TF2 FOV: how to change your field of view and viewmodel FOV

Team Fortress 2 has two field of view settings. fov_desired sets how much of the map you see. viewmodel_fov sets how your own weapon is drawn in front of you. This page shows how to change both, in the menu or with a console command, and gives the limits from Valve's own code.

How to change FOV in TF2

In the menu. Open Options, go to the Video tab and click Advanced. The wiki's update history places the field of view slider there, moved from the Multiplayer tab.
In the console. Open the console, type fov_desired 90 and press Enter.
In a config. Put the line fov_desired 90 in your autoexec.cfg. The config maker writes it for you: the setting is called Field of view, in the View and mouse group.

TF2 FOV command: fov_desired, from 75 to 90

The FOV command is fov_desired. It is 75 by default and 90 is the highest value, so the max FOV in TF2 is fov_desired 90. The command itself takes numbers down to 20, but the server reads your value and holds it between 75 and 90. A number under 75 plays as 75.

The Team Fortress 2 wiki notes that the field of view also changes with the aspect ratio: up to 106 degrees for fov_desired 90 on a 16:9 screen.

The fov command sets the field of view to the number you give it; its code has no 75 to 90 limit. It works only while sv_cheats is 1, so it is for a map you started yourself, like the other cheat commands.

Command	What it does
`fov_desired <number>`	Your field of view. 75 by default, 90 at most.
`viewmodel_fov <number>`	The field of view your weapon is drawn with. 54 by default.
`viewmodel_fov_demo <number>`	The same, used while a demo plays. 54 by default.
`zoom_sensitivity_ratio <number>`	A factor on the mouse sensitivity while the view is zoomed in. 1 by default.
`fov <number>`	Sets the field of view to that number. It works only while sv_cheats is 1.

FOV in the Sniper scope

Zooming in with a Sniper Rifle sets your field of view to 20, whatever fov_desired is. The 20 is a fixed number in the game's code and not a setting, so the zoom of the scope cannot be changed. What you can change is how fast the mouse moves while you are zoomed in: zoom_sensitivity_ratio is a factor on your mouse sensitivity for that, 1 by default. For a crosshair that only the Sniper uses, see the TF2 crosshair guide.

TF2 viewmodel FOV: viewmodel_fov

The viewmodel is your active weapon as you see it in first person. viewmodel_fov is the field of view it is drawn with: a larger number makes the weapon smaller on the screen. It does not change fov_desired.

The default is 54. A note in Valve's code says that 54 degrees approximates a 35 mm camera and that this made the weapons and their motions look the most natural. The command takes anything from 0.1 to 179.9. The code also gives it a competitive range, 54 to 70: while the competitive restrictions are on, the game holds the value inside that range.

In the menu. Open the advanced multiplayer options: the gear button with a plus sign on the main menu, or Advanced on the Multiplayer tab of Options. The option is called Viewmodel field of view.
In the console. Type viewmodel_fov 70.
In a config. The config maker has it as Weapon field of view.

While a demo plays, the game uses viewmodel_fov_demo instead. It is also 54 by default.

TF2 viewmodel commands: minimized, flipped and hidden

Command	What it does
`tf_use_min_viewmodels 1`	Minimized viewmodels: your weapon is drawn so that it takes up less of the screen. 0 by default.
`cl_flipviewmodels 1`	Draws your weapon on the left side of the screen instead of the right. 0 by default.
`r_drawviewmodel 0`	Hides your weapon. 1 by default.

The advanced multiplayer options have Use minimized viewmodels and Flip viewmodels, and the wiki's update history records a hide viewmodel option added to the same place. cl_flipviewmodels cannot be changed while you are connected to a server, so set it in the main menu or in autoexec.cfg.

To see through the weapon instead of shrinking or hiding it, a HUD can make it transparent: the transparent viewmodels guide has the steps.

If your weapon is not showing

r_drawviewmodel 1 turns the weapon back on after a config or the hide option turned it off. mastercomfig's docs give two lines to add to autoexec.cfg when viewmodels are not visible: viewmodel_fov 70 and r_drawviewmodel 1. Any other number works in place of 70.

Where this comes from

Defaults, ranges, the server's 75 to 90 limit and the Sniper zoom are read from Valve's published TF2 source code. The places in the menu and the 106 degrees are from the Team Fortress 2 wiki, on its pages for the field of view and the multiplayer options. The two lines for hidden viewmodels are from mastercomfig's docs.

Put your FOV and viewmodel settings in a file with the TF2 config maker, look up other commands in the TF2 console commands guide, or read what the TF2 launch options do. A minimal HUD clears the screen further.