FOV Opinions Please

[Ian Cameron]

Have played around with FOV settings since the beginning. Have used the calculators, one suggests 31, one says 35 and another says 59 according to my monitor size and position from me.
Width 19" Height 10.5" Distance to eyes 30". None have felt right.
So I decided to try and go for a more natural look as you would see behind the wheel. Set FOV to 65
set seat position to how I think it would look. Have uploaded a video for some feedback on this, apologies for quality it was recorded using frapps, and forgive the spin off. Also used is FaceTrackNOIR.
Not my best lap but I go more for realism than breaking records, although any feedback on this would be appreciated.

 

[Andrey Varlamov]

Should i use vert fov for ac which comes out at 20.4 fov somewhat different from what has been suggested at 35-37° or what?

You "should" use the FOV, which is most comfortable to you. Start with default then cut it in 5 to 50, drive for couple of days, if OK cut it in another 5 to 45, drive and so on until you feel it became undriveable - then return to previous value (+5). Yeah, there is "real" FOV but most important is to enjoy the process .

 

[Joao Alves]

Any help with my 29" ultra wide monitor, sitting about 54" away. The calc says 27 does that sound right

You've calculated for horizontal FOV. AC uses vertical. And in redoing it, you should get 12.1. Though, I don't think anyone would actually use that low of an FOV...

 

[Ian Cameron]

Ok played with this calculator. Monitor 22" corner to corner, 25" from eyes to screen
AC verfov says 25 this was totally unplayable corners came up real fast and kept missing them, then I tried 37 as suggested by someone else earlier, this felt alot better.
then I tried pcars setting of 42. now this felt better still, may need to adjust seat position a bit more, have posted images see what you think

 

[Stig Bidstrup]

The correct Fov is the one that gets you around the track in the fastest way..
and that's a individual thing...for me Fov s under 55 look strange ( like zoom)
I cant judge distance...( braking ) the stopwatch will tell the right FOV..
Stig Bidstrup

 

[Fieldy]

You've calculated for horizontal FOV. AC uses vertical. And in redoing it, you should get 12.1. Though, I don't think anyone would actually use that low of an FOV...

agree gone with 34 and it looks/feels good

 

[Niki Đaković]

The correct Fov is the one that gets you around the track in the fastest way..
and that's a individual thing...for me Fov s under 55 look strange ( like zoom)
I cant judge distance...( braking ) the stopwatch will tell the right FOV..
Stig Bidstrup

Sure you can. All of us started with huge FOVs in our early days. If you can drive any car, then you can drive any FOV too. Its just matter of what is the best in long term.

 

[Kim Eriksson]

The calculator for assetto corsa linked here earlier gave me 21.2 degree FOV, i tried it but no way. Then I increased it by 5, that felt better but still not right as i wanted to see the instruments in the car while driving, so i increased the FOV until it was just right. That was 35 degrees. Now before calculating it i was using 43-45 degree fov, but 35 is about as low as i can go and still enjoy racing.

 

[Ian Cameron]

Image of my setup using 42 degrees and relative position of my DFGT wheel

25" from monitor

 

[Cote Dazur]

Have now adjusted my position I'm now 25" away from screen, so vfov for ac is now 24.3
pcars puts it at 42

Ian, 24 Vertical degree FOV for Assetto Corsa is very enjoyable, it is also what I use .
You will not see mirrors or gauges but the perspective and radius are all good, so is the proximity of the other cars when you are following an other competitor. either AI or MP.
Sure anyone can use any value, some even believe there is a 'standard" since the game launches with a set value.
There is only one way to set a proper FOV, it depends on 3 values: how far are you from the screen, what is the diagonal size of the screen and what image ratio are you using ( 16:9, etc...) Ac uses the Vertical value, Pcars uses the Horizontal value.
Those 3 value give you your FOV, nothing complicated or confusing about it.
We all thought, after years of console playing from across the leaving room that .having everything distorted was the way to go, some of us still do.
Cockpit view on most set up will not allow to see most of the car interior, mirrors and gauges, we would need to be able to move our head for that, with a very wide screen positioned close enough to the wheel you can recreate part of it, Oculus Rift might fix that for us.
But, I can guarantee that after spending time playing with different value, like we all did since it takes a little bit of time getting it, you will end up realizing that the only way to get a SIM experience is using the calculated ( proper ) FOV.
If you have to see the mirrors and the gauges, get a bigger screen or triples, you will not spending much time looking at them when you race anyway.

