Garmin Approach R50 vs R10 Comparison: Is This Really a Fair Golf Launch Monitor Fight?

For as fast-paced as the golf launch monitor race has become, there really have only been a small handful of truly innovative products. And Garmin has two of them, the new Approach R50 and the three-year-old Approach R10.

In the case of the Garmin Approach R10, it was the first accurate golf launch monitor for under $1,000. Before then, consumers had two choices when it came to golf launch monitors: expensive or inaccurate. The Approach R10 was the first device to bring “reasonable” into the golf launch monitor conversation for everyday, non-professional golfers who wanted a reliable and accurate device.

And in the case of the Garmin Approach R50, it’s the first-ever all-in-one golf launch monitor with simulator capabilities built right into the device itself. While it’s still early, the R50 is likely to be the device that brings ultimate convenience to golfers who want to play simulated rounds anywhere anytime. Read our complete R50 review to get a full handle on this game-changer.

Really, these are two wildly different products. The R10 retails for $599.99. The R50 for $4,999.99.

But they are both innovative. They are both Garmin. And, for the right golfer, they are both worth considering.

Which means they are worth comparing.

That’s where I come in. As I always say, this is just one dude’s take. But I am someone who’s used both of these golf launch monitors extensively. I’ll give you my straight-up thoughts and a zero-to-five grading scale in 10 categories with the hope that this may help you make a more informed purchasing decision.

For as different as these products are, some of these categories are a bit unfair. After all, of course the $4,999.99 R50 is going to have some advantages over the $599.99 R10.

So don’t look at just the overall scores. Study the categories that matter most to you, and glean the information that might answer some of your questions.

If you’re really choosing between these two golf launch monitors, you’re probably not trying to figure out which is the better product. Rather, you’re trying to figure out if the more expensive product is really worth that much more money or if you’d be satisfied with the less-expensive option.

Let’s find out.

Garmin R50 vs R10 Golf Launch Monitor Price

Garmin Approach R50 = 4; Garmin Approach R10 = 4

Not only do I think each of these products is priced fairly, but I think both of them could have earned a 5 in this category.

I stopped short of the highest mark in the case of the $599.99 R10 because a competitor like the Swing Caddie SC4, for $549.99 and with no subscription add-ons does a lot (not all) of what the R10 does for less money.

And I couldn’t quite reach a 5 with the R50 because, well, it’s $4,999.99! While I do think it’s overall a screaming good deal to get all the ball and club data, the built-in 10-inch full-color display, and the sim capabilities without the need to connect to an external device, man, 5 grand is still 5 grand.

First Impressions Upon Unboxing

Garmin Approach R50 = 5; Garmin Approach R10 = 4

Opening the Garmin Approach R50 could be the most exciting unboxing of a golf product I’ve ever experienced. The built-in touchscreen is just so impressive, especially once you power it up and see the full color and vivid 800 x 1280 pixels display of all the practice and play options.

But beyond the screen, there’s the size. The R50 is 17 inches tall, 12 inches wide, and 7 inches deep, making it much larger than any other portable golf launch monitor on the market.

There’s also the carrying case. It’s very well padded and the included shoulder strap makes transport of the R50 simple. But, like the device itself, it too is quite large. Think in terms of a big YETI cooler.

Some people will take a bigger-is-better approach to the R50 and will love it. Others may be turned off by the size.

On the opposite end of the side spectrum is the Garmin Approach R10. It’s only the size of a deck of cards, which is quite impressive and immediately announces it as very portable.

The overall unboxing and first impression experience with the R10 is very solid, but there’s not quite the wow factor that there is with the R50.

Golf Launch Monitor Setup Process

Garmin Approach R50 = 5; Garmin Approach R10 = 4

Another perfect score for the R50. How can it not score a 5 when all you’ve got to do is set it down, hit the power button, and start firing shots. Alignment is super simple, and all of the built-in software loads pretty much immediately.

I timed how long it would take for me to go from a totally powered-off R50 to hitting my first tee shot on Pebble Beach via the built-in Home Tee Hero golf simulator software. Forty seconds! How's that for simple?

One of the things that makes the R50 so innovative is that you can use it without having to connect to a phone, tablet, computer, or app. It’s totally self-contained. And for the times where you want to use it in conjunction with a projector or television, it’s a direct HDMI connection.

Setting up the R10 is also very straightforward, but there are a couple more steps.

