The best FoV (Field of View) for Battlefield 2042
To determine the best Field of View in Battlefield 2042, I have surveyed 65 players on their preference. Find out pros and cons brought by a wide FoV.
Generally, there is not a “best” setting for the field of view, but it comes down to your personal preference, the size of your screen and how close you are to it.
You may think of the FoV as a camera zooming in and out. When you increase the FoV, the camera zooms out, improving your peripheral vision.
FoV pros and cons
According to the PC gaming myth, a high FoV value is always the best choice in FPS games because you are able to look at a wider area, which helps to spot any incoming enemy.
The truth is that a high FoV brings both pros and cons.
A high FoV makes targeting more difficult. The wider the FoV, the smaller the enemy on the screen, so you need to be more accurate to hit them.
A low FoV helps your focus. Everything on the screen is bigger, so it is easier to focus on where you are aiming.
Very-low FoV values can also bring motion sickness and issues in close quarters combat as it is harder to keep a fast-moving target on your screen.
Battlefield 2042 uses a vertical Field of View
It is important to point out that in some games (like Overwatch, Apex Legends, and CoD) the FoV is calculated horizontally, while in others (such as R6: Siege, Battlefield, and Escape from Tarkov) it is calculated vertically. Do not forget this difference if you are trying to set the same Field of View in all your games.
Data
I have surveyed 65 PC players on their Field of View preference in Battlefield 2042. The results are displayed in the graph and table below.
| FoV | Votes |
|---|---|
| 50 | 2 |
| 60 | 3 |
| 65 | 2 |
| 70 | 6 |
| 75 | 10 |
| 80 | 12 |
| 85 | 5 |
| 90 | 17 |
| 100 | 8 |
The minimum Field of View allowed by BF 2042 is 0, and the maximum one is 100. Most of the players increased the default FoV value.
The number of players using the default FoV may be higher worldwide, but I gathered my data in Discord servers with many hardcore gamers who are used to adjust all the game options depending on their needs.
In BF 2042, the most used Field of View values are 75, 80 and 90.
70 and 85 are also rather popular, while 100 is the value preferred by those who love a very wide FoV.
Only a few players went below 70, and the lowest value recorded in this survey is 50.
In most online games, the players prefer to maximize the field of view to have a tactical advantage over the opponents, but it looks like this is not the case in Battlefield 2042. In my opinion, this is because of the fisheye lens effect, which is very visible at high FoV values (90+).
I suggest using a very high FoV value (90-100) only if you have a great sight and reflexes. Generally, playing on a wide FoV also requires a better mouse control and speed in order to move faster across the screen, so you need a solid aim as well.
Instead, if you struggle at spotting and aiming enemies at a mid and long range, a lower FoV value will actually benefit your gameplay.
Finally, if performance is an issue, be aware that increasing the FoV will impact negatively your fps because your PC must work harder to render more on the screen. I have tested several games so far, and BF 2042 is the one where I noticed the biggest FPS reduction when increasing the field of view.
FoV on ultrawide monitors
Battlefield 2042 is powered by an updated version of Frostbite Engine 3. The ultrawide support is excellent, and I believe this aspect ratio brings a huge advantage because it improves your view on the surroundings.
I play on a 38 inches ultrawide monitor at about 75 Centimeters / 2.46 Feet of distance, so I can share with you my personal experience.
In my opinion, the standard FoV is too low. After several tests, I believe a FoV around 85-90 is the best option for an ultrawide user as we already enjoy a huge horizontal view with this monitor aspect ratio.
On both the ultrawide and the 16:9 monitors, I noticed the fisheye lens effect at 100 FoV, so I recommend not going past 90. The fisheye effect is a strong visual distortion that in photography is produced with an ultra wide-angle lens. You can occur in it on PC when using a very-high FoV value.
FoV at 16:9 and 21:9
Below, you can find images of the same scene at 50, 70, 80, 90, and 100 FoV, both in 16:9 and 21:9 aspect ratio.
The 16:9 monitor is a standard 24 inches one with a resolution of 1920x1080, while the ultrawide one is a 38 inches display that runs at 3840x1600.
I took the screens on Orbital.
16:9
21:9
Related: How to increase FPS in Battlefield 2042
FoV settings
ADS Field of View
ADS Field of View enables/disables the field of view scaling when aiming down iron sights.
This option depends on your personal preference, but I recommend putting it on Off as you will be able to zoom further away.
If enabled, it keeps your FoV setting also when ADS, so you will have a better view of your surroundings while aiming.
Vehicle 3P Field of View
I have not gathered data on the vehicle field of view, but generally you want it as high as possible because with high FoV values you can see the rear of the vehicle, so you will be able to notice a sneaky enemy trying to place an explosive.
The suggested FoV values for Vehicle 3P Field of View are 90 and 95, however, I often prefer a modest 60-70 FoV because it is less straining for your eyes.
Console FoV and game performance
We must be very grateful to the DICE / Ripple Effect Studios developers because (although we are in 2021) only a limited number of games provides a FoV slider on console.
Generally, on console a wide FoV isn’t required because many people play on a TV placed across the room, but if you utilize a monitor positioned in front of you, I suggest increasing the FoV value.
Considering the data from the survey, I recommend trying a field of view value from 75 to 90.
Be aware: I read different threads on this topic, and several players complained about frame drops when increasing the FoV, especially while spawning.
