About the Sim Racing FOV Calculator
In racing simulators, the field of view (FOV) setting decides how much of the virtual world appears on your screen. Many players use a wide FOV that shows lots of the car and track, but it makes everything look smaller and faster than it really is, and distorts distances. Serious sim racers set a geometrically correct FOV, where the screen acts like a window into the car, with objects shown at their true size from your seating position.
This sim racing FOV calculator works out that correct FOV. Enter your screen's diagonal size, aspect ratio, the distance from your eyes to the screen and whether you use one screen or three. It gives the vertical and horizontal FOV to enter in your game, and the physical screen size.
How to Use the Sim Racing FOV Calculator
Enter the screen diagonal in inches and choose the aspect ratio.
Enter the distance from your eyes to the screen in cm or inches.
Choose single or triple screens and, for triples, the bezel width.
The Formulas
width = diagonal × W ÷ √(W² + H²)
height = diagonal × H ÷ √(W² + H²)
vertical FOV = 2 × atan(height ÷ 2 ÷ distance)
horizontal FOV = 2 × atan(width ÷ 2 ÷ distance) × screensW and H come from the aspect ratio, such as 16 and 9.
Step-by-Step Example
A 27-inch 16:9 monitor 60 cm from your eyes.
width 27 × 16 ÷ 18.36 = 23.5 in (59.8 cm)
height 27 × 9 ÷ 18.36 = 13.2 in (33.6 cm)
vertical 2 × atan(16.8 ÷ 60) = 31.3°
horizontal 2 × atan(29.9 ÷ 60) = 53°Why the Correct FOV Matters
With a correct FOV, a corner apex, a braking marker or another car appears exactly as big as it would through a real windscreen from your seat. That makes it much easier to judge distances, braking points and closing speeds, and many drivers find their lap times become more consistent. A wide FOV feels faster and shows more of the cockpit, but it shrinks the track ahead, making braking points harder to judge.
Getting Used to It
The correct FOV can feel strange at first. The view looks zoomed in and the sense of speed seems lower, because a single monitor covers only a small part of your real vision. Give it a few sessions before deciding. Moving the screen closer, ideally just behind the wheel, widens the correct FOV and makes it feel more natural.
Single, Ultrawide and Triple Screens
A larger or closer screen covers more of your vision. Ultrawide 21:9 and 32:9 monitors add width without changing height, so they increase horizontal FOV. Triple screens, with the side monitors angled to face your eyes, roughly triple horizontal FOV and let you see apexes and cars alongside. Most simulators have a triple-screen mode that asks for screen angle and bezel width so the image lines up across the monitors.
Game Settings
Different games use different FOV definitions. iRacing, Assetto Corsa Competizione and rFactor 2 typically use vertical FOV; some others use horizontal FOV or a slider with no unit. Check the game's manual. Some games also need the seat position adjusted so the virtual driver's eye position matches yours.
VR
Virtual reality headsets set FOV by their optics, so this calculation does not apply to VR.
Why the Correct Field of View Matters
When the field of view in a racing game matches the angle your screen actually covers from your eyes, objects appear at their true size and distance. Braking markers, apexes and the cars around you sit where your brain expects them, which makes judging speed far easier. A wider, arcade style view makes the car feel faster than it is and makes corners look further away, so drivers tend to brake late and miss apexes.
Many players find the correct value surprisingly narrow at first. A single monitor at a normal desk distance often gives a vertical angle in the thirties or lower, and the view can feel like looking through a letterbox. Most drivers adapt within a few sessions, and lap times often improve once braking points become consistent.
Bringing the Screen Closer
The easiest way to get a wider true field of view is to move the screen, not the setting. Moving a 27 inch monitor from 60 to 45 centimetres raises the vertical angle noticeably, and mounting the monitor just behind the wheel base is a common sim rig layout. Larger screens and ultrawide panels help in the same way. Triple screen setups go further still, giving peripheral vision for side by side racing.
Keep the screen centre roughly level with your eyes. If the screen sits too high or low, the horizon line shifts, and some titles let you correct this with seat or camera height. Angling side monitors so each one faces your head keeps the image geometry correct on triples.
Different Games, Different Units
Simulators do not agree on how they describe field of view. Some ask for a vertical angle in degrees, some for a horizontal angle, and some use a slider in their own units or a percentage. Several titles also use a separate setting for triple screen angle. Check which axis your game uses before entering a value, and use the horizontal result if the menu says horizontal. If a game only offers a slider, set it to the closest match and verify by checking that the steering wheel on screen appears roughly the same size as your real wheel would at that distance.
Understanding Your Result
The headline gives the vertical FOV.
The horizontal line gives the horizontal FOV.
The screen line gives the screen dimensions and distance.
When Should You Use This Calculator?
Use it when setting up a new sim rig or monitor.
Use it after moving your screen or seat.
Use it to compare screen sizes before buying.
Common Mistakes
Measuring to the wrong point. Measure from your eyes.
Using horizontal FOV where vertical is asked. Check the game.
Sitting far from a small screen. It gives a very narrow FOV.
Giving up too soon. The correct FOV takes time to get used to.