Minecraft tool
Minecraft view
distance calculator
Slide the view and simulation distance and watch how much of the world your server keeps loaded around each player.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Runs in your browser
View distance
What your server
keeps loaded.
Two settings decide how much of the world the server holds around each player. Move them and watch the chunk map.
- View distance
- How far around each player the server loads the world and sends it to them, in chunks of 16 by 16 blocks. Since 1.20.2 a player's own render distance caps what they're sent.
- Simulation distance
- How far around each player mobs move, crops grow and redstone runs. Lowering it is one of the quickest fixes for lag.
- Why it matters for RAM
- Every loaded chunk and everything in it sits in memory. Players exploring in different directions load far more than a group building together, because nearby players share chunks.
- Loaded per player, about
- 317
- Simulated per player
- 441
If everyone spreads out
About 3,170 chunks loaded for 10 players who are all far apart.
These sizes are a guide. Mods, game settings and updates can all change how much RAM a server needs.
Since 1.18 Java loads a rounded area, so the chunk count is approximate. Both settings live in server.properties and default to 10.
Use it on your server
From here
to your server.
Find your distances
Try values here. Simulation distance can sit lower than view distance, so players see far while the server only runs what's close.
Set them in server.properties
In your Game Panel, open
server.propertiesand changeview-distanceandsimulation-distance.Restart the server
The server reads
server.propertieswhen it starts, so the new distances apply after a restart.
Checked against
Last checked 23 October 2026
FAQ
Questions,
answered.
What people ask about this.
What's the difference between view distance and simulation distance?
View distance is how far around each player the server loads the world and sends it to them. Simulation distance is how far mobs move, crops grow and redstone runs. Both are counted in chunks of 16 by 16 blocks.
What are the defaults?
Both default to 10 chunks, and both live in server.properties.
Does a lower simulation distance help with lag?
It's one of the quickest fixes, because the server stops running mobs, crops and redstone further out.
Do players always see the full view distance?
No. Since 1.20.2 a player's own render distance caps what they're sent, so someone with a lower setting sees less.
Why is the chunk count approximate?
Since 1.18 Java loads a rounded area rather than a square, so the count is close rather than exact.
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