Close
iRacing Oval Setups are now available in Delta. Find out More!

The Ultimate Guide to Field of View (FoV) in iRacing

Getting your FoV right is a really important factor when it comes to your on track adventures in iRacing. So, today, we are going through exactly what Field of View is, and how to find your FoV sweetspot.

It’s a conversation that will always cause great debate in any sim racing forum – what’s the best FoV to race with? In fact, more often than not, simply asking that question will get you a dozen different replies all with different answers. So, in this article, we’ll explore what FoV means, why it’s so important, and how to optimize your FoV in iRacing.

📣 Promotion
Delta Setup Subscription

What is FoV?

FoV, or Field of View, is the angle at which you view the world around you. For example, the human eye means that we have an FoV in the real world of around 200°. In comparison, the default in iRacing’s settings tends to be around 80° for racers on a single standard 16:9 monitor. This is based on estimates from iRacing of how close to the screen their racers tend to sit and, whilst this setting may be good for some, this doesn’t mean it’s likely to be good for everyone.

Why FoV is Important

FoV is important for several reasons, with the most notable among these being immersion and safety.

The science says that whilst our eyes have an FoV of roughly 200°, most of the information that we process tends to sit within the first 40° to 60°. The rest of our FoV is dedicated to our peripheral vision which, when driving in the real world, helps us to get an understanding of our surroundings as well as having a sense of the speed that we are travelling at. 

The same is true, in sim racing. If you race with a smaller FoV, you end up running the risk of eliminating useful information from your peripheral vision that can help you make sense of your surroundings. These can include the road around you and your sense of speed but, critically, can also include seeing other cars on the track. 

As iRacing doesn’t include a built-in radar, you are reliant on your spotter to tell you about cars surrounding you on track. Whilst you can get free plugins that can help you in this area, including a more comprehensive spotter and a radar amongst other useful apps, if you’re looking to immerse yourself in a more raw and unaided experience you are unlikely to do this.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you feel comfortable with the FoV that you are racing with. In some cases, these settings can vary from car to car and from track to track, with a wider FoV in disciplines such as oval racing that encourage pack racing instead of single-line strategies of attacking and defending that you will often find in road series.

Here’s what your game may look like with a tight FoV versus a wide FoV:

How to Calculate FoV

The best way to work out your FoV is by using an online calculator. You can use them for multiple titles such as Assetto Corsa Competizione too, meaning that this tool can help you get the most out of every sim racing title that you engage with. 

Sampsoid, the brainchild of sim racer and streamer David Sampson, have their own calculator that is specific to iRacing that will allow you to input your monitor width, the distance from where you sit to the monitor, and their bezel width. These values will allow you to find and race with the optimal FoV for your setup, meaning you can perform at the very top of your ability.

If you are looking for some iRacing setups to help you on your way, we’ve got you covered at Coach Dave Academy, with new setups every week via our iRacing setup bundles and our iRacing setup subscription.

If you buy something from a Coach Dave link, we may earn a commission.

iRacing car setups?

Gain the upper hand with super fast iRacing setups, developed by Pro Sim Drivers.

iRacing Data Packs

Learn how to achieve fast lap times in fixed setup championships with our iRacing Data Bundles.

Subscribe to the Coach Dave Digest. Join 33K+ subscribers who get the best of sim racing in their inbox every day.

iRacing car setups?

Gain the upper hand with super fast iRacing setups, developed by Pro Sim Drivers.

Table of Contents

Related Posts

Your Pro Setups For iRacing Week 3
Your Pro Setups For iRacing Week 3
We have all your favourite sports car, formula and oval setups ready to rock this week.
iRacing Guide: Dallara F324 Super Formula Lights
iRacing Guide: Dallara F324 Super Formula Lights
iRacing's newest road racing car, the Dallara F324 Super Formula Lights, is a great way to set yourself up for the popular Formula B Super Formula Series. Let's learn all about it!
Getting To Know: Super Formula Lights Series
Getting To Know: Super Formula Lights Series
Here's everything you need to know about one of iRacing's newest formula series, Super Formula Lights!
The Ultimate Guide to Field of View (FoV) in iRacing
Save & Share Cart
Your Shopping Cart will be saved and you'll be given a link. You, or anyone with the link, can use it to retrieve your Cart at any time.
Back Save & Share Cart
Your Shopping Cart will be saved with Product pictures and information, and Cart Totals. Then send it to yourself, or a friend, with a link to retrieve it at any time.
Your cart email sent successfully :)

🍪
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience possible from Coach Dave Academy.