Bushnell Launch Pro vs SkyTrak (original)
Side-by-side comparison of specs, features, and pricing
Specs updated
The SkyTrak (original) compared here is the original — the SkyTrak+ has succeeded it.
SkyTrak (original)
SkyTrak
Which should you buy?
Bottom line: the Bushnell Launch Pro is the better buy for most people.
Bushnell Launch Pro at Amazon· $2,964
Prefer the SkyTrak? Where to buy ↓
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Cross-budget question buyers ask when deciding whether to step up from the SkyTrak (original) toward the Bushnell Launch Pro.
Buy the Bushnell Launch Pro if…
- You want tour-grade accuracy (vs the SkyTrak's simulator-grade class)
- You want club head data at all — the SkyTrak doesn't offer it
- You play GSPro (via the vendor's subscription) — the SkyTrak has no path to it
- You want more sim software choices (3 of the 5 major titles vs 0)
Buy the SkyTrak if…
On recorded specs alone there is no clear reason to pick the SkyTrak over its rival here — compare the full table below.
Verdict generated from the recorded spec differences shown in the table below — when a spec is missing for either product, it is left out rather than guessed.
Specs Comparison
Bushnell Launch Pro $3,000 vs SkyTrak
| Specification | Bushnell Launch Pro $3,000 | SkyTrak |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Price | $3,000 | — |
| Measurement | ||
| Tracking technology | Photometric (camera) | Photometric (camera) |
| Radar type | None | None |
| Spin measurement | Optical (any ball) | Optical (any ball) |
| Marked balls | Not required | Not required |
| Accuracy tier | Tour-grade | Simulator-grade |
| Ball data | ||
| Ball speed | Measured | Measured |
| Launch angle | Measured | Measured |
| Launch direction | Measured | Measured |
| Spin rate | Measured | Measured |
| Spin axis | Measured | Measured |
| Carry distance | Calculated | Calculated |
| Total distance | Calculated | Calculated |
| Apex height | Calculated | Calculated |
| Descent angle | Calculated | Calculated |
| Offline distance | Calculated | Calculated |
| Club data | ||
| Club speed | Measured | Calculated |
| Attack angle | Measured | Not reported |
| Club path | Measured | Not reported |
| Face angle | Not reported | Not reported |
| Face to path | Not reported | Not reported |
| Dynamic loft | Not reported | Not reported |
| Impact location | Not reported | Not reported |
| Smash factor | Calculated | Calculated |
| Club data unlock | Subscription required ($199/yr) | Not available |
| Space & environment | ||
| Environment | Indoor + outdoor | Indoor + outdoor |
| Placement | Beside the ball | Beside the ball |
| Hitting zone | 7 x 10 in (ball only and ball + club, bushnellgolf.com) | — |
| Lefty / righty | Repositioning required | Repositioning required |
| Installation | None (portable) | None (portable) |
| Sim software | ||
| Simulator capable | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| GSPro support | Supported (vendor sub required) | No |
| E6 Connect support | No | Dropped (legacy users only) |
| Awesome Golf support | Supported (vendor sub required) | — |
| TGC 2019 support | No | Dropped (legacy users only) |
| FSX Play support | Supported (vendor sub required) | No |
| First-party software | FSX Play / FSX Pro / FSX 2020 / PinSeeker (Foresight software stack via Silver/Gold subscription) | SkyTrak app practice range and course play (legacy Game Improvement / Play & Improve packages) |
| Included sim content | FSX Play requires Silver (5 courses) or Gold (25 courses + FSX 2020); GSPro requires Gold PLUS GSPro's own $250/yr license bought through Foresight ('All users must have a GOLD level subscription' - gsprogolf.com), about $750/yr all-in. Third-party sim support in general is Gold-gated (Breaking Eighty). E6 Connect: 'there's no e6 Connect support' (Breaking Eighty, Jun 2026). Awesome Golf advertises 'NOW AVAILABLE ON FORESIGHT & BUSHNELL' (brand-level claim, awesome-golf.com; Gold gating applies - model-level confirmation flagged for audit). TGC2019 is not offered for Foresight/Bushnell hardware on its retail listing and is absent from Bushnell's supported-software list. 14-day free Gold trial in the box. | Historical third-party lineup (MyGolfSimulator): The Golf Club 2019, E6 Connect, Creative Golf 3D, World Golf Tour (iOS), Fitness Golf, ProTee Play. Current state 2026: TGC2019's retail listing says 'Not compatible with SkyTrak or SkyTrak+', SkyTrak family third-party support (E6, GSPro) was dropped for new customers in 2025-26 with existing connections grandfathered (Breaking Eighty), and GSPro was never officially supported ('I don't believe you can use Skytrak with the GS Pro software program' - MyGolfSimulator; GSPro's FAQ names SkyTrak as unsupported). Whether legacy Creative Golf 3D/ProTee connections still function is unverified. |
| Subscription | ||
| Subscription (per year) | $499/yr | From $100/yr |
| Works without subscription | 'Ball data works right out of the box on the device's built-in screen with no subscription' (Breaking Eighty) - all 13 listed ball metrics, but limited app access, no club data (the club screen shows '—'), and no sim software. | Basic practice range with full shot data works without a plan; course play and game-improvement features historically required a paid package (the author 'pays just under $100 a year for the Game Improvement Package' - MyGolfSimulator). |
| Subscription trial | 14-day free trial of the Gold subscription included with purchase | — |
| Connectivity & apps | ||
| Apps | iOS, Windows | iOS, Windows |
| Built-in display | Color touchscreen | — |
| Connectivity | WiFi, USB-C, Ethernet | WiFi |
| Physical & power | ||
| Weight (lb) | 5 | — |
| Dimensions (in) | 5 L x 6 W x 12 H in | — |
| Battery life (hours) | 5 | 5 |
| Power source | Battery or mains | Rechargeable battery |
| Alignment | Manual target line | — |
| In the box | Launch Pro device, USB-C cable, Ethernet cable, alignment stick, power cord, club marker pack | — |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty (months) | 12 | 6 |
Buy the Bushnell Launch Pro
SkyTrak (original) availability
Keep shopping
Jump straight to full specs and where to buy either model, or keep exploring related picks.
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Bushnell Launch Pro vs SkyTrak (original): FAQs
Which is newer: the Bushnell Launch Pro or the SkyTrak (original)?
The Bushnell Launch Pro is newer, released in 2021, versus 2014 for the SkyTrak (original).
Does the Bushnell Launch Pro or the SkyTrak (original) need a subscription?
Both do: the Bushnell Launch Pro ($499/yr for full features) and the SkyTrak (original) each need a subscription for full function.