The best FoV (Field of View) for PUBG
To determine the best Field of View in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, I have surveyed 62 players on their preference. Find out pros and cons brought by a wide FoV.
Note: this is mainly an article for First Person Perspective mode (FPP) players because the field of view in PUBG is locked in Third Person Perspective mode (TPP).
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 shooters 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.
PUBG 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, PUBG uses a horizontal field of view based on the 16:9 aspect ratio.
90 horizontal FoV is equal to 74 vertical FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 59 with a 16:9 one.
103 horizontal FoV is equal to 87 vertical FoV with a 4:3 aspect ratio and to 71 with a 16:9 one.
Data
I have surveyed 62 PC players on their Field of View preference in PUBG. The results are displayed in the graph and table below.
| Field of View | Votes |
|---|---|
| 85 | 3 |
| 86 | 1 |
| 90 | 12 |
| 95 | 9 |
| 98 | 4 |
| 100 | 6 |
| 103 | 27 |
Most of the players increased the default FoV value of 90.
I believe that the percentage of players using a 90 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.
Almost no one decided to decrease the FoV, and 85 is the lowest value registered.
95, 100, and 103 are the most popular choices among those who love a wide FoV.
Note: some players didn’t consider sufficient the maximum field of view allowed by PUBG as they are used to a 90 vertical FoV with a 16:9 aspect ratio, which requires a 120-121 horizontal FoV.
I suggest using a high FoV value (100-103) 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, the default 90 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
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is powered by Unreal Engine 4. The ultrawide support in FPP is flawless, and I believe this aspect ratio brings a huge advantage because it improves your view on the surroundings.
The situation is different in TPP where the engine trades some height for width, so you end losing vertical space both at the bottom and at the top of the image. Even if not perfect, this solution is acceptable as you can still enjoy the extra vision at your sides.
Instead, an example of a terrible ultrawide implementation is the system used by Overwatch where the game zooms in when using a 21:9 monitor, so you gain no extra width and still lose vertical space.
My experience with an ultrawide monitor
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.
Playing in third-person mode is very enjoyable even with the vertical restriction. At the end of the day, this game doesn’t require staring at the sky (no flying opponents luckily :P), so you won’t even notice the difference gameplay-wise.
Playing in first-person mode is amazing! I might be biased because I prefer this perspective, but it is really breathtaking on an ultrawide monitor.
I feel constrained at lower FoV values, so I prefer maxing out the field of view in PUBG, but note that the choice really depends on your personal preference.
I have not detected the fisheye lens effect at 103 FoV. 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 80 (the minimum value allowed by the game), 90, and 103 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 all the screens on the training map.
16:9
21:9
FoV on consoles
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is available also on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In the past, the field of view was locked on consoles, but Bluehole added a FoV slider in FPP with the patch released on December 21st, 2018.
This is great news as it shows that even if a FoV option isn’t supported initially (mostly to not hinder the game performance on consoles) the developers can optimize the game over time and finally implement it.
The PUBG default field of view in FPP is set to 90. Generally, on console a wide FoV isn’t required because many players play on a TV placed across the room, but if you use 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 above 90.
Performance-wise, I do not have exact info on the impact of a wider FoV on your fps. Please feel free to share your experience on Xbox One and PS4 as I believe that many players are interested on the topic.
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Header image: PUBG Corporation