For one, you’ve got to download the Garmin Golf app, which you’ll need to run the device and capture your data.

Also, because the R10 is a radar unit that reads shots from behind the golf ball, getting it aligned perfectly for the best accuracy takes just a few extra minutes.

Garmin Approach R10 vs R50 Portability

Garmin Approach R50 = 3; Garmin Approach R10 = 3

This may be controversial. After all, the R50 includes an amazing (albeit gigantic) carrying case. And the R10 itself is only the size of a deck of cards.

But I’m dinging each of them for different reasons.

For the R50 it’s just the sheer size of the device and accompanying carrying case. Bringing this thing out the range is like hauling a large piece of luggage. The shoulder strap is great, but this baby does take up some serious space.

For the R10, I’m bummed to find that Garmin took a device that’s so petite and decided to include a carrying case that’s like 10 times larger than the R10 itself. I am happy that the R10 includes a case because launch monitors like the Swing Caddie SC4 and SkyTrak+ don’t come with one. But I just wish the R10 case were a little more, you know, portable.

Golf Launch Monitor Data

Garmin Approach R50 = 5; Garmin Approach R10 = 4

The Garmin Approach R50 is loaded!! It comes with all of the ball and club data you could possibly want.

That means:

Ball Data:

• Ball Speed
• Launch Angle
• Launch Direction
• Spin Rate
• Spin Axis
• Sidespin
• Smash Factor
• Total Distance
• Carry Distance (in both yards and degrees)
• Total Deviation (in both yards and degrees)
• Apex Height

Club Data:

• Clubhead Speed
• Path Angle
• Angle of Attack
• Face Angle
• Face to Path

You also get awesome images of your club data information, showing you visually your face-to-path, launch angle, spin, and more. If you’re a visual learner, you’ll love being able to interpret the data this way.

For just $599.99, the Approach R10 delivers the same incredible array of data metrics. But just not as accurately as the R50.

One big difference between the R10 and the R50 is that a lot of the data that the R10 spits out is calculated by an algorithm. The device is only actually measuring club speed, ball speed, launch angle, and launch direction. Based on those measurements, it predicts what the rest of the numbers would be.

The R50, on the other hand, actually measures all of the data with its three high-speed cameras. That’s why it’s so incredibly accurate.

Outdoor Golf Launch Monitor Use

Garmin Approach R50 = 5; Garmin Approach R10 = 4

The Approach R50 is a total game-changer for multiple reasons. But maybe the biggest reason is that you can do everything you’d want with it without having to connect to any external device. That makes outdoor, on-the-go use with the R50 perfect!

The built-in display is one thing. But other golf launch monitors have that (although not even close to as large or as beautiful as the R50’s). But no other golf launch monitor with a built-in display allows you to practice on virtual ranges or play on simulated courses without having to interface with a computer. With the R50, it’s all self-contained. You don’t need anything more than the device itself.

Portability for the R50 may be a challenge for some only because of the size. But again, that large carrying case does make it easy to transport.

The Approach R10 is also an excellent option for outdoor use. For a radar unit, it’s quite easy to set up. It’s small and discreet. And it’s just incredibly reliable.

Another huge plus for both the R50 and R10 is that you can hit off of real grass or artificial hitting mats. Neither launch monitor has any issue reading the shots from whatever surface.

Indoor Use

Garmin Approach R50 = 5; Garmin Approach R10 = 4

For all the same reasons that it excels outdoors, the Garmin R50 is an incredible indoor option.

I mean, come on, we’re talking about a golf launch monitor that can be used to play or practice anywhere without needing any additional hardware or software!

And when you do want to use the R50 with a projector and impact screen or to display the simulated action on a large-screen TV, it’s as simple as a direct HDMI connection.

There’s never been a golf launch monitor/simulator as versatile as the R50, and that certainly extends to indoor use.

On top of that, the R50 is proven to be dead-on accurate. That means meaningful, useful data and ball flights, which makes both play and practice totally realistic.

And yet another indoor plus for the R50 is that, as a photometric or optical device, it reads golf shots from the side of the ball. That means tremendous space savings.

The Garmin R10 suffers a slight deduction in indoor use performance ratings, mainly due to the necessity of setting up behind the ball, which requires substantial room depth that may not be available in some indoor settings.

And, of course, with the R10 you’ve got to interface with an app and phone to get your data or Home Tee Hero sim experience. It’s not a big deal. But it’s sure not anywhere close to as simple and convenient as with the R50.

