For most sim racers, the screen should sit about 50 to 70 cm from your eyes, measured while you sit in your normal driving position. In practice, that means the screen sits just behind the wheelbase, so your hands and the rim are the only things between you and the image. A closer screen lets you run a realistic field of view, so speed, distance and braking points feel the way they do in a real car.
Distance sounds like a small detail. Yet it decides how big the car feels, how quickly corners seem to arrive and how tired your eyes get after a long stint. In this guide you learn how to measure it, which distance fits your screen size and how to fix a rig where the screen simply sits too far away.
Why screen distance changes how the car feels
Your eyes judge speed by comparing the image to what your brain expects, so distance shapes every lap you drive.
Distance and field of view work as a pair
Field of view, or FOV, is the angle of the world the game shows you. A correct FOV matches the angle your screen fills in your vision. When the screen sits far away, it fills only a small angle. A correct FOV then becomes very narrow, and the track looks like it sits behind a letterbox. Many racers then raise the FOV to see more, and the car suddenly feels slow and floaty. Our FOV and camera settings guide explains the settings side. This blog focuses on the physical distance that makes a good FOV possible.
Why closer usually feels faster and calmer
A screen at 55 cm fills far more of your vision than the same screen at 100 cm. You see the apex earlier, the kerbs look the right size and the gap to the car ahead becomes easier to read. As a result, you brake at the same marker more often. That consistency is where lap time comes from, not from raw bravery.
How to measure your viewing distance
Measuring takes two minutes and saves hours of guessing in the settings menu.
Set the seat and wheel first
Always start with your driving position. Slide the seat so your knees keep a slight bend at full brake pressure. Then set the wheel so your wrists rest on the top of the rim with straight arms. Only now does the screen get its turn. At SIMGASM, seating position, wheel angle and pedal geometry count as performance factors, not cosmetic details. That is why founder Johan Akkerman tests every product as part of a complete simulator instead of as a loose part.
Measure from your eyes to the panel
Sit in your normal position and look straight ahead. Ask someone to hold a tape measure from the bridge of your nose to the centre of the screen. Note the number in centimetres. Next, measure the visible width of the panel, without the bezel. These two numbers go straight into any FOV calculator.
SIMGASM | Hobby Aluminum Sim Racing Cockpit - Black
Which distance fits your screen size?
Bigger screens may sit a little further back, but the sweet spot stays closer than most people expect.
Single 27 and 32 inch monitors
A single 27 inch screen works best at roughly 50 to 60 cm. A 32 inch screen gets a bit more room, about 60 to 70 cm. In both cases the bottom edge of the screen sits just above or just behind the top of the wheelbase. If you still have to pick a size, read our guide on which monitor size fits sim racing before you buy.
Ultrawide and triple screens
A 34 or 49 inch ultrawide curves around you, so it also likes a close distance of 55 to 70 cm. Triple screens follow the same rule for the centre panel. The side panels then angle in until their inner edges meet the centre screen in one clean line. With triples, every extra centimetre of distance forces bigger side angles and a narrower view, so keep the centre screen tight to the wheel.
What about a TV in the living room?
Many new drivers start on a wheel stand in front of a TV at 2 or 3 metres. That works for fun, but the correct FOV at that distance is tiny. Moving the TV or the stand closer makes a bigger difference than any upgrade to a stronger wheelbase.
Signs your monitor sits too far away
Your body often tells you about a bad distance before your lap times do.
The car feels slow and corners arrive late
If 200 km/h feels like 120 km/h, the screen is usually too far away or the FOV is too wide. You also turn in late, because the apex appears in your view later than it should. Bring the screen closer in steps of 5 cm, recalculate the FOV and drive five laps after each step.
You lean forward without noticing
Leaning toward the screen during a stint is a classic sign. Your neck and lower back pay for it after half an hour. A screen at the right distance lets you sit back in the seat and relax your shoulders, which keeps your inputs smooth for longer races.
SIMGASM | Core Integrated Single Monitor stand Vesa 75/100 - Black
How to get your screen closer on a sim rig
The right hardware makes a short distance easy to reach and easy to keep.
Mount the screen on the rig or on its own stand
A desk often sits too far back because the wheel clamps to its front edge. An aluminium profile sim racing cockpit solves this, because the screen mounts on its own uprights just behind the wheel deck. The SIMGASM Hobby, for example, uses a 40 by 40 mm main profile and a compact footprint of 500 by 1270 mm, so the whole setup stays tight. If you prefer full freedom, a freestanding stand slides in over the front of the rig. You find both options in our sim racing monitor stands range.
Check height and placement at the same time
When the screen moves closer, its height matters even more. The horizon in the game should sit roughly at eye level. Our blog on the best sim racing monitor position explains when the screen belongs behind the wheelbase and when above the wheel. Combine both guides and you set distance, height and angle in one go.
SIMGASM | Apex Free Standing Single Monitor Stand Vesa 75/200 - Black
Q&A
Below you find short answers to the questions racers ask most about screen distance.
Is 50 cm too close for a sim racing monitor?
No. For a 27 inch screen, 50 cm works well. Just make sure the rim never touches the screen at full lock.
Does distance matter more than screen size?
Often, yes. A smaller screen close to you shows a wider correct view than a large screen far away.
Should I change FOV after moving my monitor?
Always. Measure the new distance and enter it in a FOV calculator, then fine tune by a step or two.
Where is SIMGASM based?
SIMGASM is a Dutch company based in Wijk bij Duurstede, formally incorporated on 27 February 2026, and ships directly from the Netherlands.
Want to learn more? The SIMGASM experts are happy to help.
