Does Screen Size Matter When Sim Racing?
Whether you’re into competitive sim racing or just do it for the thrill, the thought of getting a bigger screen for your racing sim game might have crossed your mind. And while larger monitors deliver a ton of benefits, you can also still make the most out of your current, smaller screen.
So, is a more expansive display really necessary when it comes to sim racing? Or is it just a waste of money?
Screen Size in Sim Racing: Is it Important?
You might have seen sim racing setups with wide monitors, triple monitors, TVs, or even projectors. The bigger the screen, the more impressive it looks, but do you need one to improve your experience and performance?
While some players enjoy sim racing just to get what it feels like behind an F1 car’s wheel, it can also be a serious sport. And just like any sport, you’d want the best and most expensive equipment to get an edge. This is especially true when getting into a new sport or hobby.
When you’re new to something, it’s easy to fall into the pit of consumerism. There are so many things to upgrade, buy, and upgrade again. But unless you’ve got the money to throw around, it’s not that important to the core of racing itself. After all, your setup can only take you as far as your skills go.
Even if you have the best gear, they will only go as far as you can. So, getting your braking points right, perfecting your tire management, and other practical knowledge should take precedence over eye candy. Challenge yourself by driving as close to the car’s limit as possible.
And if you’re serious about your sim racing, consider enrolling in sim racing courses to improve yourself before getting that bigger monitor.
But if you’re not there for the competition but only for the experience, a bigger screen might give you more value. Curved panels can provide even more immersion, or better yet, get a VR headset and a powered driving chair for maximum immersion.
How to Improve Sim Racing Immersion on Your Current Monitor
How much you see in your racing sim doesn’t just depend on your screen size. It’s a factor, but it’s actually three things; distance to the screen, FOV settings, and screen size.
Before you worry about your screen size, you should worry about the first two things, as those are within your immediate control. Play around with your distance to the screen, and make sure your FOV settings are set correctly for that distance. Check outhow to set sim racing FOVif you want to know how to configure it correctly.
You’d be surprised how much more immersive your experience can be by just setting your FOV correctly. Next, try getting closer to the screen to have a wider FOV setting, making you see more with the same screen.
If you can’t get your screen closer to you to increase your FOV, it might be a good time to invest in a bigger screen. Check out thesebudget 120Hz gaming TVsperfect for sim racing.
Do You Need a Bigger Screen for Sim Racing?
From my experience, a bigger screen doesn’t really mean much since you’re going to be focused on a small portion of the screen most of the time. It’s probably better to buy additional screens instead of a bigger one because you don’t need the vertical size anyway.
If you’re new to sim racing or want to improve, focusing on enjoying the learning process is best. As long as you have a good enough wheel, like the ones with force feedback on this list ofthe best sim racing wheels, courses are much better than spending on a bigger screen.
Buying more displays could widen your field of view without costing as much as a large screen, although the bezels might kill the immersion a little bit. Nevertheless, the bezels are usually negligible when you’re in the thick of a race, and most modern monitors have thin bezels anyway.
The Best Sim Racing Monitor Is the One You Have
At a close enough distance and enough pixel density, even a small screen can be incredibly immersive. VR headsets are practically tiny screens, just very close to your eyes. What matters is your FOV setting. So long as you have that nailed down, you may gauge distance much easier, improving your performance with any reasonably-sized display.
Want to tear round the tracks like a pro from the comfort of your gaming room? You need the right sim racing setup, then…
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