See all glossary termsThe Field of View (FOV) is the angle of the opening through which a camera sees the scene. A smaller FOV will make the camera appear to zoom in, flatten perspective, and make edges less angled. A larger FOV will make the camera see more of the scene and make the perspective more pronounced, deforming shapes along the edges.
The FOV is the angle between the left and right edges of the camera's view, usually measured in degrees.
A value of 75 to 90 degrees is common for first-person shooters, while for top-down games like Tunic or Diablo, a lower value helps to make the size of mobs and the environment more consistent across the screen.
Animating the FOV can be used to emphasize the emotional state of a character in a horror game, for example, to make a location feel more claustrophobic or to make a target seem like it's getting farther away.
Another common use of increasing the FOV is to make the player feel like they're moving faster, as the perspective deforms more quickly, giving the impression of speed. Many games subtly increase the FOV when the player sprints or drives a vehicle to make the experience more immersive.
It's also a common technique to use a lower FOV when aiming down sights in first-person shooters to make the view more focused and make it easier to aim at distant targets.