Which FOV does your game use?
Racing games ask for either the horizontal or the vertical angle, so enter the matching number:
| Game | Enter |
|---|---|
| iRacing | Horizontal (triples: use iRacing's own triple-screen setup with the angle above) |
| Assetto Corsa | Vertical |
| Assetto Corsa Competizione | Vertical in most guides; slider only, so get as close as you can |
| rFactor 2, Le Mans Ultimate | Vertical |
| Automobilista 2, Project CARS | Horizontal |
| RaceRoom, BeamNG.drive | Vertical |
| F1 and other console-style games | Their own scale or slider; check the setting's description |
Games change their settings between versions, so if the view looks wrong with one number, try the other: a vertical value entered as horizontal looks strongly zoomed in.
How the FOV calculator works
Your screen's real width and height come from the diagonal and aspect ratio: a 27-inch 16:9 monitor is 59.8 × 33.6 cm. The horizontal FOV is the angle between its left and right edges seen from your eyes, 2 × atan(half the width ÷ distance), and the vertical FOV is the same for the height. For a curved screen the edges bend towards you, so the calculator places them on an arc of the given radius (1800R = 1.8 m), which adds a few degrees.
Worked examples
| Setup | Distance | Horizontal | Vertical |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27" 16:9 monitor | 60 cm | 53.0° | 31.3° |
| 32" 16:9 monitor | 70 cm | 53.7° | 31.8° |
| 34" 21:9 ultrawide, flat | 70 cm | 59.1° | 27.3° |
| 34" 21:9 ultrawide, 1800R | 70 cm | 61.9° | 27.3° |
| 49" 32:9, 1800R | 70 cm | 88.7° | 27.1° |
| 55" TV on a stand | 150 cm | 44.2° | 25.7° |
Notice the TV: a big screen far away covers less of your view than a 27-inch monitor close to the wheel. Distance matters more than size.
Triple screens
Choose triple screens and enter the bezel width. The calculator turns each side screen until it faces your eyes and gives that angle, measured from the line of the centre screen. Three 27-inch 16:9 monitors with 10 mm bezels at 60 cm need about 54.5° and together cover about 162°. Per-screen vertical FOV stays the same, so games that ask for one vertical value use it for all three.
Why the correct FOV feels zoomed in
Most players start with a wide FOV of 70–90° on a single monitor because it shows more of the cockpit. That shrinks everything: corners look further away and speeds feel lower, so you brake late. The correct FOV can feel zoomed in at first, but once you're used to it, braking points and apexes are easier to judge. If you want to see more, move the screen closer or go to a bigger screen, rather than widening the FOV. To compare the real width and height of different screens, use the screen size calculator.
Using it as an iRacing FOV calculator
Enter the horizontal value in iRacing's graphics options. For triples, use the in-sim triple-screen settings so the side views are rendered at the right angle, and set the physical side screens to the angle shown above.
Using it as an Assetto Corsa FOV calculator
The FOV in Assetto Corsa's video settings and in Content Manager is vertical. Also adjust the seat position so the in-game camera sits where the driver's eyes are; the right FOV with the camera too far back still looks wrong.
For every sim, measure from your eyes, not from the seat: a 5 cm error at 60 cm changes the result by about 3–4°.
How we tested this tool
We checked every value in the examples table against a separate calculation of the same formulas, for example 27" 16:9 at 60 cm = 52.96° horizontal and 31.30° vertical, and the triple-screen case of 27" with 10 mm bezels = 54.5° side angle and 161.9° total. We checked that a curved screen always gives a wider horizontal FOV than the same flat screen, that switching between cm and inches keeps the same distance and result, that empty or zero values show no result, and that the bezel field appears only for triple screens. Tested on desktop and at a 375 px phone width. We didn't test inside each game; the table of which games use horizontal or vertical FOV comes from the games' settings as commonly documented by players.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct FOV for sim racing?
The correct FOV is the angle your screen actually covers from your eyes, so the car and the track appear at real size. A 27-inch 16:9 monitor 60 cm from your eyes covers about 53° horizontally and 31° vertically, so those are the values to enter in the game.
Does iRacing use horizontal or vertical FOV?
iRacing's field of view setting is horizontal, so enter the horizontal value from this calculator. For triple screens, iRacing has its own setup that asks for screen size, bezels, distance and angle; enter the side-screen angle shown here.
What FOV should I use in Assetto Corsa?
Assetto Corsa's FOV setting is vertical, so enter the vertical value. Most guides treat ACC's FOV slider as vertical too, but it has no number entry, so set it as close as the slider allows.
Why does the correct FOV look so zoomed in?
A monitor on a desk covers only a small part of your real vision, so the correct FOV shows a narrow slice of the cockpit. It feels slow at first, but distances and speed look true, which makes braking points easier to judge. Moving the screen closer is the only way to see more without distorting the view.
How do I measure the distance?
Sit in your normal driving position and measure from between your eyes straight to the centre of the screen. Measure in centimetres or inches; at 60 cm, every 2 cm of error changes the result by roughly 1.5°.
What angle should triple screens be at?
Turn each side screen so that it faces your eyes. With three 27-inch 16:9 screens, 10 mm bezels and 60 cm from your eyes, that is about 54° from the line of the centre screen, giving roughly 162° of total view.