Golf Launch Monitor and Simulator Features

Garmin Approach R50 = 5; Garmin Approach R10 = 3

Have I mentioned that the R50 includes a color, 10-inch built-in display that is absolutely gorgeous?

Or that you don’t need any other hardware or software to use the R50, including to play simulator golf?

Or that (if you pay the relatively modest Home Tee Hero subscription) you can be playing a simulated round of golf with the R50 in less than a minute from turning it on?

Or that to connect to a projector or TV, you can bypass any app or computer and plug in directly via HDMI?

Or that you get a full suite of ball and club data right out of the box?

Oh, here’s one I haven’t mentioned yet: The R50 includes automatic impact videos of each of your shots.

And another one: You can organize your display to see whatever information you want, including with a splitscreen option.

It goes on and on (and on) from there. Like I said, the R50 is loaded!

The R10, which of course costs so much less than the R50, doesn’t include as many features as the R50. But to be fair, no other golf launch monitor does.

One thing I love about the R10 is the included phone mount. This is a two-piece clip/mount solution that allows you to attach your phone to something like your golf bag. It makes it so that you don’t have to bend over to pick your phone up off the ground or wherever you’ve propped it when you want to review data on the app. Considering that you need to use your phone and app to operate the R10, it’s a brilliant feature.

I also like the “Ball Impact” screen on the Garmin app. It’s nice to get a visual representation of your clubface at impact, showing you the face angle, spin axis, and launch direction. That’s a nice visual accompaniment to all the numbers you get with each shot.

Garmin R10 vs R50 Golf Simulator Use

Garmin Approach R50 = 5; Garmin Approach R10 = 4 

Both the R50 and R10 are compatible with Garmin’s proprietary Home Tee Hero simulator software. But there are some significant differences after that.

First of all, you can play Home Tee Hero on the R50 right on the device itself. It’s all built into the touchscreen display. Totally innovative.

Another thing is that the Home Tee Hero experience is much improved with the R50. Far better graphics and mapping than with the R10. It’s a big upgrade. Home Tee Hero is still somewhat video-game-like, animated simulator golf compared to more advanced third-party software options, but it’s unquestionably superior with the R50 compared to the R10.

And yet another differentiating factor is that the R50 allows for simulator putting whereas with the R10, everything on the green is handled via auto putt. So, for a complete simulator experience, that’s a huge advantage for the R50.

One thing that’s awesome about both the R50 and R10 is that they are quite versatile when it comes to third-party simulator software compatibility. That means GSPro, E6 Connect, E6 Apex, and Awesome Golf. Those are great options even if there will be additional cost to add third-party simulator software.

An incredible feature with a device as affordable as the R10 is that it comes with five free E6 simulated golf courses! That’s a very sweet deal!

Subscriptions

Garmin Approach R50 = 4; Garmin Approach R10 = 3

You can use either of these products without paying any subscription. But if you want to play Home Tee Hero, it will cost $99 a year or $9.99 monthly.

The reason for the rating difference here is that the Home Tee Hero experience via the R50 is superior to the experience via the R10. And yet the subscription cost isn’t any different.

With the R50 you can play a better version of Home Tee Hero and you can play it right on the golf launch monitor itself.

I actually think the subscription cost for both the R50 and R10 is quite reasonable. But it’s that much more reasonable with the R50.

Adding It All Up: Which Garmin Golf Launch Monitor Is Best?

Tallying the scores in each of our 10 categories, we get a final result of:

Garmin Approach R50: 46

Garmin Approach R10: 37

Let’s call it like it is: This really isn’t a fair fight. The R50 is a better golf launch monitor than the R10.

But of course it is! The R50 costs more than eight times more than the R10 and it’s three years newer. This isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison. The decision for a consumer here really isn’t between these two products. It’s between two different product classes. 

If you want the pioneering product that established the affordable and accurate golf launch monitor market, grab the Garmin Approach R10.

If you want the latest and greatest, first-of-its-kind, launch monitor and simulator rolled into one, there’s only one choice: The Garmin Approach R50.

Which innovative Garmin is right for you?

About PlayBetter Golf Reviewer Marc Sheforgen

Marc Sheforgen is a golf writer whose passion for the game far exceeds his ability to play it well. Marc covers all things golf, from product reviews and equipment recommendations to event coverage and tournament analysis. When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about golf, he enjoys traveling (often golf-related), youth sports coaching, volunteering, and record collecting.