If your Minecraft server is feeling laggy or sluggish, the very first thing you should check is your View Distance setting. Many players crank this number up thinking it improves gameplay — but the truth is, a high view distance can wreck your server performance.
This article explains why it’s not good to use a large View Distance, shows you how to change it, and walks you through the math behind the chunk loading system.
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🧠 What Is View Distance in Minecraft?
View Distance is a setting that controls how far players can see in terms of loaded chunks. Each chunk is a 16×16 block section of the world. The higher the value, the more chunks are loaded around each player.
But here’s the catch:
More chunks = more memory + more CPU.
For example, if your server View Distance is set too high and you have 5+ players online, your server might lag hard or even crash if it runs out of RAM or CPU power.
🚫 Why High View Distance Is a Bad Idea
Here’s why keeping the View Distance small is usually the smarter move:
| View Distance | Chunks Loaded per Player | Performance Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 81 | Low |
| 6 | 169 | Medium-Low |
| 8 | 289 | Moderate |
| 10 | 441 | High |
| 12 | 625 | Very High |
| 16 | 1089 | EXTREME (avoid!) |
The math? It’s simple:
(viewDistance + viewDistance + 1)²
So for a View Distance of 10:
(10 + 10 + 1)² = 21² = 441 chunks per player
That adds up really fast with more players.
The Real Reason: Being Progressive
Whether it is View Distance or Simulation Distance, increasing the View Distance on a server-side environment will lead to lag if you do not take the necessary measures to handle it.
🛠️ How to Change Your Minecraft Server View Distance
Follow these steps to change the View Distance on your Minecraft server (Java Edition):
- Log in to your Pterodactyl panel and stop your server.
- Go to Server Properties.
- Find the View Distance option.
- Set it to a lower number (we recommend 6–8 for most servers).
- Click Save and restart your server.
Boom. Better performance, instantly.
🔧 Extra Tip: spigot.yml Also Affects View Distance
If you’re using a server type like Paper, Spigot, PurPur, Magma, or Mohist, you also need to adjust the spigot.yml file:
- Log into your Pterodactyl panel and stop your server.
- Click on Files, then open
spigot.yml. - Find
view-distance:and change the number (default is 10).- Valid range: 1 to 15
- Match this with your main server View Distance setting.
- Save and restart the server.
This setting controls chunk generation, not just visibility — if it’s set too low, you’ll get invisible world borders even if your main setting is high.
✅ Best View Distance Settings by Server Size
| Player Count | Recommended View Distance |
|---|---|
| 1–5 | 6–8 |
| 6–10 | 6 |
| 11+ | 4–6 |
| Modded Server | 4 |
Lower = smoother gameplay, happier players.
🎯 Final Thoughts
Running Minecraft smoothly is all about smart optimization, not just maxing out settings.
If your world looks foggy or “short” after lowering view distance — don’t worry. You’re actually boosting performance for everyone.
Want better gameplay without lag? Lower your view distance. That’s it.
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📌 FAQ
🔹 Does lowering View Distance remove chunks?
No, it just temporarily hides them. Chunks are still saved on your world file.
🔹 Is 16 a good View Distance?
Only for singleplayer or local LAN worlds. For servers, it causes serious lag.
🔹 What’s the lowest View Distance I can use?
1 — but we recommend 4 to 6 for stable gameplay on busy servers.
Want smoother performance? Lower that view distance and enjoy the game again.
Need help tweaking your settings? GGServers support is here for you 24/7.