credit u/Ferosnow95 on r/ultrawidemasterrace
32:9 fix:
- Download a hex editor (I used imhex)
- Open it and Starfield.exe (drag and drop in imhex)
- Ctrl + F -> 8E E3 18 40
- replace with 39 8E 63 40
- Save
FOV fix:
create a “StarfieldCustom.ini” in “Documents\My Games\Starfield”
with the following:
[Camera]
fFPWorldFOV=120
fTPWorldFOV=120
Well that’s so stupid .
I’m pretty dumb when it comes to game development, but are there any downsides or issues that come with making a game compatible with ultra wide?
For missing the FOV option, most of the time it’s some boneheaded decision to keep the console and PC games identical, as the console versions are optimized to handle exactly the amount of stuff that could be on the screen at once with the default FOV. There really is no real reason not to add it in the PC version - quite a few games do have a disclaimer akin to “If you increase the FOV, you might see graphical glitches”, but that’s fine.
As for the super ultrawide there is an actual obstacle, the UI. You often can’t use the same one as you either have them horribly stretched, sitting in the middle kinda blocking your view or spread uselessly all the way at the edges. So someone has to actually do some work to make it work.
As an example, here’s Starfield super ultrawide comparison between the default FOV and 120 degree FOV. You can imagine the performance cost and possible visual glitches you might get from doing that.
Some games go to lengths to add accessibility settings, but then leave out one of the biggest: FOV. It’s crazy it’s left out of any game, or some let you change it but have arbitrarily low limits, ugh. Just let me crank it high if I want, stop imposing random limitations!
Even consoles should have FOV settings. Not every sits the same distance from the same sized screen.
Some console games do, Apex Legends on Xbox and PS have FoV sliders
Thanks for the answer and examples,it make sense I guess. I wish they would just do it to do it rather than require a monetary incentive or something, but I get it is a business after all.
Edit: at least regarding ultra wide, from your post I can see how the super could have some bigger issues that require more time and money to implement for an even smaller percentage of buyers.
One that comes to mind is cutscenes. If something was initially designed with 16:9 in mind, expanding the FoV or aspect ratio could reveal parts of the image the devs don’t want the player to see. For example, using 120 FOV at 21:9 in Fallout 4 makes the edge of the camera clip through walls sometimes.
The solution is just designing it with ultrawide in mind. Ultrawide owners are a pretty small part of the gaming market overall, so it’s not surprising they don’t do it.
That’s kinda the answer I expected. I went the ultra wide route instead of the two 24s due to space and didn’t realize how many games do not support it. It’s not an inconvenience, I just want to be and to use my full screen.
Thanks for the answer.
As a 32:9 user I wouldn’t mind if they showed cutscenes in 16:9 for this reason, if they can’t optimize it. Playing baldur’s gate and everything is in 32:9 but in some cutscenes you can see stuff that shouldn’t happen at the edges sometimes, but it’s no biggie.