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Controls how far detailed objects, shadows or simulation elements remain active.
FPS
High
Visual
High
VRAM
Low
CPU
Very high
Latency
None
What it does
Higher view distance can pressure both the CPU and GPU by keeping more objects and detail visible.
Games may also call it: Draw Distance, Level of Detail Distance, LOD Distance
Decision guide
Lower it when
Lower it when dense open worlds are CPU-bound or 1% lows collapse while moving quickly.
Keep it high when
Keep it high when pop-in is distracting and the CPU still has headroom.
Handheld advice
Medium often protects frame-time stability better than dropping purely visual effects.
Restart
Usually not required
Some games still apply changes only after reloading a scene or restarting.
Do not overread the meter
Some games separate object, foliage and shadow distance.