How Minecraft Simulation Distance Works

Minecraft is doing more than drawing blocks on your screen. While you move through biomes, fight mobs, smelt ore, or wait for crops to grow, the game is deciding which nearby chunks should keep running in the background. That active range is controlled by simulation distance.

Simulation distance affects tick updates for entities, fluids, block behavior, mob spawning, despawning, furnaces, farms, dropped items, and other systems that make the world feel alive. Set it too high and your computer or server may have to process far more than it comfortably can. Set it too low and some farms, mobs, or machines may stop behaving the way you expect. Minecraft is patient, but it is not a miracle worker.

What Simulation Distance Means

Simulation distance is the number of chunks around a player where Minecraft continues processing world logic. It is related to render distance, but it is not the same setting.

Render distance controls how far you can see. Simulation distance controls how far the world is still being actively updated. A chunk might be visible without everything inside it being fully simulated.

In Bedrock Edition, simulation distance has a broad effect on tick updates, mob behavior, spawning, despawning, fluids, and blocks. If the value is very low, mob farms may slow down, furnaces outside the active range may stop smelting, and other background activity can pause.

In Java Edition, the idea is similar, with a stronger focus on ticking entities such as mobs, projectiles, dropped items, and other moving objects. A high value means more active chunks, which means more work for the game. For example, pairing a 20 chunk render distance with a 20 chunk simulation distance can create a lot of extra processing, often leading to lower FPS, more memory pressure, or server lag.

Changing Simulation Distance

You can adjust simulation distance in Java Edition, Bedrock Edition, and on dedicated servers. The best value depends on hardware, player count, and what kind of world you run.

A practical starting point is usually below your render distance, often somewhere around 8 to 14 chunks. Lower-end systems may prefer less. Stronger PCs or well-configured servers can usually handle more, though raising the number just because it exists is rarely a good performance strategy.

Java Edition Settings

In Minecraft Java Edition, simulation distance can be changed from the video settings menu. You can do this from the main menu or while already in a world.

1. Launch Minecraft, open Options, then choose Video Settings.

1. Find Simulation Distance and move it to the value you want.

1. Select Done, then return to your world and test performance.

If your FPS drops or the game starts stuttering, lower the value a few chunks and try again. If farms or mobs are not active far enough away, raise it gradually.

Bedrock Edition Settings

Bedrock Edition treats simulation distance more like a world setting. You can adjust it from the world options for an existing save, or set it while creating a new world in the advanced settings area.

1. Open Minecraft Bedrock, select Play, then press the edit icon next to the world you want to change.

1. In the Game settings, scroll until you find Simulation Distance, then choose the preferred value.

1. Press Play to load the world with the updated setting.

Because Bedrock ties this setting closely to world configuration, it is worth checking before starting a long-term survival world or realm-style setup.

Dedicated Server Settings

On a dedicated Minecraft server, simulation distance applies to the server environment and affects everyone playing there. A higher value can make more of the world active around each player, but it also increases server workload. This matters even more with several players spread across different areas.

HolyHosting customers can adjust this from the server panel. The exact labels may vary slightly by software version, but the general process is straightforward.

1. Open the HolyHosting server panel and go to Config Files.

1. Find and open Server Settings.

1. Change the Simulation Distance value to the amount you want.

1. Save the file, then restart the server so the change takes effect.

For public or modded servers, avoid making huge jumps. Raise or lower the setting in small steps, then watch TPS, memory usage, and player reports.

Choosing a Good Value

Simulation distance is useful for speedrunning routes, mob farms, redstone-heavy bases, survival automation, and general performance tuning. The goal is to keep the parts of the world you care about active without forcing Minecraft to calculate a small empire of chunks nobody is using.

For most players, 8 to 14 chunks is a reasonable range. If performance is poor, reduce it. If farms or entities stop too close to the player, increase it slowly. On servers, player count and world layout matter just as much as the number itself.

If simulation distance appears to do nothing, compare it with render distance. Some behavior may be limited by the lower of the two settings, server configuration, or edition-specific rules.

FAQ

What does simulation distance do in Minecraft?

It controls how many nearby chunks keep receiving game updates, including many entity, block, fluid, spawning, and despawning behaviors.

Is higher simulation distance better?

Not always. Higher values keep more chunks active, but they also demand more CPU and memory. A balanced setting is better than a giant number that turns gameplay into a slideshow.

What value should be used?

Start around 8 to 14 chunks, then adjust based on performance and gameplay needs.

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