The best FoV (Field of View) for Escape from Tarkov
To determine the best Field of View in Escape from Tarkov, I have surveyed 172 players on their preference. Find out pros and cons brought by a wide FoV.
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.
Escape from Tarkov uses a vertical 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, Escape from Tarkov uses a vertical field of view based on the 16:9 aspect ratio.
50 vertical FoV is equal to 63 horizontal FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 79 with a 16:9 one.
60 vertical FoV is equal to 75 horizontal FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 91 with a 16:9 one.
65 vertical FoV is equal to 80 horizontal FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 97 with a 16:9 one.
70 vertical FoV is equal to 86 horizontal FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 102 with a 16:9 one.
75 vertical FoV is equal to 91 horizontal FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 107 with a 16:9 one.
Data
I have surveyed 172 players on their Field of View preference in Escape from Tarkov. The results are displayed in the graph and table below.
| Field of View | Votes |
|---|---|
| 50 | 36 |
| 60 | 25 |
| 65 | 18 |
| 70 | 10 |
| 75 | 83 |
Escape from Tarkov’s default FoV is 50. I believe that the percentage of players using this value 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.
A sizable percentage of players also opted for a FoV value around 60-65.
I recommend trying 59 as it is equal to 90 horizontal field of view, which is the standard in several online games.
63 is considered the sweet spot for many players. 50 and 75 have their own advantages and disadvantages, instead, an intermediate value such as 63 (94 horizontal) retains most of the positive aspects while minimizing the negative ones (for example, the vignette effect disappears from most scopes).
75 is the most popular choice, but several players don’t consider sufficient the maximum field of view allowed by Escape from Tarkov as they are used to a 90 vertical FoV with a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is equal to a 120 horizontal FoV.
I suggest using a high FoV value (75) 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 might actually benefit your gameplay.
In the Twitch clip below, the player notices that he would have not been able to spot the target at the same distance if he used a 75 FoV value.
Edit: the clip is no longer available.
Performance
In most games, increasing the FoV can impact negatively your FPS because your PC must work harder to render more on the screen.
This is not the case in Tarkov as often you have a worse frame rate at lower FoV values because the game is “zoomed in”, and thus it loads more details in your visual that, otherwise, would have remained hidden.
The actual fps gain depends on your machine, but generally we talk about 2-5 frames on average.
ADS and hip fire FoV
ADS stands for aiming down sights. It refers to using iron sights or a scope, as opposed to hip firing.
Below, you can find images of the same scenes at 50, 60, and 75 FoV. The monitor is a standard 24 inches one with a resolution of 1920x1080.
I took all the screens on Woods, Interchange, and Customs.
Hip fire
ADS
Game engine and FoV
I recommend watching the following video by Gambet as he shows several locations using different Field of View values, and explains pros and cons brought by a high FoV in Tarkov.
When widening the FoV from 50 to 75, your view on the surroundings increases by 40%.
The engine must show a bigger portion of the world while using the same screen space, so it stretches and distorts the environment.
In particular, the furthest the target is located, the worst the distortion becomes, and all the objects are smaller: it is harder to spot, aim, and attack the target.
Variable zoom scopes
Variable zoom scopes get benefits at higher FoV values.
The wider the FoV, the larger the scope becomes, and you can see a bigger area around it.
At lower FoV values there is a great amount of vignette inside the scope, which limits your viewable area (it also depends on the scope used).
The target is bigger with a wider FoV (when using a magnification scope).
In the images below, Gambet demonstrates the enormous visibility difference with a scope at 50 and 75 FoV.
Select an image to enlarge it.
Red dot accuracy bug
There are numerous bugs with red dots at high field of view values. Your bullets are less accurate than they should be because the trajectory is distorted, so it is harder to line up your hits.
The Tarkov developers programmed the optics based on a 50 field of view value. If you increase the FoV, the environment stretches, but the weapon models do not, so hits become misaligned the closer you get to 75.
In the video below, SmashMaster tested all laser and reflex sights in the game, and found out that some of them are affected by the bug while others work correctly. I warmly recommend checking out his review as you can have a better idea of the bug effects and learn the best sights to use at high FoV values.
He also shared the following list that distributes all reflex sights into three categories based on their deviation.
FoV on ultrawide monitors
Escape from Tarkov is powered by Unity. The ultrawide support is excellent, and I believe this aspect ratio brings a considerable 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 50 FoV is too low: I have experienced motion sickness when moving quickly, especially in indoor spaces. After several tests, I believe that 60 and 65 are the best options 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 75 FoV, and some players might prefer this wider field of view. 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.
Menu problems with a 21:9 aspect ratio
There is only one issue with ultrawide monitors: menus and inventory are not optimized for the 21:9 aspect ratio.
They are not broken or stretched, but they are just a zoomed in version of the standard ones. Honestly, you will get used to them quickly, and maybe you may feel uncomfortable only when using the traders (they require scrolling).
The Tarkov fanbase found a method to fix the game and display the proper ultrawide resolution in menus, but it was broken in a successive game update. Hopefully, the developers will adjust them before the final game release.
The following images, shared by reddit user seancreynolds, show trader and inventory menus at the proper resolution and when zoomed in.
Header image: Battlestate Games
