Field of view (FOV) is abysmal or is it just me?

[Dbentzjr]

I try to get into this game, but even if I max out the fov, it still feels like Im viewing things from a camera on a fishing pole at the front of a cruise ship while trying to steer from a mile behind me at the back of the ship. Im probably being a little overly sarcastic, but thats honestly what it feels like. I usually love a 100-110 fov, but 100 fov in No Man's Sky feels like it would equal out to be anywhere from 50-70 in some other first person games I would typically play.

Also, I would like it if when I am sitting in my ship, if I look around with the camera and I let go of the controls, they should stay where I am looking, not try to automatically recenter. Its the little things that have been making it frustrating for me to really start enjoying and getting deeper into this game.

[Kobs]

Get a VR headset, you'll be able to see all around you (through a large or small diving mask depending on the headset)

[Dbentzjr]

If the fov is this bad on a 4k monitor I definitely definitely do not want to see this in vr. I am mostly against vr anyhow because I dont want to risk ruining my eyesight or damaging my stuff by wearing a helmet while gaming. I just prefer the good old fashioned tv experience. Other games typically have great fov sliders, and yet nms has been out for a long while now and its still as sorely lacking in this area as it has been since day one. All I want is better fitting perspective while Im exploring.

[Jaggid Edje]

You can change it beyond what the game settings allow by opening the file:

steamapps\common\No Man's Sky\Binaries\SETTINGS\TKGRAPHICSSETTINGS.MXML

It can be edited with any simple text editor, including windows' built in Notepad. The values you want to change are:

<Property name="FoVOnFoot" value="100.000000" />
<Property name="FoVInShip" value="100.000000" />

I have it set to 140 for "on foot" and 110 for "in Ship" and I'm quite content with that setting. I agree with you regarding the game's FOV without that edit.

[davidb11]

My FOV is as it's always been, 80 or 90, and it is perfectly fine.

Try playing at those numbers.

[Dbentzjr]

Originally posted by Jaggid Edje:

You can change it beyond what the game settings allow by opening the file:

steamapps\common\No Man's Sky\Binaries\SETTINGS\TKGRAPHICSSETTINGS.MXML

It can be edited with any simple text editor, including windows' built in Notepad. The values you want to change are:

<Property name="FoVOnFoot" value="100.000000" />
<Property name="FoVInShip" value="100.000000" />

I have it set to 140 for "on foot" and 110 for "in Ship" and I'm quite content with that setting. I agree with you regarding the game's FOV without that edit.

I just tested out your settings and that feels SIGNIFICANTLY better. Its perfect!!! Thank you so much for the help!!!

I have no idea why nms's ingame fov slider doesn't offer a broader range be default, that seems broken or overlooked to me. its like they limit you to pour yourself only 3/4 of your cup of coffee each time lol 😅

Seriously, walking around feels TONS more natural and smoother with that 140 fov. Thank you and God bless you.

[Sintek]

Originally posted by Dbentzjr:

I have no idea why nms's ingame fov slider doesn't offer a broader range be default, that seems broken or overlooked to me.

More than likely for performance reasons. Higher FOVs require much more of your surroundings to be rendered in real time.

[EvilPolygons]

My FOV is set to 120 in the config file and it feels fine. I actually prefer a 130 FOV but it causes way too much camera clipping (especially in the cockpit).

[Jaggid Edje]

Originally posted by EvilPolygons:

My FOV is set to 120 in the config file and it feels fine. I actually prefer a 130 FOV but it causes way too much camera clipping (especially in the cockpit).

You can set it separately for cockpit vs. on foot, as I detailed above. That's why I have it set lower for the cockpit one myself.

[wkitty42]

Originally posted by Dbentzjr:

I try to get into this game, but even if I max out the fov, it still feels like Im viewing things from a camera on a fishing pole at the front of a cruise ship while trying to steer from a mile behind me at the back of the ship. Im probably being a little overly sarcastic, but thats honestly what it feels like. I usually love a 100-110 fov, but 100 fov in No Man's Sky feels like it would equal out to be anywhere from 50-70 in some other first person games I would typically play.

i'm guessing, by this last sentence, that you are actually talking about the FOV while in 1st person mode??

i generally play in 3rd person mode when on foot as 1st person just feels too restrictive and odd... like, i have the camera set to be at eye level but i almost always seem to have grass and ground cover in my face... almost like my eyes are in my knees... no, i'm not playing as a Gek...

when i'm flying, on the other hand, i do use 1st person mode so i can see the HUD/radar in the ship and be more aware of my surroundings...

