USB displays for SimHub
Last updated · SimHub 9.11.22
SimHub supports VOCORE displays in 4", 4.3", 5", 6.8" and 3.4" round; USBD480 panels; generic AX206-based LCDs; the Turing Smart Screen; and Corsair's Nexus LCD. Most need a driver — VOCORE, USBD480 and AX206 each have their own, and USBD480 has separate builds for Windows 8 and Windows 10/11. Corsair's Nexus needs none. The one buying decision worth making carefully is the Turing Smart Screen: it takes around three seconds for a full refresh, which rules out anything animated.
A USB display is a small dedicated screen that draws a dashboard without using a graphics output. On a rig where every display port is already taken, that is the entire appeal — and it is why they are worth the driver faff.
Why a USB display rather than a monitor
- It does not consume a graphics output. On a triple-screen rig, this is often the deciding factor.
- It mounts where a monitor cannot. On the wheel deck, behind the rim, on the top rail — a 4-inch panel goes where you actually look.
- It is always the dash. No window to lose behind something, no monitor doing two jobs.
- Low power. Bus-powered over the same cable that carries the picture.
The trade is resolution, brightness and refresh rate. These are not good screens by monitor standards — they are the right screens for one job.
What SimHub supports
| Display | Sizes | Driver | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| VOCORE | 4", 4.3", 5", 6.8", 3.4" round | VOCORE driver | The common choice, and the widest size range. The round one is unusual and suits a tachometer. |
| USBD480 | WQ40 and variants | USBD480 driver | Separate builds for Windows 8 and Windows 10/11 — install the right one or it will not enumerate. |
| AX206-based LCDs | 3.5" tested | AX206 driver | Generic and inexpensive. Covered by the AX206 (Generic) entry in the device picker, so unbranded panels work. |
| Turing Smart Screen | 3.5", serial | Serial | About 3 seconds for a full refresh, partial updates only. See the warning below. |
| Corsair Nexus LCD | — | None needed | Works without a driver, which makes it the least troublesome option if you have one. |
Drivers for all of these are collected on SimHub's own device driver installation page, which is also where the CH340G and FTDI drivers for Arduino builds live.
The Turing Smart Screen, specifically
About three seconds for a full screen refresh. That is not a typo and it is not a fault. The Turing Smart Screen is driven over serial, and a full-screen update takes roughly three seconds, with partial updates in between.
| Works well | Does not work |
|---|---|
| Lap time, position, fuel remaining | A rev bar or shift lights |
| Tyre temperatures, session state | A sweeping needle gauge |
| Anything you read rather than watch | Anything animated |
This is exactly the kind of fact people want before spending money and rarely find until afterwards, which is why it is stated plainly here rather than buried in a specification list. If your dashboard is a set of numbers, it is a perfectly good screen. If it has a rev bar, buy something else.
Getting one working
Install the driver first
Before plugging the display in. For USBD480, check your Windows version and take the matching build — the Windows 8 and Windows 10/11 drivers are not interchangeable.
Plug it in and check Device Manager
It should enumerate as a display or serial device depending on type. An unknown device means the driver did not take.
Add it in SimHub under Devices
Open the Pick a supported device dialog. Check Devices found on your system first — SimHub detects a great deal automatically. If it is not there, filter the manual list, using AX206 (Generic) for unbranded AX206 panels.
Send a dashboard to it
From the dashboard's own menu, choose Show on USB Displays. It will then open there automatically.
Match the dashboard to the panel's resolution
Scaling a dashboard designed for a monitor down to 480×320 produces unreadable text. Pick or design a dashboard at the display's native resolution.
Designing for a small screen
The constraint is physical, not aesthetic. A 3.5-inch panel at arm's length holds about three pieces of information legibly.
- Gear and speed, large. Those two are read at a glance and they earn most of the space.
- One or two supporting values. Fuel, lap time, position — pick what you actually act on.
- Shift lights across the top, if the panel refreshes fast enough for them.
- Nothing else. Everything you add makes the rest smaller.
- High contrast. These panels are dim by monitor standards, and a rig is often in a bright room.
The mistake is treating a USB dash as a small monitor. It is closer to an instrument cluster: a handful of values, always visible, read without thinking.
"DDU" means a physical unit, not a software feature. In SimHub discussions you will see displays called DDUs — digital dash display units. It is a hardware term borrowed from motorsport, not a SimHub mode you need to find and enable.
Common questions
Which USB display works best with SimHub?
VOCORE units are the common choice and come in the widest range of sizes, including a 3.4-inch round panel that suits a tachometer. Corsair's Nexus LCD is the least troublesome because it needs no driver at all. Avoid the Turing Smart Screen for anything animated.
Why is my Turing Smart Screen so slow?
It is driven over serial and a full-screen refresh takes around three seconds, with partial updates in between. That is inherent to the display, not a configuration problem. It suits static readouts like lap time and fuel, and cannot show a rev bar.
Do USB displays for SimHub need drivers?
Most do. VOCORE, USBD480 and AX206 each have their own, collected on SimHub's device driver installation page. USBD480 has separate builds for Windows 8 and for Windows 10/11 and they are not interchangeable. Corsair's Nexus LCD needs none.
My USB display isn't detected by SimHub.
Install the driver before connecting the display, and check Device Manager — an unknown device means the driver did not take. For unbranded AX206 panels, use the AX206 (Generic) entry in the device picker rather than looking for a brand name.
What is a DDU in SimHub?
A digital dash display unit — a physical screen. It is a motorsport hardware term, not a SimHub software feature, so there is nothing to enable. People use it to mean any dedicated dash display.
Can I use any small HDMI screen instead?
Yes, and it is a legitimate alternative — it appears as an ordinary monitor and any dashboard runs on it. The trade is that it consumes a graphics output, which is precisely what USB displays exist to avoid on a multi-screen rig.
Sources
Related guides
SimHub is developed independently by Wotever and is not affiliated with oesimracing. This page was checked against SimHub 9.11.22 on 4 August 2026; where the interface has moved on since, the version stamp tells you how far. More on what SimHub is and what it costs.