Question 1

What is the correct FOV for sim racing?

Accepted Answer

The correct field of view matches the angle your screen fills in your real vision. It depends on the screen size, aspect ratio and how far your eyes are from the screen. With the correct FOV, speed, distances and braking points look the way they would from a real driver's seat.

Question 2

Why does the correct FOV look so zoomed in?

Accepted Answer

A single monitor fills only a small part of your vision, so the correct FOV shows less of the car and the track than the game default. Moving the screen closer, choosing a larger screen or adding triple screens lets you see more while keeping the view accurate.

Question 3

Should I use vertical or horizontal FOV?

Accepted Answer

Use the type your sim asks for. Assetto Corsa, Assetto Corsa Competizione, rFactor 2 and Le Mans Ultimate use vertical FOV in degrees. If a game asks for horizontal FOV, use the horizontal value for one screen.

Question 4

What angle should triple screens be set at?

Accepted Answer

The ideal side-screen angle puts the side screens at the same distance from your eyes as the middle screen. The calculator works it out from your screen size, bezel width and seating distance.

Question 5

Why do cars on my side screens look like they speed up, stretch or float?

Accepted Answer

The game's idea of your rig doesn't match the real one. Most often the game draws one wide picture across all three screens instead of one per screen, which stretches everything toward the edges: in iRacing turn on "Render scene using 3 projections", and in Assetto Corsa use the Triple screen rendering mode rather than NVIDIA Surround or AMD Eyefinity alone. Next, check that the side-screen angle in the game matches the real one (use "Measure my screens"), that the eye distance is measured from your eyes in your driving position, and that the bezel is the frame on one edge only. If cars seem to float above the road or sink into it, raise or lower the screens or seat so your eyes are level with the middle of the screens.

Question 6

Why do cars passing me feel faster with the correct FOV?

Accepted Answer

Your side vision is very sensitive to motion. With the correct FOV a car beside you sits where it would through a real side window, so it feels closer and faster than with a wide, zoomed-out view, just as it does in a real car. If it moves smoothly across the bezel without jumping or bending, your setup is right.

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