In Team Fortress 2, FoV or Field of View is one of the most important settings. And that’s because it controls how much of the map can be seen at any given time. Based on the aspect ratio of your rendering resolution, some FoV values might be better than others.
In this guide, you will learn the basics of how FoV works and how to change FoV in TF2.
How to Change FoV in TF2
Changing the value of the Field of View setting in Team Fortress 2 is quite simple. All you need to do is to open the Options menu, find the Video tab, and then click on the “Advanced…” button. There, you will find the Field of View setting. Its value can range from 75.00 to 90.00.
To better understand how FoV works in TF2, you should experiment with 3 different values: 75, 83, and 90. The first value is the default, so you should pick 90 first to see what the other extreme looks like. Then, to get a more balanced result, pick 83.
Experimenting with the 3 values above will help you learn more about your preferences. There’s no correct answer here, so you should test everything yourself.
TF2 FoV and Resolution
FoV is a way of zooming in and out. When you increase the value of the FoV setting, you’re telling the in-game camera to zoom out. And when you decrease it, you’re telling it to zoom in. In turn, this can affect peripheral vision.
Having a high Field of View allows you to see more, but what you see is smaller in scale. This means that you may get the informational benefit, but you may not be able to utilize it unless you’re good at the game. Your ability to aim well is much more important when you play with high PoV than when you play with low PoV.
The main advantage of utilizing a low PoV value is the target scale. What you see on your screen will be bigger, and that makes hitting a target a bit easier.
High FoV is an advantage for experienced players who don’t mind having to hit smaller targets. But for novice players, using the default TF2 FoV value is the best way.
One disadvantage of using a low FoV value in TF2 can be felt when fighting at close range. Keeping track of fast-moving targets is more difficult when those targets are bigger.
One disadvantage of using a high FoV value is decreasing your number of frames per second. The higher the FoV, the harder your computer must work to render all the information on your screen.
FoV and Monitor Size
The ideal aspect ratio for TF2 is 16:9. That’s what most monitors will offer you, and you should also utilize it inside the game. To do this, go to Options and select the Video tab. There, on the left, you will see the Aspect Ratio setting. Make sure its value is 16:9.
When playing with a 16:9 aspect ratio, any FoV value is viable. Experienced players like to use the maximum value (90) simply because they know how to utilize it to their advantage. But if you’re not an expert, stick to 75 for now.
When utilizing an ultrawide monitor, you will gain a significant advantage horizontally because you’ll see more of what’s in front of you to the left and right of your vision. But you may have trouble spotting enemies on the upper side of your screen because some of the information will get cropped.
Here’s a list of the possible monitor ratios and their resolutions:
- 32:27 – 1280 x 1080p
- 4:3 – 1440 x 1080p
- 16:10 – 1728 x 1080p
- 16:9 – 1920 x 1080p
- 2:1 – 2160 x 1080p
- 64:27 – 2560 x 1080p
- 32:9 – 3840 x 1080p
Of course, if you already have an ultrawide monitor, you probably won’t want to change it to optimize your TF2 experience. But it’s essential to remember that there are some advantages and disadvantages when playing on such monitors.
The FoV value changes depending on your monitor’s aspect ratio. On wider monitors, it is higher, while on smaller monitors, it is lower. The logic of that is easy to understand. When you play on a small monitor, you need to be more zoomed in to see and understand what’s going on.
On wider monitors, that’s not an issue, so you can use a bigger FoV value, or one zoomed out.
Conclusion
If you want to change your FoV in TF2, pick a value appropriate for your monitor size and skill level. Don’t just use the maximum value just because other players do.
