The best FoV (Field of View) for Destiny 2
To determine the best Field of View in Destiny 2, I have surveyed 58 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 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, while with a high FoV it is simpler to spot and keep track of enemies.
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.
Destiny 2 uses a horizontal Field of View
It is important to point out that in some games (like Overwatch and Apex Legends) the FoV is calculated horizontally, while in others (such as R6: Siege) 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, Destiny 2 uses a horizontal field of view.
72 horizontal FoV is equal to 58 vertical FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 45 with a 16:9 one.
85 horizontal FoV is equal to 69 vertical FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 55 with a 16:9 one.
95 horizontal FoV is equal to 79 vertical FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 64 with a 16:9 one.
105 horizontal FoV is equal to 89 vertical FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 73 with a 16:9 one.
Data
I have surveyed 58 players on their Field of View preference in Destiny 2. The results are displayed in the graph and table below. Only PC players.
| Field of View | Votes |
|---|---|
| 90 | 6 |
| 95 | 11 |
| 100 | 4 |
| 105 | 37 |
The minimum FoV value in Destiny 2 is 55, the maximum is 105, and the default on PC is 85.
I believe that the percentage of players using a 85 FoV is actually 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.
The great majority of the players prefers to max out the FoV, and several ones also claimed that 105 horizontal FoV is still not wide enough: they want a 121/122 FoV because it is equal to 90 vertical FoV with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
A few players noticed the Fisheye effect with a 105 FoV, and those are mostly the ones who lowered it to 90 or 95.
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. Some players tolerate or don’t mind it, others just can’t stand it.
FoV on ultrawide monitors
Destiny 2 is powered by Umbra 3, and the ultrawide support is glorious. I believe this aspect ratio brings a huge advantage because it improves your view on the surroundings.
I play on a 34 inches ultrawide monitor at about 50-60 Centimeters / 1.6-1.9 Feet of distance, so I can share with you my personal experience.
The standard 85 FoV is not sufficient even with this aspect ratio, so you really want to increase it to 105. I have not noticed the fisheye lens effect at any FoV value.
FoV at 16:9 and 21:9
Below, you can find images of the same scene at 72, 85, 95, and 105 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 34 inches display that runs at 2560x1080.
I took the screens on Mercury and Io.
16:9
21:9
FoV on consoles
Destiny 2 is available also on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The default field of view on console is 72, and there isn’t a FoV slider.
A huge portion of the playerbase demanded its addition, but unfortunately their prayers will remain unanswered because the current generation of consoles is barely able to handle Destiny 2 at 30 FPS, thus increasing the FoV would crush the frames.
In the interview below by IGN, Bungie’s representatives Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy explained that even the PS4 Pro is not powerful enough to run Destiny 2 at 60 FPS because their game is a simulation rich of AI, physics, collisions, players, networking and projectiles - there isn’t enough CPU power.
