View distance and simulation distance are the two most impactful server performance settings in Minecraft. Getting them right determines whether your server runs smoothly or lags.
What They Mean
View distance: How many chunks around each player are sent to the client for rendering. Higher = more visible terrain. More RAM and bandwidth.
Simulation distance: How many chunks around each player are actively ticked (mobs spawn, crops grow, redstone runs). Higher = more server CPU load.
Recommended Settings
| Server Type | View Distance | Simulation Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Survival SMP (5-10 players) | 10-12 | 8-10 |
| Survival SMP (20+ players) | 8-10 | 6-8 |
| Heavy modpack (ATM10) | 6-8 | 4-6 |
| Minigames / lobby | 6-8 | 4-6 |
| Anarchy / large map | 8-10 | 6-8 |
| Paper with async chunks | 10-14 | 8-10 |
How They Affect Performance
View Distance
Each increase in view distance exponentially increases loaded chunks. Going from view-distance 10 to 12 adds significantly more chunks.
Per player chunks loaded:
- View distance 8: 289 chunks
- View distance 10: 441 chunks
- View distance 12: 625 chunks
- View distance 16: 1089 chunks
Simulation Distance
This is the real CPU killer. Simulated chunks run mob AI, block ticks, random ticks, and redstone. Keeping simulation distance lower than view distance gives players visible terrain without the CPU cost of simulating distant chunks.
Best Practice
Set view distance higher than simulation distance. Players see terrain in the distance, but only nearby chunks are actively simulated.
Example for a 20-player survival server:
# server.properties
view-distance=10
simulation-distance=6
Paper-Specific Settings
Paper has additional optimization:
# paper-world-defaults.yml
chunks:
no-tick-view-distance: 12 # visual-only distance beyond simulation
FAQ
What view distance should I set? Start with 10 for SMP, 8 for modded. Lower if TPS drops below 20.
What is simulation distance? How far from each player the server actively processes game logic.
Should view distance be higher than simulation distance? Yes. This gives visual range without extra CPU load.
Related: MSPT explained, Best CPU for Minecraft server, ZGC vs G1GC