The best FoV (Field of View) for CoD Vanguard
To determine the best Field of View in Call of Duty Vanguard, I have surveyed 66 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 to 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.
CoD uses a horizontal Field of View
It is important to point out that in some games (like Overwatch, Apex Legends, and Splitgate) 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.
In specific, Call of Duty Vanguard uses a horizontal field of view based on the 16:9 aspect ratio.
60 horizontal FoV is equal to 47 vertical FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 36 with a 16:9 one.
80 horizontal FoV is equal to 65 vertical FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 51 with a 16:9 one.
100 horizontal FoV is equal to 84 vertical FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 68 with a 16:9 one.
120 horizontal FoV is equal to 105 vertical FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 89 with a 16:9 one.
Data
I have surveyed 66 PC players on their Field of View preference in CoD Vanguard. The results are displayed in the graph and table below.
| Field of View | Votes |
|---|---|
| 90 | 8 |
| 100 | 12 |
| 103 | 7 |
| 105 | 5 |
| 110 | 19 |
| 120 | 15 |
The minimum FoV is 60, the default is 80, and the maximum is 120.
Among the surveyed, nobody uses the default 80 FoV. 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.
There is not a “best” field of view: 90 is the lowest value recorded in this survey, and the most popular ones are 100, 110, and 120.
The majority of players prefer a FoV of 100 or above. Note that 103 is often considered the sweet spot (this is also the most popular choice in PUBG), and it is equal to 71 vertical FoV.
I suggest using a very high FoV value (110-120) 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.
FoV on ultrawide monitors
Call of Duty Vanguard is powered by an upgraded version of IW 8.0 engine. 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 80 FoV is too low. After several tests, I believe a FoV around 110-120 is the best option for an ultrawide user as we already enjoy a huge horizontal view with this monitor aspect ratio.
I have not detected the fisheye lens effect at 120 FoV on the 16:9 monitor, but it did on the ultrawide. 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.
Honestly, the fisheye effect is barely noticeable while fighting, so I will keep playing with a 120 FoV. However, if you can’t stand it at all, just drop the field of view to 110.
FoV at 16:9 and 21:9
Below, you can find images of the same scene at 60, 80, 100, and 120 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 Red Star and Gatuvu.
16:9
21:9
Related: How to increase FPS in CoD Vanguard
Console FoV and game performance
Call of Duty Vanguard is also available on Playstation and Xbox. I compared the images on PC and consoles, and it looks like the field of view on console is locked to about 60-80 (during the Beta).
On September 7th, Adam Iscove, senior development director at Sledgehammer Games, shared a screenshot of CoD Vanguard’s graphics settings on Twitter, which shows the FoV slider.
Sam Leichtamer, community strategist at Sledgehammer Games, confirmed in a retweet that the slider will be available also on consoles.
We don’t know yet which consoles will have it, however, considering the game is not performing exceptionally well on the old generation (in some instances, it also drops below 30 fps), I believe that only PS5 and Xbox Series X will have access to it.
Generally, on console a wide FoV isn’t strictly 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 as soon as it is available.
Considering the data from the survey, I recommend trying a field of view value from 100 to 120.