 

[Ian Cameron]

Interesting points you make.
I will give fov of 24 a go and see how i fare
Although when i tried it found it very difficult to see bends in time and ended up loosing it on them. Just have to practice more i guess.

 

[ouvert]

basic rule: Whatever works for you best .. for me and my 23inch screen about 60cm far it is somewhere between 43-47 .. works perfectly fine in every sim except AC ... in AC it is good in regards of proportion and distances but no way I`m able to get the sense of speed the same way as in GSCE, GTR Evo or R3E (except openwhellers).. so every time I run AC I need few laps to adapt or I just go for bumper view (that is too wide)

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

FOV in and of itself is not a matter of preference, it's a setting that when done right will make it easier for your brain to believe that what you are seeing on screen is real, because the dimensions are as close to real life as possible so your brain can start believing.
When you use the calculator mentioned with your screen size and distance from your eyes, what you get is The Correct FOV, no other number, higher or lower, will be correct.
Using the correct FOV, or at least something very close to it (+/- 5 degrees at max) makes a HUGE difference, but it also takes time to get used to, you need to stick with it for several hours before you give it up!
Using the right FOV introduces a problem though, you get virtually no peripheral vision! This is why people use triple monitors and TrackIR etc. Using the wrong FOV is not the solution imo, get a bigger screen, get more screens, learn to race carefully, learn to use "look left/right", use virtual mirrors, whatever, the right FOV is THE RIGHT, get used to it!

Here's a great video explaining FOV:

One thing I think many people get wrong when they adjust their FOV and seat in racing games is that they seem to approach it from the perspective that they are seated right at the monitor, aka the monitor should show what your eyes would be seeing, which is not how it should be. The monitor should act as a "window into the game world", your eyes should be where your eyes are, the wheel ingame should be where your physical wheel is, aka you should not see the ingame wheel, even if it is turned on your physical wheel should be in the way and cover it up.

This thread is also a good read and explains things well:
http://isiforums.net/f/showthread.php/93-Setting-up-your-rFactor-FOV-Tutorial

 

[Metla]

lets see, 120" screen, chair 132 inches from screen.

FOV calculator gives me 25.1.

Meaningless for my level of immersion, I adjust it until my brain says it feels good (about 42 at the moment) and then I run in a crap load of laps, Not when a calculator tells me my brain will like it best.

Hardcore fov proponents are a strange bunch.

 

[Ian Cameron]

lets see, 120" screen, chair 132 inches from screen.

FOV calculator gives me 25.1.

Meaningless for my level of immersion, I adjust it until my brain says it feels good (about 42 at the moment) and then I run in a crap load of laps, Not when a calculator tells me my brain will like it best.

Hardcore fov proponents are a strange bunch.

Sure your measurements are correct?

 

[Metla]

Sure your measurements are correct?

are you going to correct me?

 

[Ian Cameron]

Just saying 132" from screen thats along way

 

[Metla]

Yeah, But shes a big screen. Currently my seating position is defined by the table my projector sits on, then we have the steering wheel stand, and then my seat. Next place Im hoping to mount the projector on the ceiling but can't do that here.

Anyhow, Its a big experience, screaming down the chase at Bathurst gives ya a buzz like no other set-up Ive tried. Though I'm sure the fov and the scale is all out of whack.

 

[Ian Cameron]

Yeah, But shes a big screen. Currently my seating position is defined by the table my projector sits on, then we have the steering wheel stand, and then my seat. Next place Im hoping to mount the projector on the ceiling but can't do that here.

Anyhow, Its a big experience, screaming down the chase at Bathurst gives ya a buzz like no other set-up Ive tried. Though I'm sure the fov and the scale is all out of whack.

I see sorry assumed you had a normal set up.
Must be quite a buzz almost as if you were there

 

[Metla]

Only until I hit the barrier at 250km/h.

Breaks immersion.

Might need to adjust fov.

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

lets see, 120" screen, chair 132 inches from screen.

FOV calculator gives me 25.1.

Meaningless for my level of immersion, I adjust it until my brain says it feels good (about 42 at the moment) and then I run in a crap load of laps, Not when a calculator tells me my brain will like it best.

Hardcore fov proponents are a strange bunch.

Run whatever you feel like, but FOV is basic math, there's no point in arguing about it's validity.
Ofc you should feel comfortable running the FOV you are running, but it might not feel comfortable at first running the right FOV, getting used to it is worthwhile though.
And no, we're not strange, we just like it when what we see makes sense.