Sim Racing Monitor Guide – Which Screen is the Right One?
In addition to the right sim racing hardware, such as a steering wheel, pedals, a stable rig, and a powerful gaming PC, the choice of monitor plays a crucial role in creating a truly immersive driving experience. The right screen can make the difference between feeling like you’re just sitting in front of your computer and feeling like you’re actually on the race track. Every sim racer has different requirements. Some prefer a single display, while others opt for triple monitor setups or ultrawide monitors. Budget, available space, and personal preferences also play a major role. This is where this guide comes in: it is designed to help you find the optimal solution for you.
Overview of different monitor types
Monitors come in many sizes and shapes, but the following points are particularly interesting for sim racers:
- Single monitor vs. triple setup vs. ultrawide: First, of course, the question arises as to whether to opt for a single monitor or a triple setup. Single monitors have the clear advantage of being compatible with almost every current simulation, while with a triple setup, in addition to basic compatibility, the complex setup for different sims can also be a burden. Single-screen monitors come in various formats, such as 16:9, 21:9, or 32:9 (ultrawide). The latter currently offers the best possible immersion with single screens before considering a triple-screen setup.
- Flat vs. curved: In addition to conventional (flat) screens, there are now also monitors with different curvatures (indicated as a radius in the form XX00R). Single-screen setups in particular benefit from a high curvature, as this allows a significantly larger area of the FOV to be covered.
- VR or TV monitor as an alternative: In addition to conventional PC monitors, you can also use VR headsets or opt for a TV monitor. While VR can be an extremely immersive alternative (Sim Racing VR Headsets – Overview and Recommendations), TV monitors should be considered more of a stopgap solution.
Performance features for sim racers
Sim racers often have different requirements for screens than conventional gamers. While some features are very important, compromises can certainly be made in other areas.
- Resolution: For single-screen setups, a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440 pixels in 21:9 format or 5,120 x 1,440 pixels in 32:9 format has now become standard. At a distance of 60 to 90 centimeters, which is typical for sim racing, these resolutions offer a good mix of image quality and hardware demands. Triple-screen users usually have the choice between 16:9 monitors with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 (WQHD) or 3840 x 2160 (4K) pixels. However, the higher resolution requires a correspondingly powerful high-end system, as twice the number of pixels must be processed.
- Refresh rate: Typical simulations rarely exceed 100 to 150 FPS in multiplayer sessions, especially when using high-resolution monitors. In contrast to first-person shooters, monitors with significantly lower maximum refresh rates are sufficient here. More important here is support for FreeSync or G-Sync, as these can enable smoother image rendering even at lower in-game FPS.
- Response time: The requirements for response time are also not too high, so that almost all currently available monitors can be used as sim racing screens. Only TV monitors can be a problem due to their sometimes still very high response times.
- VESA mount: In order to connect a monitor to a suitable mount, it must have an integrated VESA mount. This standard allows monitors to be universally combined with almost all available mounts: https://simracing-pc.de/en/2023/08/07/simracing-rigs-product-overview-and-recommendations/#Monitor_stands
- Ports: The ports on monitors are also important for sim racers, although these are now available on almost all models. Here, you should make sure that a DisplayPort is available. With the right cables, this enables a reliable connection to the PC, even over longer distances, and with most graphics cards, you don’t need to use adapter solutions, even for triple-screen setups.
- Other criteria: Other criteria may include, for example, the frame thickness for triple screens or the maximum brightness and HDR support. The latter criteria in particular are rather subjective.
Recommendations
Below you will find an overview of monitors from different price ranges. Of course, there are many more models from different manufacturers in each price range. However, the monitors listed here have proven themselves in practice and are a solid choice in their respective categories.
Budget solution: 34-inch ultrawide single screen
In the price range up to 250 euros, 34-inch monitors are currently almost unbeatable. They often offer a sufficiently wide image, especially for beginners, resulting in a real “in-the-middle effect.” With a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440 pixels, mid-range graphics cards are sufficient for most situations. The Samsung screen has a comparatively high curvature (1000R) and a refresh rate of 165 Hz, while the AOC monitor is slightly less curved (1500R) but offers a slightly higher refresh rate of 180 Hz.
Triple Screens: 32 Zoll QHD
The gap between the budget class and a triple-screen setup is relatively large. For three 32-inch monitors with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels each, you currently need to budget around 600 euros. For this, you get three curved monitors (1500R or 1000R) and a matching monitor mount. In combination with a sufficiently large room for installation, they offer an extremely immersive sim racing experience. In theory, it is possible to keep costs down somewhat by using smaller monitors (e.g., 27 inches), but the added value of larger screens is clearly noticeable.
Single Screen: 49 Zoll Ultrawide
49-inch monitors with an aspect ratio of 32:9 and a resolution of 5120 x 1440 pixels are in a similar price range to triple-screen setups. Starting at around 600 euros, there is now a wide selection of models from various manufacturers, including Samsung and LG, but also third-party suppliers, some of which offer significantly lower prices with reduced features. You should just make sure to choose a monitor with a curvature of 1000R to 1400R and check that it has a VESA mounting option.
FOV calculator
Here you will find a handy calculator that you can use to calculate the appropriate (actual) field of view for different monitor configurations. This depends on the size (and, if applicable, the curvature) of the monitor(s) and the distance to the driver.
Input
Output (FOV)
FOV Calculator von dinex86
The calculator used here was developed in the original version by dinex86 (Markus Ewert) and was published under the MIT License. More information here: https://github.com/dinex86/FOV-Calculator