[Dbentzjr]

Originally posted by wkitty42:

Originally posted by Dbentzjr:

I try to get into this game, but even if I max out the fov, it still feels like Im viewing things from a camera on a fishing pole at the front of a cruise ship while trying to steer from a mile behind me at the back of the ship. Im probably being a little overly sarcastic, but thats honestly what it feels like. I usually love a 100-110 fov, but 100 fov in No Man's Sky feels like it would equal out to be anywhere from 50-70 in some other first person games I would typically play.

i'm guessing, by this last sentence, that you are actually talking about the FOV while in 1st person mode??

i generally play in 3rd person mode when on foot as 1st person just feels too restrictive and odd... like, i have the camera set to be at eye level but i almost always seem to have grass and ground cover in my face... almost like my eyes are in my knees... no, i'm not playing as a Gek...

when i'm flying, on the other hand, i do use 1st person mode so i can see the HUD/radar in the ship and be more aware of my surroundings...

Normally I can't stand to play this for more than a few minutes because of the fov and yeah I mean in first person mode. After applying Jaggid Edje's solution, I was able to become fully immersed and I actually enjoyed playing for a couple of hours. I use 3rd person while flying because to me, the cockpit seems too restrictive lol. I actually had a blast starting a new game, and I look forward to spending more time now that I understand how the fov works.

I did do this a very long time ago, but I had forgotten that this solution even existed as these days, I much expect games to have these things ready to go in the options. Again, i still dont know why the fov slider in the game's menu is so restricted. I very much enjoy the new 140 fov which really feels like a true 110 perspective if you ask me. Anyhow, Im just happy that I can enjoy playing nms in 1st person without the "camera on a stick" perspective now lmao 😂

[davidb11]

I'm not sure how 140 FOV would be enjoyable because of how completely distorted that high of an FOV would be.

At least 90 FOV is visable.
140 would distort the window into basically constant moving at super-human speeds, and the whole world is contracted around you.

That's how increasing the FOV works in every game.
It gets to insane levels fast.

[Dbentzjr]

Originally posted by davidb11:

I'm not sure how 140 FOV would be enjoyable because of how completely distorted that high of an FOV would be.

At least 90 FOV is visable.
140 would distort the window into basically constant moving at super-human speeds, and the whole world is contracted around you.

That's how increasing the FOV works in every game.
It gets to insane levels fast.

You are correct, however, as I mentioned earlier, the fov in nms is skewed somehow. the maximum fov of 100 in game is nowehere close to true 100 fov. This is why I needed the fix, and by editing in 140 fov in the game manually, we reach a respectable 110 fov, how it SHOULD look. Its not distorted beyond what a normal 110 fov would be under normal conditions. I have no idea maybe they are using common core math or something lol... I respect the developers and Im not trying to disrespect them in any way, but Im just stating some facts. Im not the only person Im sure, who finds the default maximum fov in the game alarmingly low.

[Jaggid Edje]

@davidb11, 140 is not actually very high of an FoV at all when you are in 1st person mode.

Don't confuse the number that No Man's Sky uses in that file for the way other games control FoV. In No Man's Sky, you are NOT setting your FoV for 'what you see' to 140 degrees when you set that to 140.

In most games, when you set a slider for FoV, that's what you are doing. You are setting either the horizontal or vertical number of degrees that will be rendered on screen.

In No Man's Sky, the Field of View varies depending on what view you are in. Flying in Space, Using Thrusters in Space, Pulse jumping....all have different Field of Views. Same with when you are foot, there's 3rd person, 1st person, when you are shooting your multitool, when you are inside a derelict freighter....all of those things and more have different field of views.
All the various FoV's that are conditional depending on what you are doing are fixed values set in the games exml files. So, in NMS, when you set the Field of view in options, what you are setting is a modifier that is applied to all of those different FoV's.

140 is actually probably around 90 to 95 degrees of FoV when on foot in 1st person.

[davidb11]

Ah. I mean, the game is perfectly fine for me at like 80 or 90 FOV in the settings.

[Jaggid Edje]

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