficulty levels that make them suitable for all skill levels, from complete beginners to expert racers.

At the Rookie level, you’ll have lots of assistance to make racing easier. The car does a lot of the braking and steering, and traction control helps keep your car on the track. There’s also a racing line to follow around the circuit.

As you move up through the different levels, the assistance drops off. By the time you reach Elite level, all the controls are manual and there’s basically no assistance. When you need a pit stop, you have to put your car in the perfect spot in the box. It’s a great challenge for serious gamers and F1 fans. 

But there’s no pressure to move up through the different modes. You can stay in whichever racing mode you prefer.

The Racing 

F1 Arcade gives you the chance to take part in five-minute races around some of the world’s most iconic tracks. These include Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, Suzuka, and Monza.

Once you’ve signed in and sat down at your simulator, you’ll be assigned a racing track. If you’ve booked as a small group of 2 or 3 people, you’ll be given three tracks as part of your booking. If you’re visiting F1 Arcade with a large group, each of the tracks will come up in order. Chance will decide what comes around when it’s your turn. 

You’ll race against 10 other cars in each race. So if there are just two or three drivers in your group, the computer will control the remaining cars on the track. 

F1 Arcade currently offers two racing modes. The first is Head to Head Racing, which is ideal if you’re visiting with one or two friends. You’ll race against each other to see who’ll make it to the top of the podium.

The second option is Team Racing, which is perfect for larger groups of 4 or more drivers. Your group will be divided into teams, and drivers from each team will compete to win points. The rest of the teams can enjoy food and drink as they cheer the drivers on.

There’s another mode that hasn’t been released yet. Challenger Racing gives every visitor a grade depending on skill level, and you race against other drivers with the same grade. It adds a competitive dimension, and you can move up through the grades depending on your results.

Food and Drink at F1 Arcade

F1 Arcade has a full restaurant and a striking 37-foot long bar. Table service is available at your racing pod, but you can order at the bar if you prefer. 

During the day, the restaurant serves juicy burgers, tacos, salads, and pizzas. They also have sharing plates with a variety of globally-inspired dishes like gojuchang cauliflower wings, ahi tuna tostada, and Mediterranean chicken skewers.

The bar offers a full range of beverages, including fine wines, craft beers, signature cocktails, and drivers’ mocktails.

If you visit F1 Arcade after 9pm, there’s a new after-hours menu. This features upscale options like wagyu beef burgers, hand-tossed flatbreads, seabass ceviche, and fries with a truffle twist. There’s also a special brunch menu available every Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 3pm.

The kids menu offers the usual range of burgers, pizzas, and chicken tenders. The food during our visit was good – nothing especially memorable, but nothing particularly bad either.

The F1 Arcade Experience

When you arrive at F1 Arcade, you’ll first need to sign in at reception. You’ll be told which zone to go to and which simulators you’ll be racing on. A member of staff will take you over to your zone and show you how the simulators work. 

The first thing you’ll need to do is scan a QR code that registers you as a driver. Then you can slip into your simulator, choose your skill settings, and get ready to race. You can change your Racing Mode after each race if you pick one that’s too easy or difficult.

The simulator seats are super comfortable and adjustable, so you can sit at the right distance from the pedals. There are speakers in the seat that give you a fully immersive experience. 

F1 Arcade is a high-energy environment. As well as the background music and the sound of the races, there are other guests cheering on their teammates, and servers bustling around delivering food and drink orders.

The racing is great fun and pretty intense, and the simulator graphics are excellent. Although the races are only short, you need to stay focused so you don’t end up running off the track. 

If you’re a huge gamer or a big Formula One fan, you’ll love this experience and have a lot of fun in the races. It’s still a lot of fun if you’re not really into F1 or not a big gamer, but three short races would probably be enough for you. 

Is F1 Arcade good for kids?

When we visited F1 Arcade last year, my older son was 11, and my younger son was 8 years old. We had a lot of fun, but our kids were a little bit too young to fully control the cars.

They enjoyed the races, but even the Rookie race mode had pretty sensitive controls. The cars crashed very easily, and that became a little frustrating for them.

One other thing that made our visit a bit frustrating. If you choose Head to Head mode, you can’t pick which drivers will race against each other. We wanted to make it so that one of the boys would race against Dad and the other would race against Mom. 

But the system automatically selected who raced against each other, and I didn’t like that aspect of it. 

But overall it was a great experience, our sons enjoyed the racing, and it’s a fun family activity. The arcade location is also near other family-friendly Boston attractions like the Museum of Ice Cream and Puttshack. So, you could easily enjoy a full family day out in the Seaport district of Boston. 

Would I recommend F1 Arcade?

We had a great time at F1 Arcade Boston Seaport. I’d definitely say it’s one of the best things to do in Boston, especially on a rainy day!

The high-tech simulators are incredible, the atmosphere is exciting, and there’s so much going on. 

Devoted motor racing fans could probably spend a few hours here, enjoy some food and drinks, and really get involved in the atmosphere. The F1 watch parties would also appeal to big F1 aficionados. 

If you’re just a casual fan or not really into gaming, it’s still a very fun way to spend an hour or two. 

Our family really enjoyed our visit, although my sons would probably get more out of it in a few years’ time. But it was generally a fun experience and definitely a recommended activity!