The largest F1 Arcade in the world is now open at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, so naturally, I had to pit my skills against resident Couch Soup-reme crowned champion, Luis Reza. We met up at the F1 arcade to test the tracks and see if I could beat him at this arcade.
We took the iconic spiral escalators up to the top floor of The Forum Shops to find the F1 arcade, where we were immediately greeted by a personal pit crew. After checking in, we were brought to our table to get settled before the big race. We opted to race and then eat, so we stretched our hammies and got ready to go fast.
The racing sims are live-connected servers to the adjacent machines, so you can live time race against your friends. To fill out the roster of drivers, the F1 arcade has emulated versions of iconic F1 drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Lance Stroll, George Russell, Carlos Sainz, and Lando Norris. Each race has a points system to help place you against your friends and track who's ready for the road for real.
There are five levels of difficulty in the arcade that range from 'rookie' to 'elite'. These variants affect the game in how sensitive the brakes and wheel are, and how much precision is needed to handle the simulation. We were advised to start on 'rookie' and were happy for the advice. Driving in the F1 arcade sims is wild. The car's haptics really giggle you awake and remind you when you drive off the paved road.
The tracks accessible at the F1 arcade are actual race tracks from across the world. Our first round hit the Bahrain track hard. I got dead last while Luis spent most of the race not only beating my time but giggling at the bounce of the immersive elements. He had me in the first track, but surely I can make a comeback.
No, it's not surely, I got dead last in the next two rounds. It wasn't even close. At a certain point, I didn't realize I was driving backwards because I was so happy to just be on a paved road. Luis lapped me. Luis wins this round, but here's the thing- I had a blast.
Even though I am embarrassingly bad at racing simulators, I was giggling with delight the entire time. Even spinning out and getting demolished by George Russell, who I'm sure was laughing at me from his simulated car, was honestly so joyful. The haptics kept me engaged even when I was doing poorly, and the graphics showing you speeding through iconic tracks across the world were delightful. Even if you're out here putting the 'dummy' in 'crash test dummy', it's a good time.
I may lose on the track, but I'll win at the table.
The F1 Arcade's bar and kitchen are equally as coveted as the sim seats surrounding them. The kitchen menu is more extensive than we anticipated, but they truly had food across the gamut from bar bites to full meals. The fresh shrimp tacos were light but flavorful and would be a great mid-meal munchie. My personal favorite of the meal was the Spicy Ahi Tuna Tartare, a beautifully colorful fish over freshly crushed avocados served with wontons. That really soothed my soul after getting absolutely demolished on the track.
On the other end of the winner's circle was Luis, who very bravely helped knock back some of the bar's signature cocktails.
The bars at F1 arcade are absolute works of art that frame some seriously solid spirit slinging. Their drink menu has a respectable range of brands available, but what really tops off the experience are the signature cocktails. Their beverage program was dreamt up by iconic mixologist LP O'Brien, whose playfully magic approach to presentation made for some fantastic features in the drink menu. The 'What Happens in Vegas' comes with a dice challenge with potentially major prizing that is low risk, high reward- the best odds on the strip. Other presentation drinks include dry ice and fire elements.
I debated on how to judge this round, but I gotta give it to myself for this one because I ate more tacos than Luis did. That feels like the most professional measure for this made-up game I'm committing to.
So while I'm not good at driving, I deeply enjoy it. I am on the novice end of the F1 fandom, but this place still delivers a fan experience I'm eager to repeat. The driving simulator is genuinely fun and puts the sticky arcade racers to shame. The food and drinks were incredible and would be worth the visit even without a lap around the track.
To really fill out that full F1 experience, the arcade naturally has watch parties of real F1 races. The next one coming up is the São Paulo watch party on Sunday, November 9, 2025. There will also be watch parties for the upcoming Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi races. Tickets start at $59, and after 7 PM, the venue is strictly 21+ only. You can plan a trip here.
Congrats to Luis, the reigning Couch Soup champion. Just know, it's a marathon, not a sprint, and I'm in a close second.
I think you win for being the best host ever Andrea!
first in friendship, absolute dead last in racing